News & Articles
Can polygraph testing and background checks be used?
The current economic climate, unemployment and concerns regarding job security have contributed to the increased use of falsified CV’s in job applications as well as criminal activities by employees. As a countermeasure, employers are making use of background checks and polygraph tests to combat the fraudulent and criminal activities of applicants and employees alike.
Dog owner beware! Dog bites can be expensive
Everybody has heard of someone who has been bitten by a dog. This is no accusation directed at dogs as owner irresponsibility is often the main cause of the attack. Correctly, one must then look at the liability of the owner to determine whether the actions of the dog are attributable to the owner or not.
Options v Pre-emptive Rights in Sale Transactions
Owners, agents and property professionals are often confronted with the legal terms ‘option’ to purchase and ‘pre-emptive right’ or a ‘right of first refusal’. So what is the difference between an option to buy property and a right of first refusal, and under which circumstances should each term be utilised in practice?
The unintended effect of AARTO on the employment relationship
While it may not have been the intention, the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (‘AARTO’) may have a significant effect on the kind of employment relationship where the employee is required to spend a substantial period driving as a condition of his/her employment.
Are you entitled to a portion of your spouse’s pension fund?
The Divorce Act states, that when determining the patrimonial benefits to which the parties to a divorce action are entitled, the pension interest of a party shall be deemed to form part of his/her assets. The normal result of a divorce between parties married in community of property is a division of their joint estate, which consists of all the assets and liabilities of the estate. This does not apply to marriages entered into out of community of property and without the application of the accrual system where the parties have no right to any portion of the other’s pension benefit.
Divorce Mediation: Is it a Solution?
Mediation, in general, is a voluntary process in which parties to a dispute utilize the services of an independent third party or ‘mediator’ to facilitate the discussions between the parties with a view to settling their disputes amicably. Where minor children are involved, our courts may in future even enforce mediation as a precursor to court action. Importantly…
Can I make use of email marketing?
Email marketing remains one of the cheapest and most effective methods of mass marketing and communication with your client database. Yet each person has a right to privacy and this right has frequently been violated in the past by callous marketers that send advertising and promotional emails to consumers without permission.
Mag ek van epos bemarking gebruik maak?
Epos bemarking bly een van die goedkoopste asook mees effektiewe maniere van massa bemarking en kommunikasie met jou kliënt databasis. Tog het elke persoon ook ‘n reg op privaatheid, en is hierdie reg in die verlede aangetas deur bemarkers wat sonder toestemming eposse oor promosies en advertering aan verbuikers gestuur het. Hierdie vorm van ongewenste direkte bemarking is nou aan bande gelê deur die nuwe Verbruikersbeskermingswet (“die Wet”) wat duidelike reëls in verband met digitale bemarking daar te stel.
Kredietverskaffer: Het jy genoeg inligting oor die skuldenaar om die skuld in te vorder?
Aanwysers toon dat die mikro-leen bedryf die afgelope paar jaar aansienlik gegroei het. Aan die anderkant toon aanwysers ook dat die aantal verbruikers wat slegte kredietrekords het en die aantal verbruikers wat hulself onder skuldberading plaas ook aansienlik gegroei het.
Credit Provider: Do you have sufficient debtor information to recover outstanding debt?
Indicators show that the micro-lending industry has been growing quite substantially over the past few years. On the flip side, indicators also show that the number of consumers with impaired credit records is also growing sharply, as also the number of consumers placing themselves under debt counselling.
The house that was sold “voetstoots”
In most agreements of sale of immovable property, such as a house, there appears the well-known “voetstoots” clause. The term “voetstoots” simply means “as it stands” which implies that the buyer purchases the property, together with its defects and cannot hold the seller liable therefore.
Wat is `n redelike kansellasiefooi by die kansellasie van `n huurooreenkoms?
Die nuwe Verbruikersbeskermingswet (“VBW”) het grootskaalse veranderinge teweeggebring in besigheidstransaksies in Suid-Afrika. Huurooreenkomste word ook geraak deur die bepalings van die VBW in die sin dat die huurder, indien `n natuurlike persoon, nou geregtig is om `n huurooreenkoms op enige stadium te kanselleer deur slegs twintig besigheidsdae skriftelike kennis van die beëindiging van die huurooreenkoms aan die verhuurder te gee.
What is a reasonable cancellation fee when cancelling a lease agreement?
The new Consumer Protection Act (“CPA”) brought about extensive changes to business transactions in South Africa. Lease agreements have also been affected by the provisions of the CPA in that a tenant, who is a natural person, is now entitled to cancel a lease agreement at any stage thereof by simply giving the landlord twenty business days written notice of cancellation. As a result, a landlord may no longer be guaranteed of a long term fixed lease income.
Alleenmandaat: Moet ek of moet ek nie?
Menigte voornemende verkopers word gekonfronteer met ‘n uitnodiging van eiendomsagente om aan hulle ‘n alleenmandaat vir die verkoop van hul eiendom toe te staan. 9 uit 10 kere is die onmiddellike reaksie om die aanbod van die hand te wys as gevolg van die opvatting dat ‘n alleenmandaat bloot ‘n slim manier deur ‘n eiendomsagent is om eksklusiewe regte tot jou eiendom te bekom wat moontlik tot gevolg sal hê dat jou eiendom nie effektief aan die mark blootgestel word nie en die kanse om jou eiendom te verkoop, verminder.
Sole Mandate: Should I or Shouldn’t I?
Many prospective sellers are confronted with an invitation by estate agents to grant them a sole mandate for the sale of their property. 9 out of 10 times the immediate reaction is to decline the offer due to a perception that a sole mandate is only a clever way for the estate agent to obtain exclusive rights to your property which in turn will result in your property not being effectively introduced to the market and decreasing your chances of a successful sale.
Can I amend my Trust Deed?
A trust is an agreement between the founder of the trust and the trustees of the trust for the benefit of a third party, namely the trust beneficiaries of the trust. Different to a company, a trust is not established in terms of legislation, but is established by the trustdeed of the trust which serves as its founding document.
Kan ek my Trustakte wysig?
‘n Trust is ‘n ooreenkoms tussen die oprigter van die trust en die trustees van die trust ten behoewe van ‘n derde, naamlik die begunstigde(s) van die trust. Anders as ‘n maatskappy word ‘n trust nie opgerig in terme van wetgewing nie, maar deur middel van die trustakte van die trust, wat dien as die stigtingsdokument.
Die menslike element by die verkoop van ‘n besigheid
Wanneer ‘n besigheid verkoop word as ‘n lopende saak vind Artikel 197 van die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge (die Wet) toepassing en reguleer dit die oordrag van dienskontrakte waar die geheel of gedeelte van die besigheid verkoop (oorgedra) word as ‘n lopende saak aan ‘n koper.
The human element to selling a business
When selling a business as a going concern, Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) applies and regulates the transfer of employment contracts where the whole or part of a business is sold (transferred) as a going concern to a purchaser.
Vyf stappe om voldoening met die Verbruikersbeskermingswet te toets
Met die aanvang van die Verbuikersbeskermingswet (VBW) op 1 April 2011 word Suid-Afrikaanse verbruikers ‘n hoogsbeskermde spesie met omvattende verbruikersregte en meganismes wat implementeer word deur die VBW vir die beskerming van die algemene verbruiker.
A five step test to check compliance with the Consumer Protection Act
With the commencement of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) on 1 April 2011 South African consumers have become a highly protected specie with extensive consumer rights and mechanisms implemented by the CPA for protecting the general consumer.
Naderende Sperdatum: Dra u vakansiehuis of tweede woning nou oor en bespaar belasting!
Alhoewel daar gese word dat die enigste gegewes in die lewe die dood en belasting is, verskaf die belastinggaarder by geleentheid die belastingbetaler ‘n vergunning ten opsigte van belasting. In 2012 maak die vergunning sy verskyning in die vorm van die Wysigingswet op Belasting 24 van 2011 wat die belastingbetaler toelaat om, vir `n sekere periode..
Deadline Looming! Transfer your holiday or second home now and save tax
While it may be said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes, the taxman on the rare occasion provides John Public a reprieve as far as taxes are concerned. In 2012 this reprieve comes in the form of the Tax Amendment Act 24 of 2011 which allows a taxpayer to, for a certain period of time, transfer a holiday or second home owned by the taxpayer in a company, trust or close corporation into the name of the individual taxpayer, without the usual tax implications arising from such transfer.
Akte van Oprigting en Aandeelhouersooreenkoms. Benodig ek beide?
In terme van die vorige maatskappyewet het ‘n maatskappy in die algemeen sy interne verhoudings met twee tipes dokumente reguleer. Die eerste was die maatskappy se grondwet (die Akte van Oprigting en Statute) en die tweede, sy aandeelhouersooreenkoms. Die grondwet was, eenvoudig gesproke, ‘n kontrak tussen die maatskappy en sy aandeelhouers, terwyl die aandeelhouersooreenkoms die verhouding tussen die verskillende aandeelhouers gereël het.
MOI and Shareholders Agreement. Do I need both?
Under the previous Companies Act, a company generally regulated its relationships within the company with two kinds of documents. The first was the company’s constitution (its Memorandum and Articles of Association) and the second, its shareholders agreement. The constitution was essentially a contract between the company and its shareholders, whilst the shareholder’s agreement regulated the relationship between the different shareholders.
Van der Merwe du Toit inc. is a proud sponsor of the Beeld Kinderfonds
Back left to...
Van der Merwe du Toit Newsletter 1 / 2012
Van der Merwe du...
Deadline for Private Companies to File PAIA Manuals extended to 2015
The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 gives effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by the State and any information that is held by another person and that is required for the exercise or protection of any rights.
You cannot take it with you!
When it comes to what fixtures and fittings goes and what stays in a house move, any property professional will have numerous stories of stinginess and spitefulness of sellers removing, to the horror of the buyers, everything from towel racks, shelves in a bathroom to even all the light bulbs in the house!
Wat van daardie tweede wooneenheid (“granny flat”)?
Die omskepping van ‘n motorhuis of die bou van ‘n “granny flat” ten einde ‘n tweede wooneenheid daar te stel is alledaags. Ons is almal bewus van huise waar so “granny flat” op die eiendom is wat dikwels uitverhuur word. Die potensiaal om passiewe inkomste te skep is iets wat die koopprys van so eiendom ook positief aanpas.