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eviction lawyer Johannesburg Archives | Page 6 of 7 | Eviction Lawyers South Africa

Feb 20
0

Foreign nationals allegedly torch building after eviction

By | Eviction news, Eviction notice, Eviction videos, Evictions

A house in Pretoria West was allegedly set alight by foreign nationals illegally occupying it – this after they were evicted on Monday, as this video from Twitter user Yusuf Abramjee shows.

Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) spokesperson Superintendent Isaac Mahamba told News24 they were assisting the owners of the building with an eviction order in Luttig Street when the fire was started.

“We accompanied the service provider for possible evictions of people who occupied the house. Somehow they started a fire with the intention of burning the house down.”

Mahamba said they called the fire department to extinguish the fire to keep it from spreading to other buildings in the area.

“[The fire was extinguished] successfully and without any injuries being reported,” he added. The TMPD said no arrests have been made.

Tshwane Fire Department spokesperson Deputy Chief Charles Mabaso told News24 the cause of the fire had not yet been established.

“Upon arrival, a house with about seven to eight rooms was burning,” he said. “We managed to extinguish the fire, but it was almost completely destroyed. The cause is not clear, but an investigation has been launched,” Mabaso added.

Reprinted from News24 – 2020-02-18. Emphasis/links by SD Law.

If you need help with the eviction process

However difficult your situation, setting fire to a property won’t solve anything and will just create further problems. Simon Dippenaar & Associates, Inc. is a law firm in Cape Town, now operating in Gauteng and Durban, of specialised eviction attorneys, helping both landlords and tenants with the eviction process.

Contact one of our eviction lawyers on +27 (0) 86 099 5146 or info@sdlaw.co.za if you need help with an eviction matter.

Further reading:

 

 

 

Feb 17
0

Confusion over sale of Walmer Estate land to private developer

By | Eviction news

Cape Town – Housing activists are confused about how public land in Walmer Estate, earmarked for affordable housing, was sold to a private developer to build luxury apartments.

The land, believed to be owned by the provincial department of human settlements, was disposed of in 2009.

However, the department launched an eviction order against residents illegally living on the property in 2012.

Reclaim the City’s Woodstock chapter leader Deena Bosch said: “We were told they cannot develop this property into affordable housing initially when we were fighting for housing in the area.

“Someone is lying to us because why would the provincial department launch an eviction order in 2012 if they were no longer the owners and when was this land sold?”

Bosch claimed the land was sold “quietly without any intent to provide any social housing”.

“How and when did the province dispose of this land? They are putting it into the hands of private developers and failing to provide inner-city affordable housing. Housing for the super-rich at R7 million on what was public land is criminal.”

In 2012, the department approached the court to evict a group of squatters on land it owns in Woodstock.

The department said in papers before the Western Cape High Court that the structure of the building on the property was not safe, and that it has been battling with the occupants since 2009. The building was constructed in 1930 and was deemed unfit for occupation in 2009 when the City issued a notice to the Human Settlements Department.

However, the department could not demolish the building as there were as many as 10 families residing on the land.

Heritage Western Cape was cited as a respondent because the Heritage Act provided that a structure might not be demolished without a permit if it was older than 60 years. The department had applied for such a permit.

Human Settlements MEC spokesperson Marcellino Martin said: “Our erf is 12698 and in February 2009 a submission was approved to sell the property to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.”

Martin said the department had made strides in moving residents closer to the city: “Project planning is currently under way at the proposed Salt River Market site, Artscape/Founders garden initiative, Helen Bowden/Somerset Hospital precinct and Woodstock Hospital redevelopment initiative. The Conradie Better Living Model Exemplar Project represents a well located, affordable, integrated, mixed income and mixed-use development.”

Reprinted from the Cape Argus – 2020-02-13

Emphasis/links by SD Law

Further reading:

If you need help with the eviction process

Simon Dippenaar & Associates, Inc. is a law firm in Cape Town, now operating in Gauteng and Durban, of specialised eviction attorneys, helping both landlords and tenants with the eviction process. Contact one of our eviction lawyers on +27 (0) 86 099 5146 or info@sdlaw.co.za if you need help with an eviction.

Feb 11
0

Mangaung municipality goes after defaulting tenants

By | Eviction news, Eviction notice, Evictions

Since November last year 112 accounts have been handed over to attorneys and defaulting tenants issued with letters of demand.

The Mangaung metropolitan municipality is going after non-paying tenants in residential flats and houses to try and recover monies owed to the municipality.

Operation Patala (Pay up) will focus on non-paying tenants in residential flats, sites that were never paid and reallocation of informal sites sold to non-qualifying beneficiaries.

“All non-paying tenants and those who are employed have been referred to the city’s attorneys (Ramothello Attorneys) to start with the eviction process. This will be dealt with on merit,” said municipal spokesperson Qondile Khedama.

He said unemployed tenants would be required to present proof and a plan will be made to accommodate them in alternative settlement sites owned by the city.

“There have been issues with non-paying tenants at Lourierpark flats over the years. All necessary steps to inform tenants have been taken,” said Khedama.

He said that there were also informal sites that were allocated to beneficiaries who sold them to non-qualifying beneficiaries or non-South Africans.

“We have embarked on the operation to take back these sites and allocate them to beneficiaries who are in real need of accommodation. Where the non-qualifying occupant has built a permanent structure, we make them offers to pay for land costs. Failure to pay will lead to eviction,” he added.

The first phase of the campaign started in November 2019 and since then 112 accounts have been handed over to Ramothello Attorneys and defaulting tenants issued with letters of demand.

The city will now embark on eviction applications in court.

“The campaign also seeks to recover monies from people who were sold sites in Bloemside in the 1990s. Most occupants never paid the land costs; some have built houses and others have sold the sites to third parties,” said Khedama.

Contact Eviction Lawyers in Cape Town and Johannesburg for help if you face eviction

*Simon Dippenaar & Associates, Inc. is a firm of specialist eviction lawyers, based in Cape Town and now operating in Johannesburg and Durban, helping both landlords and tenants with the eviction process. Contact one of our eviction lawyers on 086 099 5146 or info@sdlaw.co.za if you have been evicted unlawfully or simply need advice on your situation.

Reprinted from The Citizen 2020-02-10

Emphasis/links by SD Law

Further reading:

Joy as rightful owners of Mamelodi flats move in after waiting years for homes

When and how you can evict a tenant

100 illegal flat invaders evicted from buildings

Mangaung collects