The act of voting at body corporate meetings is what legitimises the implementation of the decisions taken. While it is the trustees’ responsibility to ensure that all votes are counted and recorded correctly, this function is generally delegated to the managing agent. The responsibility of keeping track of all the votes has dramatically increased with the changes in voting procedures at...

When it comes to the Sectional Title Schemes Management Act (STSMA), the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) and the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act (CSOSA), it is generally understood that the STSMA and CSOS applies to sectional title schemes; however, there is some confusion as to whether it applies to homeowners’ associations (HOA). Since the CSOS is a body that provides...

We live in the age of instant communication. These days, people seem less willing than before to spend time talking on the telephone or attending a meeting in person. Aside from the effect of COVID-19, the exponential growth of technology in the communication sphere has certainly added to the reluctance of people to connect in person. Community scheme management has certainly...

The Sectional Title Schemes Management Act (STSMA) brought many new compliance requirements for sectional title schemes. Although some of these are from the old legislation prior to 2016, most are new and require more frequent assessment. Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) All sectional title schemes are obliged to be registered with CSOS and each owner in a scheme must contribute a monthly...

Estate living in South Africa has shown a steady increase over the past decade, highlighting its popularity as an asset class. There are some interesting reasons for this phenomenon; let’s review some of the reasons why estate living has become so popular and why there is an increase in the development of estates. Growth of estates in different geographical areas    Although...