Full Facts On Property Hijacking - Understanding These Scary Facts

Evictions - The Property and the Hijacker,

We've been receiving many questions about the recent radio interview Bongani Bingwa from 702 held with Dominic Steyn regarding property hijackings. Around the same time, Devi also did a slot on this (https://www.enca.com/shows/devi-james....

As with everything, there is certainly a dark side to the property industry in South Africa, and it's been like this for many years. Unfortunately, whether it receives attention usually depends on the prominence of the property or area.

If you find yourself in a situation like this, it is crucial that you manage it correctly, as the right action from the outset could save you in the long-term - valid points made by Dominic. By right action, I mean, knowing when to act, when to approach the SAPS and when (and how) to approach our Courts – Never forget that there are immediate steps that can be taken - just don’t waste time!

The question of frequency is, however, relevant given that situations like this are exceptions rather far from the rule. This is not to say that they don’t happen and this is not to say that there may be circumstances where an eviction application may take many months - this is only to point out that for the 99% of property owners, a focus on managing your property and reacting swiftly may be all you need.

Whether the system could use some adjustment is answered by a resounding yes, especially to address hijacking, given that the need for protection is for both the owners and the tenants of unscrupulous hijackers who shouldn’t be put in this situation, to begin with.

Should this disincentivize property investment? I feel not. The prominence of hijacking depends on the area, and each area has a way of being managed. So maybe the question should be rephrased - Should this disincentivize uninformed property investment? Absolutely, get informed and get educated if you’re doing it yourself, or just use the right service providers!


Panel of experts

Bruno Miguel Simão of Bruno Simão Attorneys
https://www.brunosimaolaw.co.za/
(011) 234 0831
info@brunosimaolaw.co.za

Cilna Steyn of SSLR Incorporated
https://www.sslr.co.za/
086-100 7757
enquiries@sslr.co.za

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