Our Services
What services do we offer?
We offer the full range of services across the property lifecycle – from structuring and initial planning, all the way through financing, letting, and offloading.
Our services include:
- Property Transfers – Residential & Commercial
- The registration of Mortgage Bonds, Notarial Bonds, and also the cancellation of existing Mortgage Bonds
- Notarial Transactions
- Ante-Nuptial Contracts
- The Administration and Planning of Estates
- Real Estate Development
- Negotiating and drafting all agreements and contracts related to the sale as well as the lease of commercial and residential properties
- Assistance with resolving billing issues with local municipalities
- Assistance with the Application for Land Use Development at the Municipal Planning Tribunal
- The opening and registration of new townships and developments at the Deeds Office
- The opening and registration of new Sectional Title and Share Block Schemes at the Deeds Office
- We offer assistance with the establishment of new Body Corporates and Homeowners Associations
- The drafting and registration of a variety of other applications and endorsements within the context local authorities and the Deeds Office
Our focus & approach
This commitment to service is very much a part of the very culture of our firm. We’re passionate about our profession, passionate about our role within the South African property market, and passionate about serving our clients with pride.
We furthermore believe in a hands-on and personal approach. As such, every member of our team was chosen with our sights set firmly on providing a specialised, benchmarked, and innovative service. At Smalman Inc. we don’t settle for second-best so that our valued clients don’t have to either.
Renegotiating After You’ve Signed: The Email That Ended a Property Sale
After their bond was withdrawn, the buyers were given time to arrange new finance. Instead, one of them emailed the conveyancer saying they would only apply for another bond after the seller repaired an alleged defect or agreed to reduce the price. The seller understood this to mean that the buyers would not proceed on the terms they had already accepted. She cancelled the sale, and the High Court agreed that she was entitled to do so. The buyers lost the sale and the money already paid and faced further financial consequences.
Was it Even His Signature? How to Overturn a Fraudulent Will
It’s unfortunately all too common a tale. Out of the blue, an older person, rendered vulnerable by age or illness, acquires a new “friend”. Before anyone in the family realises what’s going on, their loved one has died, and the fraudster claims to be sole heir in terms of a last-minute will. No surprise then that our courts must often determine whether a deceased person’s last will was tainted by incapacity, undue influence, fraud, or even forgery. The sad tale of a 90-year-old man who left behind two conflicting wills is a good example of how our courts approach these situations.
Employ a Foreign National? What You Must Check Now, and What Could Change
Under the current law, it is already illegal to employ someone who is not legally entitled to work in South Africa. This applies to businesses and to households employing foreign domestic workers, nannies or gardeners. A new Bill proposes additional duties and higher penalties for employers, but these changes are not yet law. Employers should therefore comply with the existing law and remain alert to the proposed changes.
Can Your Complex Cut Off Your Biometric Access Over Unpaid Levies?
Your fingerprint suddenly stops working at the estate gate. You can still get home, but only through the visitors’ lane. Can your homeowners’ association cut off your biometric access because it says you owe levies? A recent High Court judgment says an association cannot use biometric access to enforce an alleged default. The case also confirms that biometric access to your home can be protected as part of your possession of the property.
Let us help simplify the process
Buying or selling a property can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming with all the legal and administrative tasks involved. We are here to simplify the process and ensure a smooth and successful transaction.