Can you use land use laws to close down a neighbour’s business?
“A bad neighbour is as great a calamity as a good one is a great advantage”. (Hesiod, poet of Ancient Greece) Your neighbour’s business is driving you to distraction. Perhaps it’s loud all-night music, or an invasion of your hard-earned privacy, or illegal parking in your driveway, but regardless of what the nuisance factor is, […]
Why buyers should ask for building plans (and why sellers should supply them)
“No person shall without the prior approval in writing of the local authority in question, erect any building in respect of which plans and specifications are to be drawn and submitted in terms of this Act.” (National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act) Here’s a nightmare scenario for a buyer – you move into your […]
A Valentine’s Day thought for life partners: What is a “Universal Partnership”
“Marriage is the chief cause of divorce” (Groucho Marx) This Valentine’s Day, think about the legal aspects of your romantic relationship. They’re a lot less exciting than the traditional declarations of love backed up by chocolates and flowers, but they’re just as important in ensuring a strong, committed life partnership in which both of you […]
“Pay extra for my generator or I’ll cut you off during loadshedding”. Can a landlord do that?
Loadshedding continues to plague us and our businesses, and when tenants are connected during power cuts to their landlord’s alternative power source – such as a generator – it is essential for both parties to understand their respective rights. Lights out for a shopping mall gym · An upmarket gym had relied for years on […]