Electronic Signatures in Property and Other Transactions
“To sign a document means to authenticate that which stands for or is intended to represent the name of the person who is to authenticate” (quoted in the case below) We all know that verbal agreements, although fully binding for […]
Read MoreLockdown! Nuisance Neighbours and How to Handle Them
“You can be a good neighbour only if you have good neighbours” (Howard E. Koch) It looks as if we will still be under “restricted movement” orders for a while – even when we finally get down to Alert Level […]
Read MoreLeases, Contracts and COVID-19: What is Force Majeure?
The COVID-19 crisis has changed everything. Our personal lives have been upended and our businesses hit hard. And with many businesses operating out of leased premises, a great many landlords and tenants are asking themselves what happens if the crisis […]
Read MoreAre you a Legal Practitioner looking to travel during the Lockdown?
The judgment of Brauckmann AJ in the Mpumalanga High Court, delivered on 3 April 2020, exhibited the consequences that may follow any breach of the regulations and directives. It followed the hearing of an urgent application in that court, in […]
Read MoreCOVID-19 : Act of God, Force Majeure and Supervening Impossibility of Performance
No question, the lockdown precipitated by the covid-19 pandemic has seen a lot of people hastily trawling through contracts to figure out how to deal with the effect the lockdown in SA is having or is likely to have on […]
Read MoreEssential Services Certificate and Permit: What You Need to Know
During the ongoing national lockdown, only businesses that provide so-called essential services are allowed to trade. However, in order to operate, those businesses must apply for an Essential Service Certificate from the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). In order […]
Read MoreRelief Measures for Small Businesses in South Africa
The Minister of Small Business Development, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, recently announced several relief mechanisms to aid businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent national lockdown. In an effort to alleviate the economic effects of the 21-day lockdown, the Department […]
Read MoreCOVID-19: Small Businesses, Employment Laws, and Survival Support
“The secret of crisis management is not good vs. bad, it’s preventing the bad from getting worse” (Andy Gilman) We can only guess at how the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak will end, but let’s all take whatever concrete steps we can […]
Read MoreRunning a Business in a Residential Area – Check Your Zoning First!
“ It is unquestionable that an owner of land us not permitted to perform activities which contravene the restrictive title conditions or the zoning restrictions” (extract from judgement below) You decide to open a home business, or perhaps you are […]
Read MoreDoes an Expired Lease Automatically Continue Month-to-Month? At What Rental?
“Close your eyes – Landlord knocking On the back door* (Jack Kerouac; Northport Haiku) Your residential fixed-term lease expires but for whatever reason you don’t sign a new one. Nor does the lease say anything about what will happen on […]
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