Know your rights: when can you be evicted and how?

Know your rights: when can you be evicted and how?

Every year, hundreds of families are forced out of their homes by government departments, municipalities, private individuals or corporations. Evictions are a common occurrence in South African cities, informal settlements and townships. What does the law say about evictions? To answer this question we will need to start with the Constitution, which shapes and gives…

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Court rules that banks can sell your house for next to nothing

Court rules that banks can sell your house for next to nothing

When a person obtains a home loan from the bank, a mortgage bond is usually registered over their home as security by the bank. The bank will use this to recover any debt should the debtor default on their home loan repayments, in which event the debtor may lose their home. This has raised the…

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Straight or gay: Who inherits when you die?

Straight or gay: Who inherits when you die?

Does your partner inherit your estate if you’re not married? The Constitutional Court has given us the answer: it depends on your sexual orientation. Last week the Court handed down its decision in the case of Laubser v Duplan: the partner in a same sex couple can inherit if the deceased partner did not leave a…

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When can the police search your home?

When can the police search your home?

On 14 March 2011, drugs with a street value of R13 million were found during a raid that took place in two residential properties being leased by Grace Kunjana. The police did not have a warrant to search the properties but had received a tip-off from a confidential informant. Kunjana was subsequently arrested. She was…

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