Case Law[2022] ZAGPPHC 133South Africa
Standard Bank of South Africa v Mpofu and Others (83867/2015) [2022] ZAGPPHC 133 (15 March 2022)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)
15 March 2022
Headnotes
by virtue of Deed of Transfer Number […………..] (the subject property). In terms of the Court Order granted by this Court on 19 January 2016, the Mpofu’s are judgements debtors, Mr Mpofu having been the first defendant and Ms Mpofu having been the second defendant in the main action of case number 83867/15.
Judgment
begin wrapper
begin container
begin header
begin slogan-floater
end slogan-floater
- About SAFLII
About SAFLII
- Databases
Databases
- Search
Search
- Terms of Use
Terms of Use
- RSS Feeds
RSS Feeds
end header
begin main
begin center
# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
You are here:
SAFLII
>>
Databases
>>
South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
>>
2022
>>
[2022] ZAGPPHC 133
|
Noteup
|
LawCite
sino index
## Standard Bank of South Africa v Mpofu and Others (83867/2015) [2022] ZAGPPHC 133 (15 March 2022)
Standard Bank of South Africa v Mpofu and Others (83867/2015) [2022] ZAGPPHC 133 (15 March 2022)
Download original files
PDF format
RTF format
make_database: source=/home/saflii//raw/ZAGPPHC/Data/2022_133.html
sino date 15 March 2022
SAFLII
Note:
Certain
personal/private details of parties or witnesses have been redacted
from this document in compliance with the law and
SAFLII
Policy
IN THE HIGH
COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG
DIVISION, PRETORIA
Case Number: 83867/2015
In the matter between:
STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA
LTD
APPLICANT
And
THAMSANQA MBOTSHWA
MPOFU
FIRST CLAIMANT
(Identity number: …………..)
LUNGILE
MPOFU SECOND
CLAIMANT
(Identity number: ………….)
PRIME PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS A
(PTY) LTD
THIRD CLAIMANT
(Registration Number: 1993/002599/07
EXTREME WAY TOGO (PTY)
LTD
FOURTH CLAIMANT
(2017/427954/07)
THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG LOCAL
MUNICIPALITY
FIFTH CLAIMANT
JUDGMENT
MABUSE J
[1]
On 9 March 2021 I granted the following order:
“
1. The Applicant is to pay the amount of
R800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand Rand), toward the Fourth Claimant
by virtue of which
the Applicant is released from any further
liability pertaining to the subject matter under dispute.
2. The Applicant is authorized to conduct a new
sale in execution by virtue of the Order of the above honorable Court
dated 19 January
2016.
3. The First and Second Claimants are to pay
the costs of this application on attorney and client
scale, jointly and
or severally, including the costs of the Fourth
Claimant.”
[2] The
First and Second Claimants now want reasons for the Order I so
granted. These are therefore the reasons.
THE
PARTIES
[3.1]
The Applicant in this matter was the Standard Bank of South Africa
Limited (the Bank). Its
registered address is located at 9th Floor,
5 Simmonds Street, Johannesburg.
[3.2]
The First Claimant, Thamsanqa Mbotshwa Mpofu (Mr Mpofu) is an adult
male who resided
at Erf […………….],
Johannesburg.
[3.3]
The Second Claimant is Lungile Mpofu (Ms Mpofu) an adult female who
resided at the same address
as the First Claimant by virtue of their
being married to each other.
[3.3.1]
The First and the Second Claimants (the Mpofu’s) are the owners
of the immovable property known as Erf […………….],
Registration Division J.R, The Province of Gauteng, measuring 1173
(One Thousand One Hundred and Seventy-Three) square meters,
Held by
virtue of Deed of Transfer Number […………..]
(the subject property). In terms of the Court Order
granted by this
Court on 19 January 2016, the Mpofu’s are judgements debtors,
Mr Mpofu having been the first defendant and
Ms Mpofu having been
the second defendant in the main action of case number 83867/15.
[3.4]
The Third Claimant was Prime Portfolio Investments (Pty) Ltd,
(Prime Portfolio), a private
company duly registered in accordance
with the company statutes of this country, with its registered office
situated at 5 Ashley
Rd, Bryanston, Johannesburg.
[3.4.1]
Prime Portfolio is at the same time the “first
purchaser” of the subject property. Prime
Portfolio purchased
the subject property at an auction sale following the Court Order and
based on the Conditions of Sale in Execution
dated 24 April 2018(the
first sale).
[3.4.2]
Following the said purchase, Prime Portfolio
paid an amount of R260, 996. 45 in respect of
municipal rates for
rates clearance certificate to the Fifth Claimant. This amount also
formed form part of the subject matter
in dispute.
[3.5]
The Fourth Claimant, Extreme Way Togo
(Pty) Ltd (Extreme Way Togo), is a private company duly
registered in
terms of the company statutes of this country, with its registered
address situated at 25 Seven Drive, Westville,
Durban, KZN.
[3.5.1]
Extreme Way Togo, by reason of an Offer to purchase
(the Second Sale Agreement) paid a sum of R800,000
to the Mpofu’s.
This payment was made by way of direct electronic fund transfer
into the Mpofu’ home loan account
with the Bank. Seemingly,
this amount related to the net amount or a portion thereof payable in
relation to the purchase price
of the subject property. According to
the Mpofu’s the amount of R800,000 paid by Extreme Way Togo
into the Mpofu’s
loan account with the Bank was part of the sum
of R1,600,000 that was supposed to be transferred to Pandor attorneys
in terms of
clause 2.2 of the Offered to Purchase.
[3.6] The
Fifth Claimant is the Johannesburg Local Municipality (Johannesburg
Local Municipality), a local municipality
duly established in terms
of section 12 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act 2000,
with its main place of business
located at the First Floor, Council
House, Metropolitan Centre, 158 Civic Blvd, Braamfontein,
Johannesburg. Johannesburg Local
Municipality is a beneficiary of an
amount of R260,996.45 paid by Prime Portfolio in terms of the First
Sale Agreement.
[4.1]
This matter is rooted in the Uniform Rule 58 in which the Bank
foresaw liability regarding
payment of monies in its keeping to one
or more of the claimants resulting from one or more of the
sales of the subject matter.
It came before me as an unopposed
application. Ultimately this application turns on whether either the
Mpofu’s have on one
hand, or Extreme Way Togo has, on the other
hand, established a claim towards the subject matter in dispute,
namely two separate
amounts of money emanating from two respective
sale agreements relating to the same subject matter, which is
registered in the
names of the Mpofu’s
. Rule 58(1) of the
Uniform Rules of Court states that:
“
Where any person, in this rule
called “the applicant” alleges that he is under any
liability in respect of which he
is or expects to be sued by two or
more parties making adverse claims, in this rule referred to as “the
claimants”,
in respect thereto, the applicant may deliver a
notice, in terms of this rule called an “interpleader notice”,
to the
claimants. In regard to conflicting claims with respect
to property attached in execution, the sheriff shall have the rights
of an applicant and an execution creditor shall have the right of a
claimant.”
THE
BACKGROUND
[5]
On 19 January 2016, the Bank obtained the following default
judgment
against both the
Mpofu’s:
“
1. Payment of the sum of R4.116,710.74.
2. Payment of interest on the amount of R4,
116, 710. 74 at the rate of 8.28% per annum as
from 13 October 2015 to date of final payment, calculated daily and
compounded monthly.
3. Payment of monthly insurance premiums.
4. An order declaring executable the property
known as Erf [………..], Registration Division J.R,
The Province
Gauteng, measuring 1173(one thousand one hundred
and seventy-three) square meters; Held by Deed of Grant T[…….].
5. An order authorizing the Registrar to issue
a writ of execution in respect of the property.
6. Costs of suit on attorney and client scale.
[6]
The Mpofu’s
became the registered owners of the subject property by virtue
of a
loan agreement they had obtained from the Bank. The said loan
agreement was secured by a mortgage
bond
number B [……….] in amount of R3, 440, 000. 00
and an additional amount of our R860, 000 registered
over the
subject property in respect of the monies lent and advanced by
the Bank to the Mpofu’s at their special instance
and request.
[7]
Upon the breach
committed by the Mpofu’s, on or about October 2015 and
when the
arrears on the loan repayment had escalated to R270, 000.00, the Bank
caused summons to be issued against the Mpofu’s.
At that
time, the amount due and owing by them to the Bank was R4, 100,
000.00 together with interest at 8.28% per annum.
[8]
As from 13 October
2015 the Bank assumed the responsibility for the payment
of the
monthly premiums of R1, 650.00 for the entire period.
ATTEMPTED
RESCISSION OF THE DEFAULT JUDGMENT
[9]
On or about 15 February 2016, the Mpofu’s brought an
application for
the recission of the default judgment obtained
against them on 16 January 2016. On 10 November 2017, the said
application was dismissed
with costs on a scale between attorney and
client against them, by Mudau J.
[10] On
or about 12 and April 2018 the Mpofu’s instituted the second
application
for the recission of the said judgment. That application
was dismissed by the Court on 19 November 2018. Again, the Mpofu’s
were ordered to pay the costs of the said application on a punitive
scale.
[11] By
notice of motion dated 18 June 2018 the Mpofu’s instituted an
application to interdict the
transfer of the subject property to
the Prime Portfolio. The application was removed from the roll on 1
February 2021 after the
Bank had filed its opposing papers on the
Mpofu’s.
[12] I
was satisfied that the Bank had acted correctly in bringing this Rule
58(1) application.
These Interpleader proceedings were not
unnecessary. In a similar situation
in African Life Assurance v
Van Der Nest and Another 1971(3) SA 672 (C) at 675B
the Court had
the following to say:
“
The applicant was therefore, in my view,
entitled to make use of the interpleader procedure to get the proper
claimants before
the Court, alternatively to ask for an order under
sub-rule (5) granting it immunity against such of them as failed to
respond
to the interpleader notice, for until this was done
applicant was liable to be sued for the proceeds at the instance of
the second
claimant
.
In
their declaration of facts or particulars of claim, the Mpofu’s
claimed that the sum of R800,000.00 paid by Extreme Way
Togo into
their loan agreement was theirs. The Mpofu’s claimed ownership
of the money. Quite clearly, they would have sued
the Bank for the
return of the money. So would Extreme Way. Based on the cancellation
of the Second Sale Agreement, and as reflected
in its particulars of
claim, Extreme Way would also have chosen to sue the Bank for the
refund of the sum of R800,000.00. The subject
matter of the dispute
consequently related to the aforesaid amounts emanating from the
First and Second Sale Agreements, in other
words, the sums of R260,
997.49 and R 800, 000000.Therefore, it was only proper, in the
circumstances that the Bank should interplead.
The object of the
interpleader proceedings was to protect the Bank against possible
future claims.
It is not correct, as alleged by the First and
Second Claimants, that the Bank colluded with any of the other
Claimants nor is it
correct that there was any unlawful debiting of
the Mpofu’s loan account with the Bank. These
allegations of
collusion and unlawful debiting of their loan account
made by the Mpofu’s are unfounded and lack merit. If this Court
were
not happy with the application, it would have dismissed it in
terms of Rule 58(6) of the Rules of Court. Save for its charges and
costs, the Bank claims no interest in the sum of R800,000.00 paid by
the Extreme Way Togo into the Mpofu’s bond account
with the
Bank. In my view, the Mpofu’s lay claim to the said sum
of R800,000 out of sheer ignorance.
SALE IN
EXECUTION
[13] On
24 April 2018, and pursuant to the Court Order of 19 January 2016,
the subject
property was sold at the sale in execution to the Prime
Portfolio.
[14]
Notwithstanding the fact that the
subject property was sold at the sale in execution to
the Prime
Portfolio on 24 April 2018, on 15 January 2019 the Mr Mpofu requested
that the home loan be reinstated as he and Ms Mpofu
wanted to pay the
full outstanding arrears, the default charges, and the legal costs of
the Bank.
[15] On
18 February 2019 the Bank's attorneys advised the Mpofu’s that
the relevant bond
cancellation documents had been already
on 11 April 2019 prior to the sale in execution to the bond
cancellation conveyancers.
All that rendered the possibility of the
reinstatement of the loan agreement impracticable and untenable.
[16]
The Mpofu’s reassured the
Bank’s attorneys of record that, if they cancelled
the sale in
execution of the subject property to the Third Claimant, they the
Mpofu’s, would be able to pay all outstanding
arrears, default
charges and legal costs, by reason of the fact that they had secured
a purchaser for the subject property in an
amount more than the
amount reached at the sale in execution. The Mpofu’s
undertook in that manner that they would comply
with the provisions
of section 129 (3)(a) of the NCA which provides that:
“
129 (3) Subject to such subsection (4),
a consumer may-
at any time before the credit provider has
cancelled the agreement re-instate a credit agreement that is in
default by paying to
the credit provider all amounts that are
overdue, together with the credit provider’s
permitted default charges
and reasonable costs of enforcing the
agreement up to the time of re-instatement; and-
after
complying with paragraph (a), may resume possession of any property
that had been repossessed by the credit provider up to
an attachment
order.”
[17] As
a consequence, on 28 March 2019 the Bank instructed its attorneys to
cancel the sale
in execution and to reinstate the Mpofu’s loan
agreement. The consequence thereof was that Prime Portfolio had to be
reimbursed.
The Sheriff's commission, Johannesburg Local
Municipality’s charges, the Homeowners Association’s
levies as well as
the wasted transfer fees had to be paid to the
Prime Portfolio, which was reimbursed with all the said amounts save
the amount
that was paid to Johannesburg Local Municipality. In
short, the Mpofu’s had to satisfy the requirements of section
129(3)
of the NCA for the efficient, proper, and complete
re-instatement of their credit agreement with the Bank.
[18] On
26 September 2019 the Bank’s attorneys, because of the
cancellation of the sale in execution,
requested the Johannesburg
Local Municipality to reimburse the Prime Portfolio with the sum of
R260, 996 .45 paid to it in respect
of the rates and clearance
figures due, if the sale in execution be fulfilled and transfer
required, without any success.
[19] To
enable the re-instatement of their loan agreement the Mpofu’s
were required to
pay the arrears and the related default charges, and
the costs in the sum of R1, 577, 447.61 as the re-statement
amount in
terms of section 129 (3) of the NCA. In short, the Mpofu’s
had to satisfy the requirements of section 129(3) of the NCA for
the
credit agreement to be effectively, properly, and completely
reinstated. The Mpofu’s were also advised of a possible
claim
for damages from Prime Portfolio relating to the amount paid by it to
the Johannesburg Local Municipality towards the municipal
rates and
taxes, monies owed to the relevant Homeowners Association as well as
the Sheriff's commission and wasted costs, and which
could have
enabled Prime Portfolio to obtain transfer of the subject property in
its name.
[20] I
accept that the re-instatement of the Mpofu’s credit agreement
was subject to them
satisfying the requirements of s 129(3) of the
NCA, in other words, they had to satisfy the court before there could
be any effective
restatement of their credit agreement that:
[20.1]
they had t paid to the
credit provider, in other words the Bank, all the amounts
that were
overdue in terms of the credit agreement.
[20.2]
they had paid the credit provider’s,
in other words, the Bank’s permitted
default charges.
[20.3]
they had paid the Bank’s reasonable
costs of enforcing the agreement up to
the time of the
re-instatement. As stated somewhere
supra,
these amounts
totaled R1, 577, 447.661.
[20.4]
For instance, in
Nkata v Firstrand Bank and Another 2016(4)
S A 587 (CC)
at paragraph [26] the Court had the following to
say:
“
[26] Fourth, it found that Ms Nkata did
not have to intend to reinstate a credit agreement. Still less did
she have to signal to
the bank any intention to do so.
This
was because
reinstatement
occurs by operation of the law if the consumer as a fact makes
payment as
contemplated
by section 129(3) unless reinstatement is prevented by virtue of
section 129(4).
(My own
underlining)
[20.5]
This paragraph makes it very clear that an agreement
between the credit grantor and great receiver to reinstate
a credit
agreement is not necessary to reinstate a credit agreement. The
reinstatement of any agreement takes place automatically
or by
operation of the law if the credit receiver makes the payments as set
out in section 129(3)(a) of the NCA. The credit agreement
can only be
reinstated if the credit receiver purges his or her or its default.
Simply put no purging of a default or no
payment in terms of
section 129(3)(a) of the NCA no reinstatement of any credit
agreement.
[20.6]
Moreover, in the instant matter the Mpofu’s are prevented by
the provisions of s 129(4) the NCA from reinstating the
credit
agreement. The said section provides get as follows:
“
129
4) A consumer may not reinstate a credit agreement after-
(a)
the sale of any property pursuant to
(i)
an attachment order; or
(ii)
surrender property in terms of
section 127.
(b)
the execution of any other court
order enforcing that agreement; or
(c)
the termination thereof in
accordance with section 123
.
[20.7]
Accordingly, the Bank’s instructions to its attorneys to cancel
the sale in execution and to reinstate
the loan agreement of the
Mpofu’s did not carry any weight and were of no use. This is
because any agreement between a credit
receiver and a credit grantor
to reinstate a credit agreement is unnecessary. The reinstatement of
a credit agreement takes place
only after the credit
receiver has satisfied the requirements of s 129(3)(a) of the NCA.
[21]
According to s 129(3) the Mpofu’s may only resume possession of
the subject property
that had been repossessed by the credit
provider, in other words the Bank, pursuant to an attachment
order, only after complying
with the provisions of section 129(3)(a)
of the NCA. Possession in this instance means
possessio
longa
manu.
[22]
The following two questions must
be answered by reference to the evidence of the Bank and
of the
Mpofu’s.
[22.1]
Have the Mpofu’s satisfied the requirements
of s 129 (3)(a) of the NCA? and,
[22.2]
Was there a proper, effective, and lawful
reinstatement of the Mpofu’s credit
agreement with the Bank as
envisaged by the s 129(3)(a) of the NCA?
The
answer to the second question depends on the answer to the first one.
If there was no satisfaction of the first question the
second
question does not even rise. In my view, the credit agreement between
the Bank on one side and the Mpofu’s on the
other was never
properly, completely, and effectively re-instated by reason of the
fact that the Mpofu’s never complied with
the requirements of
re-instatement of the credit agreements as envisaged in s 129(3)(a)
NCA. Furthermore, and this is of paramount
importance, nowhere in
their answering or particulars of claim do the Mpofu’s allege
that they have complied with the
requirements of s 129(3)(a) of the
NCA. It is for these two reasons that I hold the view that the said
credit agreement was never
a re-instated.
[23] In
addition, it also means that in terms of s 129(3)(b) of the NCA the
Mpofu’s did
not resume possession of the subject property that
had been repossessed by the Bank pursuant to the attachment
order granted
by Murphy J on 19 January 2016.
[24] As
it will be shown here in below Mpofu’s had no right to sell the
subject property
to Extreme Way Togo. Extreme Way Togo was therefore
entitled to the refund of the amount of R 800,000 that it had
deposited into
the mortgage bond account of the Mpofu’s
with the Bank.
[25] As
a consequence the conflicting Offer to Purchase (the Second Sale
Agreement) the Mpofu’s,
in contrast to the Court Order,
and in their continued capacity as owners of the subject property,
sold the property to the Extreme
Way Togo for R800,000. By virtue of
that Second Sale Agreement, Extreme Way Togo paid the said sum of
R800,000 into the Mpofu’s
loan account held by the Bank.
This payment was made by way of a direct electronic fund transfer.
The said
amount was related to the net amount or a portion thereof
payable in respect of the purchase price of the subject property.
[26]
Accordingly, at the core of the
subject matter of the dispute are the respective amounts
emanating
from the First and Second Sales Agreements, in other words, the
amounts of R260,996.45 and R800,000.00. The Mpofu’s
claim is
related to the amount of R800,000.00 that was deposited by the
Extreme Way Togo their loan account and the Prime Portfolio’s
claim related to sum of R260, 997.45 and or damages against the
Mpofu’s because of
mora debitoris
.
[27]
The amount of R800,000 was
subsequently paid to the attorneys of the Bank to be held in
trust in
terms of s 86(4) of the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 (the LPA).
THE CASE OF THE MPOFU’S
[28.1]
The Mpofu’s delivered an answering
affidavit or their particulars of claim in
which they
abuse
of the process of this Court and more specifically interpleader
proceedings by the Applicant and in collusion
with
the Third and Fourth Claimants to the extent that the Second and
Third Respondents will accept any claim to the monies in
question
through these proceedings”.
[28.2]
It is the Mpofu’s case that the amount of R800,000 paid
into their loan account held by the
Bank should never be the subject
of these interpleader proceedings except that “
the applicant
seeks to escape the consequences of the fraudulent mischief and
debiting of their account done by it.”
[28.3]
Mr Mpofu states that he duly signed the
Offer to Purchase the subject property.
This Offer to Purchase had
been drawn by the Extreme Way Togo. It is attached to the founding
declaration of facts as Annexure
“N3”. Mr Mpofu states
that he accepted to sell the subject property to the Extreme Way Togo
on, among others, the terms
and conditions fully set out in the Offer
to Purchase.
[28.4.1]
Extreme Way Togo would pay
the sum of R2million into the trust account of Fox
and Barrat
Attorneys within seven (7) days of the acceptance of the Offer to
Purchase by Mr Mpofu.
[28.4.2]
that the Extreme Way Togo pays a
further sum of R1.6 million to be transferred to Pandor
attorneys and
be held in an interest-bearing account within thirty business days.
[28.4.3]
the Extreme Way Togo pays to him a further sum of R1.2 million
upon signature of the transfer documents.
[29.1]
Extreme Way Togo has filed Interpleader
Particulars of Claim. This Interpleader Particulars
of Claim was
signed on 25 March 2020 but only served on the Bank’s attorneys
on 13 May 2020. It is not clear whether the
First and Second
Claimants had sight of the contents of the said interpleader
particulars of claim. One can only guess that
they were not aware of
it because nowhere in their answering affidavit or particulars of
claim, which was signed on 8 July 2020,
did the Mpofu’s comment
on the allegations contained in the interpleader particulars of
claim of Extreme Way Togo.
[29.2]
The Mpofu’s did not respond to the
following allegations made by Extreme Way Togo.
“
2.7.12] In terms of the re-instatement
of the said Claimants loan account they were required to pay the
Applicant the arrears and
related default charges and costs in the
amount of R1, 577, 447.61.
2.7.13
By letter dated the 3rd of October 2019, a copy of which is Annexure
“YT10” to the founding declaration of facts,
the said
claimants were advised of a possible claim for damages by the Third
Claimant.
2.8 At all material
times, on 31 January 2019, the said claimants were aware of the
facts and circumstances as described in
the preceding
subparagraph”.
[29.3]
Extreme Way Togo then contends
that at the conclusion of the Second Sale
agreement on 31 January
2019, the Mpofu’s did not disclose the facts and circumstances
described in subparagraph 2.7 of Extreme
Way Togo’s particulars
of claim or alternatively, while they were obliged to do so, the
Mpofu’s deliberately remained
silent about such facts and
circumstances at the time of the conclusion of the Second Sale
Agreement.
[29.4]
Even at the time Extreme Way Togo
made payment of the sum of R800,000 into
their loan account on 11
February 2019, the Mpofu’s still did not disclose to Extreme
Way Togo the facts and circumstances
described in subparagraph 2.7 of
their interpleader particulars of claim. They remained silent.
[29.5]
The Mpofu’s had a duty, at
the material time of the conclusion of
the Second Sale Agreement, to
disclose all facts and circumstances set out in subparagraph 2.7 of
their interpleader particulars
of claim of the Extreme Way
Togo.
[29.6]
It
is Extreme Way Togo’s case that the
Mpofu’s should have,
or ought to have known, that the Extreme Way Togo would not have
concluded the Second Sale Agreement
hadthe Mpofu’s disclosed to
them all such facts and circumstances as were necessary and relevant
to enable them to make an
informed decision before concluding the
Second Sale Agreement. According to them the Mpofu’s acted mala
fide in their failure
to disclose those facts.
[30]
It is
furthermore Extreme Way Togo’s case that the non-disclosure
of
the material facts and circumstances was material to the extent that
it was induced by such non-disclosure of material facts
and
circumstances to conclude the Second Sale Agreement when it would
never have concluded the said Second Sale Agreement if the
relevant
facts and circumstances had been disclosed to the Fourth Claimant.
The payment of R800, 800.00 by them into the Mpofu’s
loan
account would not have been made had they been provided with all the
relevant material facts.
[31]
According to
its testimony, Extreme Way Togo only became aware of such
facts and
circumstances after 11 February 2019. It testified furthermore that
in the premises the Mpofu’s were not entitled
to rely on the
terms and conditions set out in the Second Sale Agreement and equally
that they are not entitled to any part of
the R800, 000. 00 and
finally that Extreme Way Togo is entitled to the refund of the said
sum of R800, 000.00.
[32]
The
Mpofu’s have not dealt with the afore going
allegations made by
Extreme Way Togo in their particulars of claim. Besides, although
they had delivered their answering affidavit,
there was no appearance
for them on 18th March 2021 when this matter came before Court. The
Bank did not ask for an order in terms
of Rule 58(5) of the Uniform
Rules of Court even though the Mpofu’s had delivered their
particulars of claim but had failed
to appear before court on 18
March 2021. Nothing in the subrule suggests that this court is at
liberty to make such an order
mero motu
. This issue never came
up for consideration on 18 March 2021. Accordingly, the court had to
deal with what was before it. In my
view, this point should have been
raised by the Bank and not by Extreme Way Togo as it does not assist
Extreme Way Togo’s
case. On this basis alone Extreme Way Togo
might not have been able to cancel the Second Sale Agreement. Be that
as it may that
point is worth noting for it assists this court to
establish the honesty of the Mpofu’s to fulfill their
obligations arising
from the Second Sale Agreement with the Fourth
Claimant; it helps this Court to determine furthermore the honesty of
the First
and Second Claimant whether they would have been able,
through the Second Sale Agreement, to fulfill their obligations to
the Bank.
[33]
The
other aspect that Extreme Way Togo had raised in
the Second Sale
Agreement was the fact that the amount of R3, 600, 000.00, which was
the amount at which the Mpofu’s had
sold the subject property
to Extreme Way Togo, was far less than the amount owing by the
Mpofu’s to the to the Bank in terms
of the loan agreement. This
point should have been raised by the Bank and not by Extreme Way Togo
for, in my view, it does not
in any way assist Extreme Way Togo 's
case.
[34] In the
circumstances I found that:
[34.1] The First and Second Claimants had entered into the Second
Sale Agreement with the Fourth Claimant.
[34.2] The
Fourth Claimant had, for unknown reasons and under unclear
circumstances, deposited a sum of R800, 000. 00 into the First
and
Second Claimants’ loan account with the Applicant.
[34.3]
That when it
concluded the Second Sale Agreement with the First Claimants
and paid
the sum of R800, 000.00 into the loan account of the First and Second
Claimant, the Fourth claimant had not been furnished,
by the First
and Second Claimants, with all the relevant and material details to
enable Extreme Way Togo to make an informed decision
before
concluding the Second Sale Agreement and paying the said sum of
R800, 000.00.
[34.4]
That Extreme Way Togo was misled into concluding the Second Sale
Agreement and into paying the said amount of R800, 000.00
by the
Mpofu’s failure to disclose to them all the material facts
and circumstances.
[34.5]
That the first
claimant was indeed entitled to cancel the Second Sale Agreement
and
to reclaim the refund of the amount of R800, 000.00.
[34.6]
That
neither the Bank was, nor the Mpofu’s were, entitled to the sum
of R800,000.00.
[35.7]
That
the amount of R800, 000.00 ought to be refunded to Extreme Way Togo
.
---------------------------------------------
P
M MABUSE
JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT
Appearances
Counsel for e
Applicant:
Adv.
D J Van Heerden
Instructed by
Hannes
Gouws & Partners Inc:
Counsel For
the First and Second Claimants: No
Appearance
Matter Heard
on
9
March 2021
Reasons
furnished on
15
March 2022.
sino noindex
make_database footer start
Similar Cases
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited v Schutte (14675/20) [2022] ZAGPPHC 433 (9 June 2022)
[2022] ZAGPPHC 433High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)100% similar
Standard Bank of South Africa v Maboea and Another (22676/2016) [2022] ZAGPPHC 755 (7 October 2022)
[2022] ZAGPPHC 755High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)100% similar
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited v Mpofu and Others (83867/2015) [2022] ZAGPPHC 257 (15 March 2022)
[2022] ZAGPPHC 257High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)100% similar
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited v Marais (884/21) [2022] ZAGPPHC 134 (14 March 2022)
[2022] ZAGPPHC 134High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)100% similar
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited v Shamase and Another (64045/2020) [2023] ZAGPPHC 610 (3 August 2023)
[2023] ZAGPPHC 610High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)100% similar