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South Africa Order

Free State High Court, Bloemfontein

Crots v Crots and Others; In re: Crots v Crots (1816/2015) [2015] ZAFSHC 201 (22 October 2015)

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Source document

01

Holding and result

The court found that the second respondent, as the recipient of the assets and as surety, has a direct and substantial interest in the outcome of the main action, which seeks to set aside the transfer of assets. The third and fourth respondents, as bondholder and registrar, are also affected by any order regarding the property. The applicant established a prima facie case for joinder and amendment, and the joinder is necessary, convenient, and fair. The court did not decide the merits of the underlying dispute but determined that the requirements for joinder and amendment were met.

Court disposition

Joinder and amendment granted; costs reserved for main action.

Orders

  • The second, third, and fourth respondents are joined as second, third, and fourth defendants in the action instituted by the applicant under case 5225/2005.
  • The applicant is authorised, within 15 days of this order, to serve copies of all pleadings filed in the main action and a notice of amendment in terms of Uniform Rule 28 regarding the applicant's particulars of claim on the respondents.
  • Costs of this application are reserved for determination in the main action.

02

Material facts

Parties

Inri Crots

Applicant Counsel: Adv CD Pienaar

Pieter Freidrich Gerhardus Crots

Respondent Counsel: Adv N Snellenburg SC

Heidi Susan du Plooy

Respondent Counsel: Adv N Snellenburg SC

Firstrand Bank Ltd

Respondent

Register of Deeds, Bloemfontein

Respondent

Amounts and remedies

  • Alleged Sale Price of Farm: ZAR 4,000,000
  • Amount Paid by First Respondent: ZAR 400,000
  • Applicant's Valuation of Assets: ZAR 5,700,000

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Civil Application / Application for Joinder and Amendment

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
The applicant contends that the second to fourth respondents are necessary parties to the main action, as the relief sought involves setting aside the transfer of assets from the first respondent to the second respondent, and the interests of the third and fourth respondents as bondholder and registrar are directly affected. The applicant alleges fraudulent collusion between the first and second respondents and seeks to have the transaction set aside. The applicant further argues that the second respondent's suretyship makes her a necessary party and that joinder will be convenient, fair, and cost-effective.
Respondent
The first and second respondents oppose the application, arguing that there was no intention to defraud the applicant and that the sale of the farm to the second respondent occurred prior to the date relevant to the divorce order. They rely on the second respondent's offer of suretyship to satisfy the applicant's claim and challenge the credibility of the applicant's valuation evidence. They contend that the joinder is unnecessary and that the applicant's allegations are unfounded.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Marais and Others v Pongola Sugar Milling Co Ltd and Others 1961 (2) SA 698 (N) at 702F-G

    Joinder will be ordered where a party has a direct and substantial interest in the subject matter and where their rights may be affected by the court's decision. The court exercises its discretion in accordance with convenience and sound judgment.

  2. 02

    Uniform Rule 10

    At the stage of joinder, the court considers the allegations made, similar to the approach in summary judgment applications, without deciding the merits.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The court found that the second respondent, as the recipient of the assets and as surety, has a direct and substantial interest in the outcome of the main action, which seeks to set aside the transfer of assets. The third and fourth respondents, as bondholder and registrar, are also affected by any order regarding the property. The applicant established a prima facie case for joinder and amendment, and the joinder is necessary, convenient, and fair. The court did not decide the merits of the underlying dispute but determined that the requirements for joinder and amendment were met.

Obiter and limits

  • The court noted that the allegations of collusion and fraud are to be determined in the main action and not at the stage of joinder.
  • The costs of the application are reserved for determination in the main action.

Court disposition

Joinder and amendment granted; costs reserved for main action.

  • The second, third, and fourth respondents are joined as second, third, and fourth defendants in the action instituted by the applicant under case 5225/2005.
  • The applicant is authorised, within 15 days of this order, to serve copies of all pleadings filed in the main action and a notice of amendment in terms of Uniform Rule 28 regarding the applicant's particulars of claim on the respondents.
  • Costs of this application are reserved for determination in the main action.

Source and reliance status

Free State High Court, Bloemfontein

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Judgment reading view

Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

Free State High Court, Bloemfontein

Order

[2015] ZAFSHC 201

VRYSTAATSE HOË HOF, BLOEMFONTEIN

REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA

Saaknommer: 1816/2015

In die saak tussen:-

INRI

CROTS

Applikante

en

PIETER

FREIDRICH GERHARDUS CROTS

1ste Respondent

HEIDI

SUSAN DU

PLOOY

2de Respondent

FIRSTRAND

BANK

LTD

3de Respondent

REGISTER OF DEEDS, BLOEMFONTEIN

4de Respondent

IN RE:-

INRI

CROTS

Eiseres

PIETER

FREIDRICH GERHARDUS

CROTS

Verweerder

AANGEHOOR OP: 15 OKTOBER 2015

CORAM:

KRUGER,

R

GELEWER OP:

22 OKTOBER 2015

[1] Die applikant vra dat die tweede tot vierde respondente gevoeg word in haar aksie teen die eerste respondent. Die aksie spruit uit ‘n hofbevel wat op 28 Oktober 2014 in ‘n egskeidingsaksie tussen die applikant en die eerste respondent gemaak is, in terme waarvan die eerste respondent gelas is om 40% van die waarde van sy bates soos op 9 Desember 2011 aan die applikant oor te dra.

[2] Die tweede respondent is Me Du Plooy, die dogter van die applikant en die eerste respondent. Die derde respondent is Firstrand Bank Beperk, wat gevoeg word as verbandhouer oor sekere eiendom. Die vierde respondent is die Registrateur van Aktes. Die derde en vierde respondente opponeer nie die aansoek nie. Die eerste en tweede respondent opponeer wel die aansoek.

[3] Voeging word behandel in Eenvormig Hofrëel 10. Voeging sal gelas word waar die party ‘n direkte en wesenlike belang in die kwessies wat geopper word het, en waar daardie party se regte deur die beslissing van die hof geraak kan word. Die hof se diskresie word uitgeoefen in ooreenstemming met die vereistes van gerief en goeie oordeel (Marais and Others v Pongola Sugar Milling Co Ltd and Others 1961 (2) SA 698 (N) te 702F-G).

[3] Die rede vir die voegingsaansoek is dat die eerste respondent sy boerdery aan sy dogter, die tweede respondent, verkoop het. Die koopsom was R4 miljoen, waarvan die eerste respondent nog net R400 000 betaal het. Die applikant voer aan dat die waarde van die bates R5.7 miljoen is en dat daar bedrieglike samespanning tussen die eerste en tweede respondente was, en sy wil daardie transaksie ter syde laat stel.

[4] In die antwoordende eedsverklaring sê die eerste respondent dat hy nooit die bedoeling gehad het om die applikant te bedrieg nie. Hy verwys na ‘n borgstelling wat die tweede respondent aanbied ingevolge waarvan sy onderneem om applikant se eis te betaal. Die eerste respondent sê dat die grond inderwaarheid reeds in September 2011 aan die tweede respondent verkoop is. Hieruit kry mens die indruk dat hy beweer dat die grond op 9 Desember 2011 nie meer deel van sy boedel gevorm het nie. Dit is wat die applikant wil hê in die huidige aksie bereg moet word.

[5] In sy betoog het Mnr Snellenburg, vir die eerste en tweede respondente gesê dat die kontrak ingevolge waarvan die eerste repondent se besigheid en bates aan tweede respondent verkoop is, eers na 28 Oktober aangegaan is. Hy sê applikant se waardeerder se getuienis is aan twyfel onderhewig.

[6] Mnr Pienaar, vir die applikant, doen aan die hand dat die borgskap van die tweede respondent haar ‘n noodsaaklike party voor die hof maak. Hy voer aan dat dit noodsaaklik, gerieflik en billik sal wees as die tweede en ander respondente gevoeg word, en dat dit koste sal bespaar. Op hierdie stadium kyk die hof na die bewerings van samespanning wat gemaak word, soos wat op die stadium van summiere vonnis gedoen word. Die hof gaan nie op die meriete in nie.

[7] Die regte van die tweede respondent word geraak deur die kwessie wat die applikant wil laat bereg, naamlik die tersydestelling van die verkoop van bates aan haar deur die applikant. Die tweede respondent is ‘n noodsaaklike party tot die hoofgeding. Ook uit hoofde van haar borgstelling is dit noodsaaklik dat die tweede respondent ’n party tot die geding is, want die hof sal in die hoofgeding moontlik bevele in verband met die borgstellling maak.

[7] Die applikant het ‘n behoorlike saak uitgemaak vir die voeging en die wysiging wat beoog word.

BEVEL

1. Die Tweede, Derde en Vierde Respondente word as Tweede, Derde en Vierde Verweerders tot die aksie ingestel deur die Applikant onder saak 5225/2005 bygevoeg.

2. Die applikant word gemagtig om binne 15 dae na verlening van hierdie bevel, afskrifte van alle pleitstukke geliasseer in die hoofgeding asook ‘n kennisgewing van wysiging ooreenkomstig Eenvormige Hofrëel 28 ten aansien van die applikante se Besonderhede van Vordering aan die respondente te beteken.

3. Koste van hierdie aansoek staan oor vir beregting in die hoofaksie.

______

A. KRUGER, R

Namens Applikante:

Adv CD Pienaar

In opdrag van:

Phatsoane Henny

BLOEMFONTEIN

Namens 1ste en 2de Respondente: Adv N Snellenburg SC

Blair Prokureurs

Namens 3de en 4de Respondente: Geen verskyning

/wm

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Authorities

Authorities used by the court

Cases, legislation, regulations, and constitutional provisions identified in the available record.

Marais and Others v Pongola Sugar Milling Co Ltd and Others 1961 (2) SA 698 (N)

Case cited

Uniform Rule 10

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Uniform Rule 28

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

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