Expert articles for trustees, managing agents, owners and homeowners' associations covering CSOS, sectional title, conduct rules, governance, levies, meetings and dispute resolution.
Water is coming through your ceiling. The body corporate says it is your problem. You say it is theirs. Neither of you is budging, and in the meantime the damage is spreading. This is one of the most common disputes in sectional title schemes - and it has a clear legal answer, even if no one in your complex seems to kn
Developing a property with a body corporate, homeowners' association, or any form of shared governance structure is not just a conveyancing exercise. It is a legal architecture project. And the gap between getting the title deeds right and getting the governance right is exactly where developers run into trouble, somet
The idea sounds simple enough: you own a flat in a complex, you list it on Airbnb when you are not using it, and you earn some extra income. Thousands of South African property owners have done exactly that. Many of them did not realise that their body corporate had the legal power to stop them, fine them, or take them
Most people buying into a sectional title scheme ask the obvious questions - Is the unit the right size? Is the location right? What are the levies? Very few ask the question that matters most: Is this scheme financially solvent?
It's one of the most common complaints in sectional title living: the levy goes up, the managing agent sends a statement, and the owner is left squinting at line items they don't fully understand. The assumption that quietly takes hold, especially when things feel disorganised or maintenance is slow - is that someone s
Dealing with a dispute in a community scheme can be difficult and confusing. At Van Deventer Dowlath & Marx Incorporated (VDM), we regularly assist clients with disputes, so we want to clarify the CSOS process and the role of attorneys. We've broken the dispute process into four simple steps for you:
In sectional title living, space is shared - but not always equally. That's where the concept of Exclusive Use Areas (EUAs) comes in. These are parts of the common property that are set aside for the exclusive use of one or more owners, such as parking bays, gardens, or patios.
If you're a trustee or managing agent in a sectional title scheme, you've probably heard that your scheme's rules must be lodged with the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS)- but what does that actually mean, and how do you do it properly?
When it comes to sectional title living, the rules are what hold everything together - they define how people share space, manage responsibilities, and resolve disputes. But too often, new developments or self-managed bodies corporate take a shortcut: they simply copy another complex's rules, make a few tweaks, and sub
Living in a community scheme - whether a sectional title complex, homeowners' association (HOA), retirement village, or share block - means you are part of a community governed by rules. Most of the time, these rules help maintain harmony, safety, and property value. But sometimes, disputes arise: over levies, pets, no
Living in a sectional title complex or estate often comes with rules designed to balance the rights of all residents. One of the most debated topics is whether pets are allowed - and under what conditions. Community Schemes (such as sectional titles and homeowners' associations) are entitled to make rules, but those ru
Buying into a sectional title complex, gated estate, or homeowners' association (HOA) is very different from purchasing a freestanding home. When you buy in a community scheme, you don't just buy a property -you buy into a shared way of life. That means collective decision-making, financial contributions, and rules des
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