Blog

“Ignorance is Bliss Dangerous” (Internet meme) Our law will generally hold you liable for damages only if someone else can prove that you caused them loss/damage/injury through your “fault” (intent or negligence). That seems fair and logical – if it’s your fault, you pay. If however the loss was caused by your animal/s, you are in aRead more

“It is the duty of an employee when rendering his or her services always to act exclusively in the interest of the employer … an employee is not entitled to use his or her employment relationship with the employer without the employer’s permission to make a profit or earn commission for his or her ownRead more

“Animosity and difference of opinion are not sufficient to have a trustee removed from office and/or for the majority of trustees to unilaterally force another to vacate his/her office…” (Extract from judgment below) When family infighting impacts a family trust, an early casualty is often the relationship between the appointed trustees and beneficiaries, and/or betweenRead more

“We must not make a scarecrow of the law” (Shakespeare) A criminal record, even for a minor offence from decades back, comes with very serious and lifetime consequences. It will hang around forever, just waiting to ambush you when you apply for a job, or a travel visa, or a firearm licence.  So acquiring aRead more

“The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy, and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell” (Sir John Templeton, billionaire investor) You are it seems in good company if you view times of depressed property prices and general uncertainty as a great buying opportunity.  Just be aware thatRead more

“…it can hardly be in the best interests of all concerned for this family to remain at the School” (Extract from judgment below) With the new School Year now well under way, let’s have a look at a recent court decision of interest to all schools, parents and learners. Importantly, this case involves not aRead more

“A small debt produces a debtor; a large one, an enemy” (Publilius Syrus, Roman writer) You are owed money by a debtor, whose “insolvent estate” is “sequestrated” (in the case of an individual or trust) or “liquidated” (in the case of a company or other corporate).  The Master of the High Court appoints a “trustee”Read more

Note: If you earn over R22k p.m. (the subsidy threshold) or aren’t personally in the market for a house in the “affordable housing” bracket, please think of forwarding this article to someone who might be – perhaps a relative, friend, colleague or employee. You could be helping them take that important first step onto the propertyRead more

“Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it’s the lifeblood of business” (Richard Branson) A recent Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment has confirmed that when a property developer enters into an agreement with a buyer to transfer the property, even if the developer only actually gets paid in a subsequent tax year,Read more

“… it is necessary for an unequivocal message to be sent out that corruption on the part of politicians, especially those holding high office, will not be tolerated and that punishment for those who act as Mr Block has done in this case will be severe” (extract from SCA case below) We are all ofRead more