A tenant may be in clear breach of a lease, but that does not guarantee a successful eviction.  A recent High Court judgment shows how an unclear cancellation notice and a failure to follow the correct legal process can derail an otherwise strong case, leaving landlords with an expensive lesson in the importance of getting the basics right.A dementia diagnosis affects far more than memory. As mental capacity declines, families are often confronted with difficult legal and financial decisi...

A deck collapsed seven months after transfer. The buyers, convinced they’d been sold a raw prawn, headed to the courts. Eight claims and twelve years later, they haven’t recouped a cent. A 2026 Western Cape High Court judgment draws a sharp line between what the law protects buyers against and what it does not.We all know that a comprehensive estate plan, with a carefully crafted will at its heart, is essential to ensure that we’re on track to leave our loved ones financially...

The administrators of residential complexes tread a fine line. They must implement and enforce conduct rules for the good of the complex as a whole, but without unjustly impinging on the constitutional rights of individuals.  A recent Supreme Court of Appeal decision, granting a sight-impaired owner a limited right to exclusive use of a section of common area for his washing machine, has brought this balancing act into sharp focus. We discuss the reasoning behind that outcome, with some s...

It’s a really exciting time, buying a house, particularly if it’s your first! Don’t forget, however, that you will have to pay a variety of costs over and above the purchase price. What are those costs and when must you pay them? Do they impact your ability to afford the house you have your eye on? We’ll address those questions with a checklist of costs you should budget for. It’s a good idea to work these into a cash flow forecast so you aren’t ambushed by ...

Phew! No major tax increases are planned, and taxpayers will benefit from zero “bracket creep” across a range of taxes. While property sellers and buyers will be disappointed that transfer duty thresholds have not increased, there’s reason to get very excited about the 50% increase in the primary residence CGT exclusion from R2m to R3m.  Read on for an illustrative calculation of CGT savings, some of the more important tax tables, and a calculator to show you how much mo...