There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects. Albert van Wyk has more than 38 years’ worth of building experience and has put all he has learned into a
Q In our complex there are 16 units and our levies are R1,250 each per month. So according to my calculation that’s R15 per unit – paid quarterly will be plus/minus R240 to the ombudsman. I have no idea to whom we send this amount or is
Q Is it normal when selling a house for the transfer attorneys to demand an advance payment of R8,400 for the municipality account? The accounts are all paid up and there is no outstanding amount. Why should we pay for four months in advance? - JoAnn A Hi JoAnn,
Q Our complex consists of 12 individual units. Approximately six years ago the trustees decided that ALL owners would be responsible for the maintenance of their own units and this has been the standing rules ever since. Owners are solely responsible for the maintenance inside and outside
Q Thanks for good reporting on the community schemes ombud. I live in an estate and the board is trying to dodge the ombud by changing the rules that disputes will be referred to an advocate with at least 15 years’ experience. Is this legal? I
Sellers of low- and mid-value properties spend a longer time on the market compared with high, luxury and super-luxury homes, regardless if they list 0% and above their properties’ market value. Interestingly, luxury-value properties spend the least amount of time on the market, regardless if
Q Based on HomeTimes’ articles, it has been mentioned that the Community Schemes Ombud Service levies will be raised on 1 January 2017. My question is, when is the effective date? 1 October 2016 or 1 January 2017. The reason for my question is my mother’s complex has issued a
There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects. Albert van Wyk has more than 38 years’ worth of building experience and has put all he has learned into a
The Community Schemes Ombud Service was officially launched today in Rosebank, Johannesburg, with officials and key stakeholders in attendance. Although the office of the chief ombudsman was established at the end of 2014, the draft regulations were only gazetted little over a month ago on 7
John Loos, FNB’s poster boy for residential property economics, pictured himself as a criminal lawyer when he was a youngster – something he attributes to watching too much LA Law. He never saw himself as an economist, let alone a property economist – a job