Maintaining the common property in a sectional title scheme is the body corporate’s responsibility. The scheme’s annual budget must make provision for both planned and unplanned maintenance during the financial year. Does this budget have to include provisions for maintenance to windows in the scheme? Bodies corporate often neglect to make the necessary provisions for this kind of maintenance resulting in a...
It is a common myth that exclusive use areas do not form part of the common property. The truth is that exclusive use areas (EUAs) do form part of the common property; however, the owner has exclusive use of this area – for example, an enclosed garden. The Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act No 8 of 2011 determines that it...
Levies - or contributions, as they are referred to in the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act No 8 of 2011 - are the lifeblood of a body corporate’s successful existence. Without contributions paid by all members, the body corporate is unable to pay for services provided. The direct result of this may include legal action against the body corporate for...
Being a trustee in a sectional title scheme is by all accounts a thankless job for which there is usually no payment offered. Why then, do people make themselves available to perform the duties of a trustee? Why be a trustee? Trustees are generally owners in a sectional title scheme who want to be involved in the day-to-day management of the complex....
Once a body corporate already holds substantial funds in reserve, do they need to keep contributing to the maintenance reserve? In this blog, we address this question about reserve funds. What does the Act say? Naturally, owners do not want to make unnecessary payments, especially considering that the fact that when they sell their apartment, they will not be able to withdraw...