A Conveyancer’s Diary: Wednesday 31st March 2010
Paying up front
We see on television and read in newspapers and online that many people in various towns and cities are fed-up with the lack of service delivery by local authorities. Some resort to violence, barricades and stones. Others protest in more subtle form, like withholding payment of rates and paying the funds into trust accounts. We hear, see and read of large municipalities like Pietermaritzburg being insolvent (i.e. unable to pay its debts.) And we hope that it will not come to this in our little part of the world.
But sadly, the cracks [or are they already dongas?] are appearing here in the eThekwini Municipality.
But all of that is just by the way.
Back to our eThekwini Municipality: I received an e mail two days ago on the 29th March 2010.
To that was attached a letter. The letter was dated 11th March 2010. So it took more than two weeks to e mail that letter out.
The letter tells us that we must now pay upfront for the “Rates Clearance Certificate application fees” as from 01st May 2010 and that e mailed applications will no longer be accepted. It sets out the fee structure for the applications and goes on to state that this does not apply to electronic applications (where the fees will be raised automatically).
The reason for all of this is given in the beginning of the letter: “eThekwini Municipality is experiencing a considerable loss of revenue due to the non-receipting of R C C application fees”.
[I wonder how much other revenue is being lost due to non-collection by this municipality, such as the non-payment by hostel residents and many sectional title buildings that are in arrears?]
The letter also says that in case of any queries, we can call one Devan on a certain given number. I called that number. This was not Devan’s number but the person who answered said all Devan’s calls were routed to her. She gave me another number to call. I did so and was informed, yes, this was Devan’s number but he was on leave. [Was the e mail sent out to coincide with Devan’s leave?]
And none of them stopped to think how this would all impact on the property industry and those involved in the conveyancing process. Yes, we will need to do additional work. Yes, we will have to be the financiers of our Sellers and Purchasers. Yes, it will cause further delays in the property transfer process. And yes, we will not get paid any extra for doing the additional work.
Regards,
Sieg
Quote:
“ For this nation to be confident about the future, it must be confident about where it comes from. These songs must be sung for many generations to come so many of these generations know exactly where we come from.. .. ”
ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe in a speech on 30th March 2010. He was talking about the decision of the Johannesburg High Court to ban the singing of struggle songs with the words "dubula ibhunu" (shoot the Boer). [My underlining]
Siegie Heiriss: S K Heiriss Inc
Attorney, Conveyancer & Notary
Tel: 031 701 1238
Fax: 031 701 1239 or 031 709 0972
Fax to e mail: 0866 178 041
Cell: 083 786 26 26
SMS: 083 701 05 03
Personal e mail: sieg@legalfirm.co.za
Web: www.legalfirm.co.za
Skype: Legalmansa
Physical address :
Ground Floor, Unit 5
Pinewood Park
Pinetown
