A Complex Issue: Beware Late Building Penalties

A Complex Issue: Beware Late Building Penalties

“Home wasn’t built in a day.” (Jane Ace, radio comedian) You find the perfect plot on which to build your dream home in a security estate. Your offer is accepted and transfer proceeds – happy days! So, imagine your distress when, having proudly taken ownership, you are suddenly told by the HOA (Homeowners’ Association) that…

Do You Need a Second Will for Your Overseas Assets?

Do You Need a Second Will for Your Overseas Assets?

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” (Pablo Picasso) If you own assets outside South Africa, you may have wondered: Is my local will enough? This is a question many South Africans are asking, and the answer will depend on your own unique situation. Let’s break it down….

Braai Chain Hauled Over the Coals for Hidden Service Charges and Fined R1m
|

Braai Chain Hauled Over the Coals for Hidden Service Charges and Fined R1m

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing… If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” (Groucho Marx) We’ve all had this experience – meal over, relaxed and happy, you call for the bill and decide to reward your friendly and helpful waitron with a good tip. Only to find, on checking the…

Employers: How to Avoid Paying Severance Pay on Retrenchment

Employers: How to Avoid Paying Severance Pay on Retrenchment

“Only in our dreams are we free; the rest of the time we need wages.” (Terry Pratchett) Retrenching employees can be an expensive business. You’ll have to pay each employee a minimum of one week’s pay for each completed year of ongoing service, and that total liability can add up alarmingly. A recent Labour Court…

Directors: Here’s How to Avoid Being Sued for Company Debts

Directors: Here’s How to Avoid Being Sued for Company Debts

“To be prepared is half the victory.” (Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote) Perhaps you’re a director losing sleep over the risk of losing everything if creditors sue you personally for your company’s debts because you’re asset-rich, and they can’t squeeze anything out of the company. Or maybe you worry about the company itself…

A New School Year Dawns – Can Unpaid Fees Bar Your Child From Enrolling?
|

A New School Year Dawns – Can Unpaid Fees Bar Your Child From Enrolling?

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” (Mark Twain) Our Constitution guarantees everyone rights to education, but that doesn’t mean parents can necessarily pick and choose which schools they send their children to. Nor does it mean that they can expect schools to continue educating their children if they don’t pay the…

Revenge Porn and a Fake Facebook Profile – Online Defamation Costs a Couple R3.55m

Revenge Porn and a Fake Facebook Profile – Online Defamation Costs a Couple R3.55m

“The scariest thing about digital abuse is how a victim can never know how far it went, how many people it reached, and how much those who saw it bought it.” (Psychology Today) Our laws are always protective of our rights to privacy and dignity, and a recent High Court decision confirms that defamation can…

Who Appoints the Conveyancer? Your House, Your Choice

Who Appoints the Conveyancer? Your House, Your Choice

“A man’s home is his castle.” (Sir Edward Coke, English common law ruling, 1604) Of course, what we all want to hear at the end of our house-selling journey is something like this: “Congratulations! You sold for a good price, the buyer’s taken transfer and you’ve been paid the purchase price. Time to pop the bubbly🍾”….

Gift or Loan? A Cautionary Tale for the Season of Giving

Gift or Loan? A Cautionary Tale for the Season of Giving

“The bluntest pencil is better than the sharpest mind” (Unknown) The Festive Season is traditionally a time for giving, and it seems a pity to have to mention the hard realities of the law right now. But, as a recent High Court dispute confirms, things can go horribly wrong if the people involved have different…