Wilma en André het onlangs in Sonskyn meenthuiskompleks ingetrek. Saterdagaand vier André sy verjaardag en die partytjie duur voort tot net na twaalf die aand. Maandagoggend ontvang André ‘n skrywe van die bestuursliggaam van die kompleks tot die effek dat hy ‘n R500.00 boete opgelê word aangesien die huisreëls bepaal dat stilte na 23:00 gehandhaaf moet word en dat André hierdie reël verbreek het met sy partytjie. Verstom, wonder André of hierdie boete afdwingbaar is?

Ten einde te bepaal of die boete afdwingbaar is of nie, moet daar eers gekyk word na welke reëls op deeltitelskemas (soos die Sonskyn meenthuiskompleks) van toepassing is. Huidiglik maak die Wet op Deeltitels (“die Wet”) voorsiening vir twee tipes reëls ten einde die bestuur van ‘n deeltitelskema te reël, naamlik bestuurs- en gedragsreëls.

Die bestuursreëls bevat bepalings omtrent die bestuur en administrasie van ‘n deeltitelskema en bepaal onder andere, die vasstelling van heffings, vergaderings en stemreg en is redelik neutraal ten opsigte van die aard van die deeltitelskema. Hierdie reëls kan deur ‘n eenparige besluit gewysig word.

Die gedragsreëls, aan die ander kant, hou meer verband met die aard van die deeltitelskema en die dag tot dag optrede van die eienaars en inwoners. Hierdie reëls kan makliker gewysig word by wyse van ‘n spesiale besluit.

Die Wet maak egter geensins voorsiening vir die oplegging van sogenaamde ‘huisreëls’ nie en gevolglik ook nie vir die oplê van boetes ingevolge hierdie huisreëls nie. Dit blyk algemene praktyk te wees vir trustees (en inwoners) om ‘n stel huisreëls te formuleer en dit van toepassing te maak op die lede van die deeltitelskema. Alhoewel dit maklik opgestel en geïmplementeer kan word, is hierdie tipe huisreëls onafdwingbaar aangesien daar geen voorgeskrewe prosedures vir die skepping en oplegging van huisreëls bestaan nie.

Die regspersoon van ‘n deeltitelskema word kragtens die Wet geskep. Alle handelinge van ‘n regspersoon (en die inwoners) moet dus ooreenkomstig die Wet gemagtig wees. Aangesien die Wet nie voorsiening maak vir die oplegging van huisreëls nie, kan ‘n regspersoon nie sonder meer huisreëls formuleer nie. Die wetgewer wil ongeoorloofde inbreuk op die gebruik en genot van ‘n eienaar ten opsigte van sy deel in die skema vermy en aangesien dit kan gebeur dat die trustees (en/of ‘n klein meerderheid inwoners) huisreëls formuleer en implementeer wat inbreuk maak op ‘n eienaar se gebruik en genot van sy deel, sal sulke handelinge teenstrydig wees met die reg van eienaarskap in die algemeen.

Dit beteken nie dat huisreëls nie gemaak kan word nie, maar word dit eerder aanbeveel dat die bestuurs- en gedragsreëls gewysig word ten einde die trustees in staat te stel om gebruik te maak van effektiewe boetebepalings ensomeer. Hierdie wysigings word deur die Wet bekragtig en kan anti-sosiale gedrag van enkele inwoners (byvoorbeeld voortdurende harde musiek, laataand jolyt ensovoorts) op so manier hok geslaan word. Gehoorsame eienaars (en huurders) hoef dus nie hieronder te lei nie.

Dit is egter belangrik om daarop te let dat die bogemelde nie beteken dat die plig (en gepaardgaande diskresie) wat op die skouers van trustees rus om die gemeenskaplike eiendom tot voordeel van alle inwoners te bestuur aan bande gelê word nie. Die trustees is steeds by magte om algemene riglyne neer te lê wat betrekking het op onder andere:

• die merk van gedeeltes van die gemeenskaplike eiendom vir die was en parkering van motorvoertuie;
• instelling van spoedbeperkings binne die meenthuiskompleks;
• verbod op die gebruik van ‘n hyser deur kinders jonger as 8 jaar oud indien hulle nie deur ‘n volwassene vergesel word nie, ensovoorts.

Die Wet maak nie voorsiening vir die oplegging van huisreëls deur trustees (en/of inwoners) wat boetebepalings bevat nie en sal hierdie onafdwingbaar wees indien dit nie in die bestuurs- en gedragsreëls vervat word nie. Trustees van ‘n deeltitelskema word dus aangeraai om die nodige regsadvies in te win waar dit oorweeg word om sodanige huisreëls te implementeer by die skema ten einde te verseker dat die korrekte meganisme vir implementering gebruik word en die reëls afdwingbaar sal wees.

In most metropolitan areas many properties have undergone a change in use and are no longer utilised as originally intended.  In many instances the shift away from the Central Business District area has resulted in former residential areas being utilised for business and other purposes.

It is necessary to comply with the applicable Zoning Scheme Regulations regulated by the Municipality in question. Prior to the purchase of a property a cautious purchaser will require proof of the current zoning from the seller. Additionally confirmation should be sought that any conditions imposed in an approved zoning have been complied with by the seller. From a practical perspective it is usually necessary to seek professional assistance from a person well versed with property law.

Certain conditions imposed by the Municipality when approving a zoning application may carry significant financial implications for a purchaser. In most instances the Municipality imposes a Transport Development Levy (TDL) which requires a substantial payment to the Municipality as part and parcel of a rezoning approval.

In many cases former residential properties are advertised and sold as business sites. In certain cases no formal rezoning application has in fact been prosecuted to the Municipality and the property simply falls within an area where a business zoning may be supported by a Municipality "in principle". However until such time as a rezoning application has in fact been successfully prosecuted and the conditions imposed by the Municipality complied with, the property may not be utilised for any purpose other than the existing zoning.

In certain cases it is imperative that the Title Deed relating to the property be thoroughly examined in order to ensure that the intended use is not prevented by way of conditions contained in the Title Deed. Notwithstanding the fact that a Municipality may have approved the rezoning of a property, such property may still require the removal of a condition in its Title Deed. In certain instances this is achieved by way of an Application to the High Court. However in the majority of cases Title Deed conditions are removed by way of an application in terms of the Removal of Restrictions Act.

As with any application it follows that such application may be unsuccessful in which case the property would not serve the purpose for which it was purchased notwithstanding the zoning thereof.

In specific cases it is necessary for a further examination to take place over and above the reflected zoning.

Zoning Scheme Regulations invariably provide for a number of Use Zones and each Use Zone provides for Primary Uses which reflect the permitted usage under the applicable Use Zone. However in certain cases it is necessary for a further application to be made to the Municipality in order to utilise the property for a secondary use which is accommodated by the prosecution of a special consent or departure application to the Municipality.

It is therefore necessary that the intended use of a property be supported by either the use permitted in terms of the Primary Use or, alternatively, in terms of a further special consent/departure approval enabling the property to be utilised in terms of the required Secondary Use.  Again, knowledge of the contents of the Zoning Scheme Regulations is required in order to examine whether the property will be capable of being utilised for the intended reason.

Property owners are able to obtain an Informal Town Planning Inquiry printout enabling them to ascertain the zoning which has been accorded to the property by the Municipality. However a detailed examination of Municipal records and the Title Deeds is advisable.

An onerous title deed condition that isn’t discovered in time could delay or prevent the progress of a property development – with serious cost implications. Alternatively, such an omission could be costly when buying or selling property.

Given this truism, the purpose of this article is to sensitise the reader to some pitfalls when dealing with title deeds.

The deeds registration offices had a system whereby deeds were lodged in duplicate and the Deeds Office would endorse changes of ownership, caveats, interdicts, mortgage bonds, and servitudes against the title deeds. They would keep one copy for records purposes and the other copy would be given back to the client.

It was not practice, nor prescribed in any Act, that conditions be carried forward from deed to deed. In the Deeds Registries in the former Cape Province the so-called pivot deed system had existed prior to 1937. The pivot deed system is unique to the Cape Town deeds registry.  In terms of this system, no conditions were carried forward in a title deed. The title deed conditions would simply state:

“Subject to the conditions as contained in Deed of Transfer No … [with reference to the prior
title deed]”.

When searching the above pivot deed, one would find that these deeds in turn make reference to earlier title deeds.

It is only since 1937 that title deed conditions have been carried forward in each new title deed. Thus, to determine all the possible conditions against and in favour of a property, proper research must be done and all previous title deeds must be checked, from the day when the first Government Grant or Crown Grant was issued up to 1937.

The practical way would be to employ a conveyancing attorney, skilled in these matters, to conduct the research and prepare a Conveyancer’s Certificate to certify that

* the Conveyancer did a search behind the pivot deed and
* found no onerous conditions relevant to the proposed nature of the transaction or development, etc.

Developments since the 1980s

The Deeds Registration offices introduced a micro filming system, and since then all title deeds lodged are microfilmed. In addition, a scanning system was introduced in 2007/ 2008. Thus, Deeds Office records are now kept on both microfilm and in digital format, while the original title deeds are sent back to the attorneys for delivery to the new owner or bank(s). Title deeds are endorsed with changes in ownership, mortgage bonds and all other propertyrelated transactions. This of course depends on the instruction the deeds office had received on lodgement from the conveyancing firm.

The Deeds Offices continually update their records and one can obtain a “Deeds Office printout” to view the most current information listed against the property, viz.:

• Interdicts and caveats (examples are court orders, insolvency and rehabilitation notices, sequestration orders, liquidation orders, notices from the Surveyor General’s office, and expropriation notices).

• Sectional title information, such as 

•  Exclusive use areas. 
•  Rights of further extension reserved by the developer (section 25).
•  Servitudes on common property.

• Notarial servitudes

• Mortgage bonds

It is, however, also important to note that updated information pertaining to property transactions can take, from date of registration, as long as 5-8 working days to appear on the system of the Deeds Offices. Sectional-title transactions can take up to 10 days and other transactions that involve cross-writing in title deeds filed in counter cover can take up to three weeks.

(Cross-writing is the updating of all relevant and related information in documents filed at Deeds Registration offices. The counter-cover system applies where 20 or more properties are held under one title deed, and where the client requests the Deeds Office to keep the original title deed in its records.)

Some advice

In sum, to protect one’s interests, it is a good idea to appoint a conveyancing attorney to conduct a search at the Deeds Office and peruse or verify the following information that might be applicable to the subject property:

• Conditions in the current title deed

• Conditions behind the pivot deed

• Information on the Deeds Office printouts, such as:  

•   Caveats.  
    Servitudes. 
    Interdicts.

And, lastly, if you are a developer, remember to appoint a town planner to assist with the restrictions imposed by the local authority and, if applicable, zoning requirements.