“Co-ownership is the mother of disputes” (Roman law maxim) Buying property can be an excellent investment, but it can also be expensive. So sometimes it makes a lot of sense to share the financial burden with someone else. Perhaps for example you are spouses or life partners buying your first home. Perhaps you are a…
“The Internet is a Real Place with Real Consequences” (Rebecca MacKinnon, Internet policy expert) We live in an age of online commerce. We buy and sell pretty much anything you can think of on the Internet, whilst contracting online for everything from an Uber ride to a plumber’s call out has become second nature. So…
When will the enforcement provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPI” or “POPIA”) come into effect? Latest indications are that the Information Regulator will announce final Regulations and a commencement date shortly, but there have been so many delays already that we perhaps shouldn’t be holding our breath on that one. Three important…
“If you hear something (straight) from the horse’s mouth, you hear it from the person who has direct personal knowledge of it” (Cambridge Dictionary) We all know by now that the VAT rate increased from 14% to 15% on 1 April. How does that affect your residential property sale/purchase? We are talking big money here…
Both sellers and buyers (of anything – houses, cars, you name it) need to understand how the CPA (Consumer Protection Act) has impacted on the very common “voetstoots” (“as is”) clause. Firstly, what’s the difference between “patent” and “latent” defects? Before we get into the meat of this question, let’s understand two important terms…
Obtaining a maintenance order for the support of yourself and/or your children is all very well, but what if you are dealing with an “Artful Dodger” who is determined not to pay you? New provisions in the Maintenance Act just handed you two powerful new weapons – Tracing defaulters: Serial maintenance dodgers are fond of going…
Your dog bites the neighbour or a visitor is hurt running away from an angry ostrich on your property – can you be sued? A recent SCA (Supreme Court of Appeal) decision illustrates. R6.75m claimed for a snapped Achilles tendon A visitor was invited to a farm (roamed by a variety of game including…
If you are inheriting from someone who passed away on or after 1 January 2018, don’t blame the estate’s executor for one substantially-increased cost you may notice – Master’s Office fees. They are calculated on the value of the deceased estate and were long overdue for an increase, going up sharply from the old maximum…
As our dependency on our always-connected cell phones grows, so does the importance of maximising battery life. That’s particularly relevant with the death knell now sounded for removable-battery phones. When your battery dies, you can no longer replace it yourself with a low-priced third party one, nor with a spare you carry around for sudden…
“Ignorantia iuris nocet” (old Roman proverb meaning “Not knowing the law is harmful”) Most of us know how important it is to sue our debtors well before prescription permanently takes away our right to claim. But what if you did nothing until it was too late because you didn’t even know you had a claim…