Case Law[2024] ZAGPPHC 623South Africa
Body Corporate of Old Trafford v Muronzi (016676/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 623 (21 June 2024)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)
21 June 2024
Headnotes
Summary: Application for final sequestration based on nulla bona return on judgment debt of R49 104-11 for unpaid levies due to body corporate. Ito S12(1) of Insolvency Act, 1936, Court has discretion in deciding advantage to creditors. Sole creditors must demonstrate advantage of sequestration above execution proceedings. Court has further discretion to refuse application, even if all requirements met, if special circumstances proven. The possible infringement on Respondent’s rights in terms of S26 of the Constitution, in absence of judicial oversight, found to constitute special circumstances.
Judgment
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# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
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## Body Corporate of Old Trafford v Muronzi (016676/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 623 (21 June 2024)
Body Corporate of Old Trafford v Muronzi (016676/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 623 (21 June 2024)
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sino date 21 June 2024
SAFLII
Note:
Certain
personal/private details of parties or witnesses have been
redacted from this document in compliance with the law
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SAFLII
Policy
FLYNOTES:
INSOLVENCY
– Discretion of court –
Right
to housing
–
Application
for final sequestration based on nulla bona return on judgment
debt for unpaid levies – Sole creditors must
demonstrate
advantage of sequestration above execution proceedings –
Court’s discretion – Primary residence
–
Respondent would be left homeless – Possible infringement on
respondent’s rights in absence of judicial
oversight found
to constitute special circumstances – Rule nisi discharged –
Insolvency Act 24 of 1936
,
s 12(1).
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG DIVISION,
PRETORIA
CASE NO: 016676/2023
1.
REPORTABLE: NO
2.
OF INTEREST TO OTHER JUDGES: NO
3.
REVISED: NO
28
June 2024
In
the matter between:
THE
BODY CORPORATE OF OLD TRAFFORD
Applicant
and
ALFRED
MURONZI
Respondent
Delivered:
This judgment was prepared and authored by the
Judge whose name is reflected and is handed down electronically by
circulation to
the parties/their legal representatives by e-mail and
by uploading it to the electronic file of this matter on Caselines.
The date
and for hand-down is deemed to be 21 June 2024.
Summary:
Application for final
sequestration based on nulla bona return on judgment debt of
R49 104-11
for unpaid levies due to body corporate. Ito
S12(1) of
Insolvency Act, 1936
, Court has discretion in deciding
advantage to creditors. Sole creditors must demonstrate advantage of
sequestration above execution
proceedings. Court has further
discretion to refuse application, even if all requirements met, if
special circumstances proven.
The possible infringement on
Respondent’s rights in terms of S26 of the Constitution, in
absence of judicial oversight, found
to constitute special
circumstances.
JUDGMENT
K
STRYDOM, AJ
At
the heart of a transformative Constitution is a commitment to
substantive reasoning, to examining the underlying principles that
inform laws themselves and judicial reaction to those laws.
-
Justice
Pius Langa
[1]
Introduction
1)
In 2002, the
Respondent bought a home within the sectional title scheme
development, administered by the Applicant.
2)
The Respondent fell
behind on his levy payments and, on the 27
th
of August 2020, the
Applicant obtained judgment in the Magistrate’s Court, against
the Respondent in the amount of R14 272-00.
The subsequent sale
in execution of his movables yielded only R3910-00. In March 2022 a
further judgment in the amount of R49 104-11
was obtained
against him. The Sherriff, on the 9
th
of May 2022, issued a
nulla bona
return.
3)
The Applicant applied
for the Respondent’s
provisional
sequestration in February 2023. In March 2023, the Respondent,
appearing in person, filed his opposition to the application.
His
“answering affidavit” was filed in May 2023. On the 9
th
of October 2023, the Respondent’s estate was placed into
provisional sequestration.
4)
Save for service of the provisional order on the Master, SARS and
attempts at service on trade
unions (non-existent) and employees
(non-existent), the facts before this Court remain unchanged from
those before the court granting
the provisional order.
5)
On
the day of hearing, I was informed that the Respondent, who would
have appeared in person, would not be appearing as he was ill.
No
correspondence was received from the Respondent himself, nor did he
request a postponement. Being in possession of both his
“answering
affidavit” and “heads of argument”,
[2]
I proceeded to hear submissions by counsel for the Applicant, in the
absence of the Respondent.
6)
However, from the papers, I have noted the Respondent’s
submissions to be the following:
He fell behind on his levy payments
as a result of the loss of his employment during the Covid 19
pandemic in 2020. Since then,
he has attempted to make payment when
due and, as he has recently obtained work as a e-hailing service
driver, he anticipates that
he would be able to expeditiously bring
his debt up to date. He states that he has kept the Applicant up to
date regarding these
developments and has attempted to make payment
arrangements with it.
7)
Whilst he has also raised non-compliance with the National Credit Act
and has disputed the legal
costs contained in the judgment, neither
of these issues have any merit. For the most part his only relevant
“defence”
is predicated on Section 26 of the
Constitution.
The
issues: A tale of two discretions
8)
At the hearing, I voiced my concern that, by electing to launch
sequestration proceedings, the
Applicant, a sole creditor,
effectively circumvented the constitutional safeguards built into the
R46A procedure. Counsel for the
Applicant, correctly submitted that
the Applicant was entitled to make such an election and, as such R46A
has no bearing on the
proceedings before this Court. However, does
the fact that sequestration has been recognised “…
as
a legitimate form of execution”
and
the fact that a creditor therefore has an election in terms of
procedure (execution vs sequestration), imply that a Court should
take a mechanical approach in deciding these types of applications?
9)
Decidedly
not. Despite having been “
..passed
for the benefit of creditors and not for the relief of harassed
debtors
…”
[3]
,
the
Insolvency Act, within
its aging folds, still bestows a Court
with that great equaliser of justice: the discretion.
10)
For present purposes,
S12(1)
of the
Insolvency Act provides
for two
instances where the Court is be called upon to exercise its
discretion:
a)
Having factually proven that the requirements of
S12(1)(a)
and (b)
have been met, the Applicant has to satisfy the Court that, per
S12(1)(c)
there is reason to believe that the sequestration of the
Respondent’s estate would be to the advantage of creditors.
“Advantage”
being a relative concept, the Court is vested
with a discretion to decide whether same had been proven.
b)
The second instance arises if the Applicant has successfully proven
that the requirements per
S12(1)(a)
have been met. Here the Court
still retains an overall discretion to refuse the application if the
Respondent proves that there
are special or unusual circumstances
justifying such a refusal.
11)
With regards to the first instance, advantage to creditors, esteemed
colleagues, such as the honourable Judges Didcott
and Van der Schyff
have, on similar facts, provided definitive guidance as to how the
discretion should be exercised.
12)
With regards to the second instance, the overall discretion, the
crisp issue for determination, is whether the possible
infringement
on the Respondent’s constitutional right to adequate housing
constitutes special or unusual circumstances warranting
the refusal
of the application, in spite of the fact that all the requirements
for such an order have been met.
Advantage
to creditors
13)
The Applicant submits that there is reason to believe the
sequestration would be to the advantage of the Respondent’s
creditors. (In this regard, it should be noted that the only creditor
noted in the papers is the Applicant itself.) According to
valuations
done, the Respondent’s property, originally purchased for R252
500-00, would probably, be sold for R820 000-00.
14)
As
Van der Schyff J had recently, on facts similar to those
in
casu
,
dismissed an application for sequestration on the basis that the
applicant had failed to make out a case that sequestration
proceedings
would benefit itself more than a sale in execution, I
afforded counsel for the Applicant an opportunity to consider the
judgment
and reasoning in
Waterkloof
Boulevard Homeowners Association v Yusuf
[4]
.
15)
Having done so, counsel sought to differentiate the facts in this
matter from those in
Waterkloof
on the basis that, in
Waterkloof
,
the applicant had, after obtaining summary judgment for the levies
due, brought the application for sequestration, whilst
in
casu
, the applicant had attempted to
obtain satisfaction of the orders obtained twice through execution
and sale of the Respondent’s
movable assets, before launching
the application for sequestration. A further argument was made on the
basis that in
Waterkloof
the application before Van der Schyff J was for provisional
sequestration, whereas
in casu
an order for provisional sequestration had already been.
16)
Considering that Van der Schyff J decided
Waterkloof
as a final application and given that the stage of the application
does not affect the Court’s discretion in any event, the
latter
differentiation is irrelevant.
17)
With
regards to the contention that the applicant had attempted to obtain
satisfaction in the normal course (by way of execution
and sale) but
failed, it is apposite to note in the matter of
Gardee
v Dhanmanta Holdings and Others
[5]
,
after
having heard argument regarding advantage and the fact that the
applicant and sole creditor had attempted to obtain satisfaction
in
the normal course, Didcott J held that:
‘
Sequestration,
it is true, has been described on occasions as a legitimate form
of execution. (See Wilkins v. Pieterse,
1937 CPD 165
at p. 170; Moldenhauer v. De Beer,
1959
(1) SA 890
(O)
at
p. 892F.) That does not however mean that the judgment creditor has
the same automatic right to it which ordinarily governs execution
of
the routine kind. Like everyone else seeking sequestration, he must
first show the Court reason to believe in its advantages
to creditors
and then, having done so, await the Court’s exercise of
its discretion in his favour…’
And further that:
‘‘
The
notion of advantage to creditors is a relative and not an absolute
one. Sequestration cannot be said to be to the creditor’s
advantage unless it suits them better than any feasibly and
reasonable available alternative course. It follows that the enquiry
necessarily postulates a comparison.’
18)
By way of comparison to execution proceedings, in the founding
affidavit, the Applicant submits that, because the
mechanisms of
insolvency are used, there is also the advantage that the trustees
could sell the property privately and obtain a
higher price for the
property, “
..(w)herefore the
distinct possibility exists that the property will be sold at a price
that will result in the respondent's creditors
obtaining a monetary
advantage
.” It further
submitted that if the property is auctioned by the trustees, the bond
holders could also not accept or reject
(as they would have, had the
property been declared executable by Court) the final bid. According
to the Applicant this “…
means
that the interest of the entire concursus creditorum is served and
not just that of the bondholder
.”
19)
Within the context of the only known creditor being the applicant
itself, it would seem these submissions are made
in the abstract and
do not provide a comparison specific to the specific facts
in
casu
. During argument, upon
questioning from this Court, counsel submitted that a Windeed search
indicated that bonds in favour of Standard
bank had been registered
in 2002, 2004 and 2006. No information regarding the status of these
bonds, nor the awareness of Standard
Bank vis a vis the present
application was disclosed.
20)
Even accepting that there is a bond holder who could object or
influence the price obtained, it does not affect the Applicant’s
claim. To the contrary, in sequestration proceedings the Applicant
would be favoured above the other creditors, by virtue of the
statutory embargo provided by
s 15B(3)(a)(i)(aa)
of the
Sectional
Titles Act 95 of 1986
, in terms of which registration of transfer of
immovable property will not be permitted unless “…
that
body corporate has certified that all moneys due to the body
corporate by the transferor in respect of the said unit have been
paid, or that provision has been made to the satisfaction of the body
corporate for the payment thereof
..”
21)
The
security held thus by a body corporate, was recently confirmed by the
Supreme Court of Appeal in
Body
Corporate of Marsh Rose v Steinmuller and Others
:
[6]
“
The
operation of the embargo is not altered because the sale occurs by
way of execution or as part of the liquidation of an insolvent
estate. As was observed by this Court in Geovy Villa in the context
of insolvency:
‘
The
practical effect of the statute is that, assuming the availability of
funds, a body corporate will be paid before transfer of
immovable
property is affected. A reasonable mortgagee and body corporate might
arrive at an accommodation where there are insufficient
funds
available to cover the total of the debts owing to both parties –
but neither is obliged in law to do so.”
22)
The Applicant further alleged that advantage to creditors exists by
virtue of the following:
“
There
is no effort by the respondent to pay the outstanding amounts. On the
contrary, this amount accrues interest monthly, resulting
in an ever-
increasing
financial burden. Because of this, the other owners in the
development are adversely affected.”
And
that
“
By
putting a stop to the current state of affairs of the respondent it
will be to the advantage of the creditors as a group since
there will
be no further loss for them.”
23)
It is factually incorrect to state that the Respondent has made no
attempts to pay the outstanding amounts. As can be gleaned
from the
Applicant’s replying affidavit, the Respondent has in fact made
regular, albeit partial, payments in the period
since the two
judgments were obtained.
24)
With regards to “adversely affected” other owners,
sequestration holds no distinct advantage above execution. Amounts
levied by a Body Corporate are utilised for administration,
operational expenses, maintenance etc of the sectional title scheme.
As such, the
pro rata
portion to be contributed by the owner of a unit within the scheme,
does not ‘disappear’ if such an owner’s estate
is
sequestrated. Those costs will have to be borne by the other owners
regardless of the procedure followed by the body corporate
for
collection of levies due. As such, the sequestration of the
Respondent’s estate will not put an end to the losses
suffered
by the Applicant.
25)
In
Rodel
Financial Services Proprietary Limited v O'Callaghan
,
[7]
Windell J held that:
“
[
34]….
Where execution is cheaper and more expeditious than sequestration
and the sole creditor already has a judgment, generally
there is no
reason to believe that the sequestration will be of advantage to
creditors
.”
26)
The Applicant presented no evidence as to the relative expense of
their chosen procedure. Nor did (or could) it argue that the
sequestration route was more expeditious:
In
casu
, the Applicant waited 10 months
after the
nulla bona
return was issued, to bring the application for sequestration. In
total, a period of 2 years had lapsed between the receipt of
the
nulla bona
return and the hearing of this application.
27)
Vis a vis
the sole creditor
in casu
therefore, the sequestration proceedings provided no benefit over
following execution proceedings.
28)
With regards to the potential losses suffered by the hypothetical
other creditors, it is noted that, despite the provisional
order
having been granted in October 2023, no such creditors have come to
the fore. Similarly, since the order was granted, no
evidence of
voidable dispositions has emerged (nor have any been alleged by the
Applicant). This “advantage” seems
to be more illusionary
than based in fact.
29)
Given the importance of the issues raised by the Respondent, it is
appropriate to examine what the finding would be in the event
that I
have erred in concluding that the Applicant failed to demonstrate
advantage to creditors.
Overall
discretion in the event that all requirements are met
30)
Section 12(1)
provides that “
(i)f
at the hearing pursuant to the aforesaid rule nisi the court is
satisfied that…”
the
requirements are met “…
it
may sequestrate the estate of the debtor
.”
31)
In
terms of
section 12(1)
it would appear from the use of the words “may
sequestrate” that the court is not bound to grant a
sequestration order,
even where the requirements are satisfied as the
Court is once again afforded a discretion.
[8]
32)
It
has been held that this overall discretion must be exercised
judicially and upon consideration of all the facts and
circumstances.
[9]
It is not to
be exercised capriciously, but in accordance with the correct
principles. In
Orestisolve,
[10]
the manner in which such a discretion ought to be exercised was
discussed. Having noted that a creditor whose claim has not been
settled is entitled to demand the liquidation of the debtor
ex
debito justitiae
,
Rogers J remarked that although the maxim did not imply an inflexible
limitation on a court’s discretion, he considered
that it
-
“
conveys
no more than that, once a creditor has satisfied the requirements for
a liquidation order, the court may not on a whim decline
to grant the
order…To borrow another judge’s memorable phrase, the
court ‘does not sit under a palm tree’…There
must
be some particular reason why, despite the making out of the
requirements for liquidation, an order is withheld.”
33)
The
onus to prove special circumstances that would negate against an
order for sequestration of his estate falls to the Respondent.
[11]
34)
I
n casu
,
it is common cause that the very asset to be sold, on which the
Applicant has based the reasonable possibility of advantage to
creditors, is also the Respondent’s primary residence. Whilst
the Applicant has disputed the assertion that he is married
in terms
of customary law, his version that he resides there with four school
going children, save for a blanket denial, remains
uncontested.
35)
I pause to add that, in motivating the application for the
provisional order, the applicant, in its heads of argument made the
following submissions in relation to this defence:
“
However,
it is submitted that although the property may constitute the primary
residence of the Respondent and his family, it must
be repeated that
the Applicant is seeking the provisional sequestration of the
Respondent, not an order declaring the property
specially executable.
As
mentioned above, the trustee appointed, should this Honourable Court
grant the provisional sequestration of the Respondent, investigate
any and all claims against the Respondent's estate. Accordingly, the
trustee will be in a position to determine whether the property
will
be sold in order to settle any and all amounts owing by the
Respondent to any creditor/s, such as the Applicant.
Furthermore,
from a consideration of Annexure "FA2" to the Applicant's
Founding affidavit, the Respondent is the owner
of TWO immovable
properties.
Therefore,
even if the trustee appointed, should this Honourable Court grant the
provisional sequestration of the Respondent, decide
to sell unit
1[...] O[...] T[...], the Respondent and his family would not be left
homeless.
36)
For purposes of the present application for final sequestration,
reliance was placed on the same heads of argument and the same
arguments in terms thereof were advanced. It is therefore necessary
to make the following comments:
a)
It is now known that since the provisional order was granted, there
have been no investigations done into the
need to sell the property.
b)
The submission that, as he owns a second home, the Respondent would
not be homeless if sequestrated is legally
unsound. In fact it
exemplifies the drastic nature of using sequestration proceedings as
a debt collection mechanism: Whereas the
R46 execution procedure
could result in the loss of one property, once sequestrated, the
Respondent would be divested of all assets.
37)
The main argument advanced, however, is that the Applicant
in
casu
was entitled to choose the
sequestration route in terms of the
Insolvency Act. As
it is
therefore not executing against the property, the provisions of R46
and/or R46A do not come into play.
38)
This
argument has found favour in some cases. In
Shackleton
Credit Management (Pty) Ltd v Ngakatau
,
[12]
for instance, in dismissing a point in limine based on non-compliance
with R46A, the Court remarked that:
“
[16]
Rule 46A
is applicable to the execution upon a judgment debt.
Sequestration proceedings are not akin to execution or the recovery
of debt
but to bring about the concursus creditorum for the benefit
of all creditors and not just one.
[18]
I agree with counsel for the Applicant that the procedures and
mechanism are prescribed by the
Insolvency Act and
absent a challenge
to the constitutional invalidity of
section 20(1)
of the Act, the
vesting of an insolvent’s estate in the Master, and then in the
trustee, is statutorily permitted.”
39)
It is indeed correct that R46A does not apply in insolvency
proceedings. In
Shackleton,
the Respondent had, seemingly, relied on
Rule 46A
as if it was the
embodiment of the totality of the protection afforded in terms of S26
of the Constitution. This elevation of what
is essentially a
procedural tool to substantive law, is naturally misguided. Rule 46A
merely gives practical effect to need for
judicial oversight
identified by the Courts in cases where potential infringement of the
constitutional rights entrenched in S26
are foreseen. The fact that,
in insolvency proceedings, there is no concomitant obligation to
procedurally comply with the provisions
of a Rule of Court, has no
bearing on the duty of Court to give effect to the provisions of the
Constitution. Well before the legislature
even drafted Rule 46A, the
need for judicial oversight in cases affecting S26 rights was
recognised and enforced.
40)
Whether or not S20(1) is constitutionally valid, is beyond the scope
of this judgment. In any event, the fact that after a final
order for
sequestration is granted, the Respondent would be divested of his
assets, has no bearing on whether a Court should, before
making such
an order, have regard to the effect it would have on the Respondent’s
rights in terms of S26 of the Constitution.
41)
The author Borraine has explained the issue this Court is confronted
with succinctly as follows:
“
Where
these requirements have been met
nevertheless there may be special
circumstances
such as abuse of process
which convince the court not to grant the order.
Currently,
there is no direct and clear authority that a court
should consider the fact that
sequestration
following a compulsory sequestration
application renders the insolvent homeless,
and such a plea by the respondent-debtor will be
weighed against the entrenched advantage for
creditors-principle
that is a hallmark of our rather pro-creditor
insolvency system. Yet, as a matter of principle,
the
question may be posed if the
same kind of principles provided in
the rules of the court following the
judgments in Jaftha and subsequent cases should not be considered
in
case of especially compulsory sequestration
applications as well.”
[13]
42)
Our Courts have not shied away from considering public policy in the
exercise of the discretion afforded by the
Insolvency Act.
43)
In
Ex
parte Ford
[14]
the major portion of each of the applicants’ debts arose from
credit agreements in terms of the NCA. In each case there were
strong
grounds for suspecting some degree of reckless credit extension.
Binns-Ward AJ described the applicant’s contention
that it
“
..is
for them to choose the form of relief that suits their convenience
simply by mechanically and superficially satisfying the
relevant
statutory requirements under the Insolvency Ac
t”
as a “…
misdirected
approach, especially where the grant of the selected remedy is
discretionary
...
To
the contrary, it is the duty of the court, in the exercise of its
discretion in cases like the current, to have proper regard
to giving
due effect to the public policy
reflected
in the NCA
.”
(Underlining my own)
44)
That the Applicant’s motivation in launching this application
is to sell the Respondent’s primary residence is clear,
not
just from the references to it as an asset to be sold for purposes of
advantage to creditors, but also from the Applicant’s
expressed
desire to “
put a stop to this
state of affairs
” (i.e to the
Respondent not paying the levies). The only way in which this could,
in practice, be achieved is if the Respondent
is no longer the owner
of the unit within the sectional title scheme.
45)
Unjustifiable
rendering a person, such as the Respondent, who has owned his home
for 22 years, homeless, was the exact mischief
the Constitutional
Court in
Jaftha
[15]
sought
to cure when it espoused the principles that would ultimately
culminate in
Rule 46A.
Despite having been decided within the context
of execution proceedings,
Jaftha
was
not decided on procedural issues. The overarching determination was
the purpose of Section 26 of the Constitution:
“
Section
26(3) is the provision which speaks directly to the practice of
forced removals and summary eviction from land and which
guarantees
that a person will not be evicted from his or her home or have his or
her home demolished without an order of court
considering all of the
circumstances relevant to the particular case. The whole section,
however, is aimed at creating a new dispensation
in which every
person has adequate housing and in which the state may not interfere
with such access unless it would be justifiable
to do so.”
46)
In
full appreciation of the rights of a creditor to payment, the
Constitutional Court imported the concept of judicial oversight
in
cases where a person’s rights in terms of S26 stand to be
affected. To my mind, the principles gleaned from
Jaftha
permeates
all instances where such rights could be. Where the end result of
litigation proceedings would be a potential infringement
of S26 of
the Constitution, a Court cannot turn a blind eye. In fact, it
is duty bound to act. In
Nedbank
v Fraser
,
[16]
the Court reiterated that it is not the nature of the proceeding that
invokes a Court’s duty, but the potential effect it
could have
on the rights afforded in terms of S26:
“
Although
section 26(3) of the Constitution requires judicial oversight for the
eviction
of
a person from his or her home, the effect of the judgment in
Gundwana, particularly paragraph 41, is that the
execution
process is equated with eviction
for
the purposes of section 26(3) that "judicial oversight by a
court of law of the execution process is a must". This
early
judicial interposition permits a mechanism to
prevent
abuse at an early stage
before
a bona fide purchaser and new owner seeks the eviction of the
incumbent at which later time circumstances are different and
the
scope to remedy a past abuse is much narrower than prior to
attachment of the property
.”
47)
That
Jaftha has permeated into the sphere of insolvency law is evident
from decisions such as
J.J
v A.J
,
[17]
where, within the context of a voluntary sequestration application,
the Court considered the S26 rights of other occupants of the
property in dismissing the application:
“
[10]
Having regard to all of the facts and circumstances of this case, it
would appear that a sale of the property will be the only
meaningful
way in which money will become available for distribution amongst the
Applicant’s creditors. This fact has to
be weighed up against
the reality that the Respondent has acquired a personal right in the
property, which right precedes any right
that the Applicant’s
creditors may have in the property.
Moreover,
the sequestration order may possibly have the effect of an eviction
order against the Respondent and her children, with
inevitable
negative consequences for them.
Should
this happen, the Respondent may end up with nothing more than a
concurrent claim for damages against the insolvent estate.
[11]
In these respects the Court
also has to be mindful of the provisions of Section 26 of the
Constitution
. Section 26
provides for the fundamental right to adequate housing. Section 26(3)
protects the homeowner and ensures judicial oversight
before an order
of eviction may be issued. It basically has the effect that all
possible alternatives have to be considered before
an eviction is
ordered
.” [Underlining my own]
48)
I am satisfied those potential infringements of the rights enshrined
in S26 of the Constitution, if proven, would constitute
special
circumstances to be taken into consideration in exercising my overall
discretion to refuse an application for final sequestration.
49)
Sequestration may be a
legitimate
form of execution. However, where it could result in a person losing
his primary residence of 22 years, due to a judgment debt
of less
than R50 000-00, without any form of oversight by the Court, it
can hardly be described as
just
.
Order
50)
As a result, the following order is made:
1.
The rule nisi is discharged
2.
The application for final sequestration of the Respondent’s
estate is refused and the provisional
sequestration order is set
aside.
3.
The Applicant is ordered to furnish the Respondent with a copy of
this judgment.
K
STRYDOM
ACTING
JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT
OF
SOUTH AFRICA GAUTENG
DIVISION,
PRETORIA
Judgment
reserved: 10 May 2024
Judgment
delivered: 28 June 2024
Appearances
For
the Applicant:
Adv
SG van der Walt
Instructed
by:
EY
Stuart Inc Attorneys
For
the Respondent:
No
appearance
[1]
Prestige lecture delivered at Stellenbosch University on 9 October
2006 “TRANSFORMATIVE CONSTITUTIONALISM” STELL
LR 2006 3
[2]
Insofar as these documents are irregular, by virtue of the fact that
the Respondent is a lay person, such irregularities are
condoned.
[3]
R v
Meer
1957
3 SA 641 (N) 619A
[4]
Waterkloof
Boulevard Homeowners Association (Association Incorporated under
Section 21) v Yusuf and Another
(028945/2022)
[2023] ZAGPPHC 737 (28 August 2023) (“
Waterkloof
”
)
[5]
Gardee
v Dhanmanta Holdings and Others
1978
(1) SA 1066
(N) 1067-8)
[6]
Body
Corporate of Marsh Rose v Steinmuller and Othe
rs
(149/2022)
[2023] ZASCA 143
;
2024 (2) SA 270
(SCA) (2 November 2023)
para 36
[7]
Rodel Financial Services Proprietary Limited v O'Callaghan
(2016/23121) [2017] ZAGPJHC 467 (31 March 2017)
[8]
See eg
Amod
v Khan
1947
2 SA (N) 435,
Firstrand
Bank Ltd v Evans
2011 4 SA 597
(KZD) par 27; 5
[9]
Julie
Whyte Dresses (Pty) Limited v Whitehead
1970
(3) SA 218
(D) at 219A-D;
Nedbank
v Potgieter
(2012/5210)
[2013] ZAGPJHC 242 (3 October 2013) para 15
[10]
Orestisolve
(Pty) Ltd t/a Essa Investments v NDFT Investments Holdings (Pty) Ltd
and another
2015
(4) SA 449 (WCC)
[11]
Firstrand
Bank Ltd v Evans
2011
4 SA 597
(KZD) par 27;
[12]
Shackleton
Credit Management (Pty) Ltd v Ngakatau and Another
(2020/38729) [2022]
ZAGPJHC 58 (11 February 2022)
[13]
Boraine, A. (2020).” Does the
Prevention of Illegal Eviction
From and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act of 1998
Provide Adequate
Family Home Protection to Insolvent Debtors or Is It Still Pie in
the Sky?
(Part 1)
” Obiter, 41(2), 199–225.
https://doi.org/10.17159/obiter.v41i2.9146
page 217
[14]
Ex
parte Ford and two similar cases
2009
3 SA 376
(WCC) 384 parr 19-22
[15]
Jaftha
v Schoeman and Others, Van Rooyen v Stoltz and Others
(CCT74/03)
[2004] ZACC
25
;
2005 (2) SA 140
(CC);
2005 (1) BCLR 78
(CC) (8 October 2004)
[16]
Nedbank
Limited v Fraser and Another, Nedbank Limited v Chabalala and
Another, Nedbank Limited v Machitele and Another, Nedbank
Limited v
Moccasin Investments (Pty) Limited, Absa Bank Limited v Young Star
Traders CC and Another
(2011/00418,
2011/9315, 2010/28374, 2010/31703) [2011] ZAGPJHC 35;
2011 (4) SA
363
(GSJ) (4 May 2011)
[17]
J.J v
A.J
(4041/2019)
[2020] ZAFSHC 4
(9 January 2020)
sino noindex
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