Thinking Inside the Box

A reasonable balance: POPI and sectional title schemes

By Auren Freitas dos Santos By now it is understood by most stakeholders in the community schemes industry that the Protection of Personal Information Act (more commonly known as the … Continue reading →

Quick Guide: Nuisance in community schemes

An increasing number of South Africans live in close contact with their neighbours. Section 39(2)(a) of the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act of 2011 allows an adjudicator to control nuisance … Continue reading →

Quick Guide: Responsibility for Sectional Title Scheme Maintenance

By Graham Paddock Most scheme management questions relate to who is responsible for scheme repairs, maintenance and replacements. It is no surprise that everybody wants somebody else to do the … Continue reading →

Insurance claim settlement – Paddocks Club discussion

By Graham Paddock and Mike Addison Using the term “complex” for community scheme living definitely carries multiple layers. It seems that every day brings new challenges and obstacles that can … Continue reading →

Maintenance and Repair of Windows and Doors in Exterior Section Walls: Getting Down to Detail

By Graham Paddock Section 5(5) of the Sectional Titles Act provides: “any window, door or other structure which divides a section from another section or from common property, shall be … Continue reading →

Video Surveillance in sectional title schemes

By Graham Paddock Video surveillance equipment is being installed in more and more sectional title schemes, not just at access points but also on the common property within the schemes. … Continue reading →

Procedure for the conducting of General and Trustee Meetings during Level 3 Lockdown

By Auren Freitas dos Santos On the 23rd of June 2020, the Community Schemes Ombud Service issued a notice providing clarity on body corporate and trustee meetings during level three … Continue reading →

Maintaining and repairing exclusive use areas

By Auren Freitas dos Santos We deal with a number of disputes relating to exclusive use areas in sectional title schemes. The majority of disputes involve disagreements about who is … Continue reading →

Amended rules – your obligations now

By Ané de Klerk Once a body corporate has passed the relevant resolutions, submitted their amended rules to the Community Schemes Ombud Service and received that all-important certificate of approval … Continue reading →

Occupational Health and Safety in Sectional Title Schemes

By Graham Paddock Trustees often ask: ‘Must sectional title bodies corporate comply with the Occupational Health and Safety legislation?’ The answer is ‘no’, unless they directly employ a worker. Under … Continue reading →

A room with a view, (well…, sort of)

By Auren Freitas dos Santos It is natural for property owners to use and develop their property to the fullest extent possible in order to increase the habitable area of … Continue reading →

Compulsory and optional sectional title building insurance

By Auren Freitas dos Santos One of the most important functions of a body corporate is to insure the scheme’s buildings. This function requires the body corporate to insure all … Continue reading →

How to get a sectional owner to pay for use rights, or remove unauthorised improvements.

By Graham Paddock It is not unusual for sectional title schemes to include parts of the common property that are exclusively used, improved and/or enclosed by owners, but which are … Continue reading →

Are you well enough prepared for that board meeting?

By Ané de Klerk As a community scheme executive (trustee of a body corporate, director of a non-profit company home owners’ association; trustee of a common law home owners’ association … Continue reading →