Port O'Call Body Corporate v Verwordpark Liquers (Pty) Ltd (5187/2021) [2022] ZAGPJHC 1052 (25 October 2022)

Port O'Call Body Corporate v Verwordpark Liquers (Pty) Ltd (5187/2021) [2022] ZAGPJHC 1052 (25 October 2022)

The respondent erected permanent structures, including a Louvre roof and tiled veranda, without the required consent of the trustees, and unlawfully encroached on common property, including over critical water and sewage lines. The trustees' refusal of consent was properly communicated and justified. The respondent...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2022] ZAGPJHC 1052
Parties
Applicant: Port O'Call Body Corporate; Respondent: Verwoerdpark Liquors (Pty) Ltd
Court
South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
Jurisdiction
South Africa
Case Number
5187/2021
Procedural Posture
Civil Application / First Instance Judgment
Outcome
Application granted. Demolition order issued against the respondent. Costs awarded on attorney and own client scale.
Judges
Carrim AJ
Legal Topics
Sectional Title Schemes Management Act, Encroachment on Common Property, Fiduciary Duty of Trustees, Mandatory Interdict, Internal Remedies, Arbitration Clause
Land and Property Civil Procedure Sectional Title Schemes Management Act Encroachment on Common Property Fiduciary Duty of Trustees Mandatory Interdict Internal Remedies Arbitration Clause

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Parties

Port O'Call Body Corporate

Applicant

Verwoerdpark Liquors (Pty) Ltd

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Civil Application / First Instance Judgment

  1. 1 Whether the respondent's alterations to its unit were made without the required consent of the trustees.
  2. 2 Whether the respondent unlawfully encroached on common property of the sectional title scheme.
  3. 3 Whether internal remedies or arbitration should have been exhausted before approaching the court.

Ratio Decidendi

The respondent erected permanent structures, including a Louvre roof and tiled veranda, without the required consent of the trustees, and unlawfully encroached on common property, including over critical water and sewage lines. The trustees' refusal of consent was properly communicated and justified. The respondent ignored requests to remove the unlawful alterations and continued with further improvements. The challenges to the authority of the applicant's attorneys, the locus standi of the deponent, and the validity of the trustees' resolution were without merit and dismissed. Internal remedies and arbitration were not peremptory, and the seriousness and permanence of the encroachment...

Court Disposition

Application granted. Demolition order issued against the respondent. Costs awarded on attorney and own client scale.

Orders

  • The respondent is ordered to demolish and/or remove the Louvre roof structure and tiled patio with foundations as indicated in purple and measuring approximately 35 square metres within 30 days.
  • The respondent is ordered to demolish and/or remove the Louvre roof structure and tiled patio with foundations as indicated in blue and measuring approximately 20 square metres within 30 days.