21 July 2024 ,

Recovery of arrear levies: an overview of executing judgment debts in terms of The Magistrates' Courts Act No 32 Of 1944

As trustees who have recently obtained a judgment against an owner in respect of arrear levies, you may be considering how to effectively enforce this judgment. STS receives numerous queries on a regular basis regarding the recovery of arrear levies, which can be a complex process, especially after obtaining a court judgment.

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25 June 2024

What is ratification?

 Albert Einstein once said “Everything must be made as simple as possible. But not simpler."  Legal terms can often be overwhelming and challenging to interpret. One of our objectives at STS is to nurture and encourage growth and development within the communities we service.

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25 June 2024 , ,

Trustee and arrear levy lifelines

In today’s economy, managing a body corporate is more challenging than ever—just ask the trustees! Effective financial management is critical for any sectional title scheme, yet many bodies corporate find themselves in a cash flow deficit.

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28 May 2024 ,

Arrear levy collection reports: A checklist on what to include in the initial "hand over" instruction to attorneys

In continuation of our efforts to empower community scheme managers with essential knowledge for effective arrear levy collections, this blog post serves as a follow-up to our previous discussion on common legal terms used in collection reports. Building upon the foundation laid in that post, we delve deeper into the practical aspects of instructing attorneys for arrear levy matters.

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23 April 2024 ,

Common legal terms used in collection reports

A community scheme will usually instruct a firm of attorneys or a collection agent to handle its arrear levy collection matters. It is important that Managing Agents and Trustees understand the process involved so that they can make decisions and give further instructions as the matters proceed (as well as be able to answer questions at the next AGM).

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20 April 2024

Understanding bodies corporate and contractual capacity: a layperson’s guide

Bodies corporate are separate legal entities which are automatically created, in terms of section 2(1) of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act[1] (“STSMA”), once any person other than the property developer becomes an owner of a unit within the Sectional Title Scheme (“scheme”).

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Uncertain man
27 March 2024 ,

When it’s urgent, who do you call and how? The trustees' resolution to call a Special General Meeting on an urgent basis

When determining the required notice period for a general meeting, the starting point should be to determine what business the body corporate seeks to conclude in the general meeting.

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Paying the bills
25 March 2024 ,

Who foots the bill?

Some of the main reasons people invest in property in community schemes are the convenience and cost-effectiveness of shared responsibility and costs. However, who pays for what maintenance and repairs also result in some of the most heated debates regarding sectional title schemes (“schemes”).

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22 January 2024

Furry friends or foes? Deciphering pet regulations in community schemes

The multiple facets of pet ownership require careful consideration before an owner introduces their pet into a residence within various sectional title schemes, as this issue has frequently sparked disputes among owners (members), tenants, and bodies corporate.

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Security camera in a complex
11 November 2023 ,

Ensuring compliance of your scheme’s video surveillance to the POPI Act and privacy laws

Security is one of the biggest concerns of owners and tenants living in or looking to buy into a sectional title scheme. With this concern in mind, more and more schemes are looking to install video surveillance systems, not just at access points but also on the common property.

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