Case Law[2024] ZAWCHC 278South Africa
SA Taxi Impact Fund (RF) (Pty) Ltd v Jacobs (10003/2023) [2024] ZAWCHC 278; [2025] 1 All SA 538 (WCC) (25 September 2024)
Headnotes
judgment brought by a registered credit provider as defined in Section 40 of the National Credit Act, 34 of 2005 (“the NCA”) against a respondent who possesses an operating license permitting him to operate a taxi on a particular route approved by the taxi association of which he is a member. 2. The applicant seeks orders confirming the termination of the credit agreement concluded between the applicant (plaintiff) and respondent (defendant) on 25 April 2022, and return of a certain 2013
Judgment
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# South Africa: Western Cape High Court, Cape Town
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## SA Taxi Impact Fund (RF) (Pty) Ltd v Jacobs (10003/2023) [2024] ZAWCHC 278; [2025] 1 All SA 538 (WCC) (25 September 2024)
SA Taxi Impact Fund (RF) (Pty) Ltd v Jacobs (10003/2023) [2024] ZAWCHC 278; [2025] 1 All SA 538 (WCC) (25 September 2024)
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sino date 25 September 2024
SAFLII
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Certain
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF
SOUTH AFRICA
(WESTERN CAPE
DIVISION, CAPE TOWN)
Case No.:
10003/2023
In the matter between:
SA
TAXI IMPACT FUND (RF) (PTY)
LTD
Applicant
and
SIDNEY
CLIFFORD
JACOBS
Respondent
Hearing date: 9
September 2024
JUDGMENT DELIVERED ON
25 SEPTEMBER 2024
GORDON-TURNER, AJ:
Introduction
1.
This is an application for summary judgment brought by a registered
credit
provider as defined in Section 40 of the National Credit Act,
34 of 2005 (“
the NCA
”) against a respondent who
possesses an operating license permitting him to operate a taxi on a
particular route approved
by the taxi association of which he is a
member.
2.
The applicant seeks orders confirming the termination of the credit
agreement
concluded between the applicant (plaintiff) and respondent
(defendant) on 25 April 2022, and return of a certain 2013
Toyota Quantum motor vehicle (“
the Toyota Quantum
”)
financed in terms of that credit agreement.
3.
The
applicant raises two defences
[1]
,
in the alternative to each other:
3.1
That his debt review can be reinstated under section 86(11)
of the
NCA, on the basis that the action was brought prematurely and in
contravention of the applicant’s obligations, as
a credit
provider, to engage with the respondent, as its debtor, in good faith
with a view to continuation of the credit relationship;
and
3.2
In the alternative, that the applicant failed to conduct a
thorough
assessment regarding his eligibility for the credit facility, and
that the Court should declare him over-indebted and
make an order
contemplated in section 87 to relieve his over-indebtedness.
The credit
agreement
4.
The salient terms of the credit agreement are as follows:
4.1
The applicant agreed to finance the purchase of a taxi vehicle for
the respondent, namely the Toyota Quantum;
4.2
After interest of R399 454.45 plus service fees, short-term vehicle
insurance and tracking connection fees over the term of the
agreement, the total amount payable by the respondent to the
applicant
was the sum of R1 032 139.90;
4.3
Monthly instalments were to be paid by the respondent to the
applicant
over 77 months commencing on 1 July 2022, the last
instalment being due on 1 November 2028;
4.4
The monthly repayment by respondent to applicant inclusive of the
finance instalment, cost of insurance and tracking connection fee was
the sum of R13 404.40, and was linked to the prime rate,
commencing at 19,25%;
4.5
Despite delivery of the vehicle to the respondent, ownership of the
vehicle remained vested with the applicant until all amounts
outstanding in terms of the credit agreement had been paid by the
respondent;
4.6
In the event that the respondent failed to pay any instalments on
due
date or failed to satisfy any of his other obligations in terms of
the agreement, the applicant, without prejudice to any of
its other
rights, was entitled to terminate the agreement, repossess the
vehicle, dispose of the vehicle in accordance with the
provisions of
the NCA, recover from the respondent any remaining settlement value
after that sale as contemplated in Section 127(7)
of the NCA, claim
interest on that instalment amount at 19,25% per year calculated from
date of termination of the agreement to
date of payment, claim costs
on an attorney / client scale, and claim all expenses incurred in
tracing the respondent before or
after the institution of action,
attaching the vehicle, removing it, valuing it, storing it and in
relation to the sale of the
vehicle.
Debt review
5.
Within eight months of concluding the credit agreement with the
applicant,
the respondent applied in terms of Section 86(1) of the
NCA to have himself declared over-indebted. On 15 December 2022, the
relevant
debt counsellor delivered to the plaintiff the Form 17.1
notice contemplated in Section 86(4)(b)(i) of the NCA. This was
followed
on 20 December 2022 by the delivery of a Form 17.2 by the
debt counsellor to the applicant recording that the debt counsellor
had
found the respondent to be over-indebted. No evidence was adduced
by either party that the debt counsellor had determined that the
credit agreement appears to be reckless.
6.
The applicant delivered a certificate of balance to the debt
counsellor
on 21 December 2022. This indicated a
contractual monthly instalment of R14 220.29 at an interest rate
of 22%.
7.
On 4 January 2023, the debt counsellor provided the applicant with a
debt
restructuring proposal for repayment of a total of R882 938.46,
and that extended the period of the instalment sale agreement
from 1
November 2028 to 15 March 2030, that is, by 17 months. It was made at
a time when the respondent ought to have serviced
the first eight
monthly instalments, and had he done so, he would have reduced the
total amount repayable by an amount in the order
of R104 000.00.
However, on 27 March 2023, he was in arrears with his
instalments in the sum of R67 574.81. It follows
that when he applied
for debt review in December 2022, he was in arrears, and therefore in
default of the credit agreement. Based
on the available figures
disclosed in the papers, the respondent’s proposal necessarily
fell short of the total amount repayable
of R1 032 139.90.
8.
On 10 March 2023, the applicant responded to the respondent’s
proposal
by rejecting it and making a counter-proposal. At that time,
the remaining term was 68 months. The applicant did not offer an
extension
of the term, noted that the current arrears were then R77
547.31, that the interest rate (as linked to prime rate) was
currently
22,25%, and that the applicant was not prepared to consider
any reduction of the interest rate. The total monthly payment
required
in the counter-offer was R17 876.56.
9.
The respondent avers that the required instalment in terms of the
applicant’s
counter-proposal would be R3 656.27 more than the
contractual instalment initially indicated on the certificate of
balance, and
that this was unaffordable to him given his monthly nett
income of only R12 848.75 (out of a gross income of R14 000.00
per
month).
10.
On 5 April
2023, the applicant gave notice to the respondent, the debt
counsellor and the National Credit Regulation, in the prescribed
manner, of its election to terminate the debt review in terms of
Section 86(10) of the NCA. By 5 April 2023, neither the respondent
nor his debt counsellor had applied for review in a court or the
National Consumer Tribunal as contemplated in terms of section
86(10)(b) of the NCA
[2]
. It is
not disputed that the termination notice was duly dispatched and
received in accordance with the required procedures. The
applicant
had thereby given notice to the respondent of the latter’s
breach of the instalment sale agreement and the amount
outstanding
and due in terms thereof at that stage. Notice was also given of the
applicant’s intention to terminate the agreement
on failure by
the applicant to pay the outstanding sum.
11.
By the date of termination by the applicant on 5 April 2023, the
respondent had been in
default of the agreement for at least twenty
business days, and more than sixty business days had passed since the
date on which
the respondent had applied for debt review. By my
calculation, the business days from date of the debt counsellor’s
notice
in terms of section 86(4)(b)(i) of the NCA on 20 December 2022
expired on 17 March 2023.
12.
Upon
service of the summons thereafter, the applicant terminated the
agreement. More than ten business days had elapsed since the
applicant had delivered its Section 86(10)(a) notice
[3]
.
The respondent does not contend that the instalment agreement was not
lawfully cancelled. The defendant does not appear to appreciate
that
upon cancellation, he
ceased
to have any right to possess the Toyota Quantum. This is afforded
further attention below.
13.
The total amount outstanding as at 12 June 2023 was R573 998.51.
However, in this summary
judgment application, the applicant claims
only the return of the Toyota Quantum and attorney and client costs.
The respondent’s
defences to summary judgment
The
primary defence: alleged breach of obligation to negotiate in good
faith
14.
The
respondent alleges that, as required in terms of section 86(5) of the
NCA
[4]
, the applicant failed to
negotiate in good faith
[5]
with
the respondent prior to terminating the debt review process. The
basis for this submission is twofold:
14.1
First, the applicant’s counter-proposal took two months,
thereby consuming
a considerable portion of the 60 day period within
which debt review may be cancelled by a credit provider in terms of
Section
86(10)(a) of the NCA. This left only ten business days for
negotiations, which the respondent considered insufficient.
14.2
Secondly, the respondent contends that the counter-proposal was
plainly unaffordable
to him and (so it was implied) the applicant
would know this.
15.
Regarding the alleged tardiness of the applicant’s
counter-proposal, there was still
an opportunity for the respondent
to respond to the applicant’s counter-proposal and to maintain
negotiations with the applicant
prior to the expiry of the 60 day
period, and within the weeks thereafter prior to termination of the
debt review, and it was incumbent
upon the respondent to do so. The
applicant’s counter-proposal was made within a reasonable time.
The fact that it was unattractive
to the respondent does not mean it
was not made in good faith.
16.
Email correspondence (attached to the plea) was addressed by the debt
counsellor to the
applicant on 29 March 2023, which was
admittedly after expiry of the 60 day period provided in section
86(10)(a), but
prior to the applicant’s 5 April 2023
notice of termination of the debt review. The debt counsellor advised
that the
applicant’s counter-proposal was unaffordable as his
income was only R14 000 per month and asked how the matter could
be resolved.
17.
This further approach was answered by the applicant on 9 May 2023
with a new debt restructuring
proposal. The applicant required
payment of respondent’s full arrears of R90 000.00 on or before
20 May 2023, but
was prepared to extend the term to 102
months (adding 25 months to the contract), to fix the interest rate
at 22,75%, and to reduce
instalments to R13 100.00 per month
commencing on 1 June 2023.
18.
The respondent, via his debt counsellor, rejected this second
counter-proposal on 1 June
2023. The applicant made a further
counter-proposal on 5 June 2023 requiring an up-front payment of
R43 000 on or before 20
June 2023, to enable a term extension
adding 24 months to the contract, keeping the interest rate at
23,25%, and instalments at
R14 410.00 per month commencing on 1
July 2023.
19.
To my mind, the applicant’s willingness to entertain a further
debt restructuring
proposal, and to respond with improved
counter-proposals, with several elements of compromise, undercuts the
respondent’s
contention that the applicant did not participate
in good faith in the debt review process. The applicant could not be
expected
to continue negotiations indefinitely and, as it were, bid
against its prior proposals. The applicant’s obligation, as
credit
provider, in terms of section 86(5) of the NCA to “
participate
in good faith in the review and in any negotiations designed to
result in responsible debt re-arrangement
” had been
discharged and the debt review was properly terminated. There is no
merit in reinstating the debt review process
on the strength of this
unfounded complaint.
20.
Even if I
am mistaken in this finding, reinstatement of the debt review process
as a defence to a claim by the credit provider is
both futile and
incompetent, and I cannot, therefore, exercise my overriding
discretion to refuse summary judgment. I refer to
the unreported
judgment of Binns-Ward J in
ABSA
Bank v Walker
[6]
in
which the learned Judge considered substantially similar facts.
20.1
The
defendant in that matter contended that the plaintiff
had
fallen short of the obligation on it in terms of the Act to treat
with the debtor in good faith, and was thus prohibited from
availing
of the right of termination provided in terms of s 86(10) of the
NCA
[7]
.
20.2
Binns-Ward
J held as follows
[8]
(my
underlining):
“
[11]
The defendant’s submission that the plaintiff was bound to
respond to the debt re-arrangement proposal
in good faith is
supported by authority; see Collett v FirstRand Bank Ltd
2011
(4) SA 508
(SCA),
at para 13 and 15. The judgment in Collett, however, also makes it
clear that a credit provider is entitled, without qualification,
to
have resort to s 86(10) in any case in which the consumer is in
default of his contractual obligations at the time he makes
application for debt review. The defendant has not contended that
that was not the position in her application for debt review,
or that
she was not still in default when the plaintiff gave notice of
termination in terms of s 86(10).
The
consumer’s remedy, when a credit provider has terminated a debt
review in circumstances in which it has failed to treat
with the
consumer’s debt re-arrangement proposals in good faith, is to
apply, in terms of s 86(11) of the NCA, for a resumption
of the debt
review, or, in the context of a summary judgment application, to ask
the court, in the exercise of its overriding discretion,
to refuse
the application for summary judgment
;
see Collett at para 15, 16 and 18. It seems to me that there would be
little purpose served in the exercise of the court’s
discretion
in favour of a defendant in a summary judgment application if the
refusal of judgment were not attended by an order
directing a
resumption of the debt review, either in terms of s 86(11) or by way
of a ‘general review’ in terms of
s 85 of the NCA. As the
appeal court noted at para 18 of its judgment in Collett,
‘Of
course, sufficient information on which the request for a resumption
of the debt review is based must be placed before
the court
.’
”
20.3
Such limited information as the respondent
in this matter has put before the Court is summarised further below.
In my view, it is
insufficient.
20.4
Moreover,
as in
Absa
Bank v Walker
[9]
,
the respondent’s proposal:
20.4.1
Envisages his retaining possession of the
Toyota Quantum, which partially negates the applicant’s right
of security in that
asset, and due to the effect of depreciation
would reduce the value provided by the security in the asset during
the extended period
(a facet that the applicant was prepared, in its
second proposal, to tolerate provided the arrears were immediately
extinguished);
20.4.2
Facilitates
his ability as a purchaser of the Toyota Quantum in terms of an
instalment agreement to keep and use the vehicle on
more favourable
terms of payment which is not the purpose of debt restructuring –
the goal should be to fulfil his financial
obligations
[10]
;
20.4.3
Expects a resumption of the debt review
with the object of obliging the applicant to accept the proposed debt
rearrangement, which
would negate the right of cancellation conferred
upon, and exercised by, the applicant in terms of s 123(2) of
the NCA, without
regard to the fact that upon the cancellation of the
agreement, the respondent ceased to have any right to possess the
vehicle.
21.
The debt restructuring proposal made on behalf of the defendant
plainly contemplated that
he would retain possession of the Toyota
Quantum. However, the credit agreement has been validly cancelled,
and the defendant no
longer enjoys the right to retain the vehicle.
22.
The Court
enjoys no power
[11]
to
reinstate the cancelled agreement, or to order a resumption of the
debt review under section 86(11) of the NCA.
The secondary defence:
declaration of reckless credit
23.
The point of departure is the definition of reckless credit set out
in the NCA which is
as follows:
“
80 Reckless
credit
(1)
A
credit agreement is reckless if,
at
the time that the agreement was made
,
or at the time when the amount approved in terms of the agreement is
increased, other than an increase in terms of section 119
(4)-
(a) the
credit provider failed to conduct an assessment as required by
section 81 (2), irrespective of what
the outcome of such an
assessment might have concluded at the time; or
(b) the
credit provider, having conducted an assessment as required by
section 81 (2), entered into the credit
agreement with the consumer
despite the fact that the preponderance of information available to
the credit provider indicated that-
(i) the
consumer did not generally understand or appreciate the consumer's
risks, costs or obligations under the
proposed credit agreement; or
(ii)
entering
into that credit agreement would make the consumer over-indebted
.
(2) When a
determination is to be made whether a credit agreement is reckless or
not, the person making that determination
must apply the criteria
set out in subsection (1) as they existed at the time the agreement
was made
, and without regard for the ability of the consumer to-
(a) meet
the obligations under that credit agreement; or
(b) understand
or appreciate the risks, costs and obligations under the proposed
credit agreement, at the time
the determination is being made.
”
(my underlining)
24.
In his plea, the respondent claims an order on terms of sections
83(1) and 83(2) of the
NCA declaring the credit agreement to be
reckless and making an order in terms of section 83(3) of the NCA.
The contention of reckless
credit was not explained in the plea. In
his opposing affidavit, the respondent did not limit himself to an
order under section
83(3) only, expanding his defence so as to ask
for an order “
as set out in section 83 of
[the NCA]”.
25.
The relevant sections provide:
“
83
Declaration of reckless credit
agreement
(1)
Despite any provision of law or
agreement to the contrary, in any court or Tribunal proceedings in
which a credit agreement is being
considered, the court or Tribunal,
as the case may be, may declare that the credit agreement is
reckless, as determined in accordance
with this Part.
(2)
If a court or Tribunal declares
that a credit agreement is reckless
in
terms of section 80 (1) (a) or 80 (1) (b) (i),
the court or Tribunal, as the case may be, may make an order-
(a)
setting
aside all or part of the consumer's rights and obligations under that
agreement
, as the court
determines just and reasonable in the circumstances; or
(b) suspending
the force and effect of that credit agreement in accordance with
subsection (3) (b) (i).
(3)
If
a court or Tribunal, as the case may be, declares that a
credit agreement is reckless in terms of section 80 (1) (b) (ii)
,
the court or Tribunal, as the case may be-
(a) must
further consider whether the consumer is over-indebted at the time of
those proceedings; and
(b)
if
the court or Tribunal, as the case may be, concludes that the
consumer is over-indebted, the said court or Tribunal may make
an
order-
(i)
suspending
the force and effect of that credit agreement
until a date
determined by the Court when making the order of suspension; and
(ii) restructuring
the consumer's obligations under any other credit agreements, in
accordance with section 87.”
(my underlining)
26.
The defendant’s plea was accordingly predicated on the Court
finding that entering
into the credit agreement would make the
respondent over-indebted. If so found, the Court would be obliged to
determine whether
the consumer is over-indebted at the time of the
proceedings, in which event the Court could suspend the force and
effect of the
credit agreement, and restructure the respondent’s
obligations under any other credit agreements.
27.
In his opposing affidavit the respondent tacked to the position that
his (current) monthly
net income is less than the contractual monthly
instalment “
therefore, the
[the applicant]
did not
comply with the onus placed on it to do a diligent affordability
assessment in respect of my financial capabilities, and
that the loan
was advanced recklessly.”
28.
The respondent has conflated his current position with that
represented by him to the applicant
at time of assessing his credit
application – this is both illogical and in conflict with the
provisions of section 80(2)
of the NCA, resulting in the above flawed
conclusion.
29.
Furthermore,
the respondent has disregarded the fact that the credit agreement is
cancelled. That necessarily precludes the grant
of an order
suspending the force and effect of that credit agreement as
contemplated by sections 83(2)(b) and 83(3)(b)(i) of the
NCA (as well
as precluding consequential restructuring of the debt under section
83(3)(b)(ii)). Even if suspension of the credit
agreement was a
competent solution, all elements of the agreement would be suspended,
so the respondent would not be entitled to
continue to retain
possession of the Toyota Quantum during the period of suspension
[12]
,
and he would not be obliged to make payments during that period.
30.
That leaves
the respondent, should a declaration of reckless credit be indicated,
with the possible remedy under section 83(2)(a),
of setting aside all
or part of the consumer's rights and obligations under the credit
agreement (to the extent that this is competent
in respect of a
cancelled agreement). For the respondent, this remedy is
self-defeating: his right to retain possession of the
Toyota Quantum
vehicle would be set aside in such circumstances, the applicant would
be entitled to restoration of the vehicle
[13]
,
and the respondent would be relieved of any further indebtedness or
deficiency claim under the agreement.
31.
The
respondent’s case is predicated upon his retention of the
Toyota Quantum and continued operation of his taxi business.
As
Levenberg AJ has held
[14]
:
“
[46]
If
the consumer obtained possession and use of a motor vehicle in
circumstances in which no credit should have been extended to
the
consumer, it would be fundamentally unfair and counterproductive for
the consumer to continue to use the vehicle, while at
the same time
not making any payments under the agreement
.
…
[50]
That the
NCA does not contemplate the consumer retaining ‘the money and
the box’ is also borne out by the provisions
of s 130(1)
of the NCA. That section provides that the failure of a consumer to
surrender its security is a factor that militates
in favour of
immediate enforcement of the credit agreement by the credit
provider.
”
32.
Hence, the respondent’s claim to an order under section
83(2)(a) does not present
a
bona fide
defence to the relief
sought in this application.
33.
This is all
the clearer once the evidence regarding alleged reckless credit is
considered. He is required, for purposes of summary
judgment, to set
out the material facts, which if proved at trial, would sustain his
defences, and to do so with a reasonable amount
of verificatory
detail
[15]
- bearing in mind
also that the respondent bears the
onus
to
prove reckless credit
[16]
.
34.
The respondent contends that the applicant did not comply with the
requirements pertaining
to reckless credit, as determined in section
81(2) and (3) of the NCA. Those sections provide:
“
(2) A
credit provider must not enter into a credit agreement without first
taking reasonable steps to assess-
(a) the
proposed consumer's-
(i) general
understanding and appreciation of the risks and costs of the
proposed
credit, and of the rights and obligations of a consumer under a
credit
agreement;
(ii) debt
re-payment history as a consumer under credit agreements;
(iii) existing
financial means, prospects and obligations; and
(b) whether
there is a reasonable basis to conclude that any commercial purpose
may prove to be successful, if
the consumer has such a purpose for
applying for that credit agreement.
(3) A credit provider
must not enter into a reckless credit agreement with a prospective
consumer
.”
35.
The respondent submits that his monthly net income is less than the
contractual monthly
instalment “
therefore, the Plaintiff did
not comply with the onus placed upon it to do a diligent
affordability assessment in respect of my
financial capabilities
”,
and that the loan amount was advanced recklessly.
36.
The applicant (plaintiff) submits that the instalment agreement was
not reckless credit
because it used the services of another company
in the same group as the applicant, SA Taxi Development Finance (Pty)
Ltd (
SA Taxi
), to perform a credit vetting process. Before the
credit agreement was concluded, SA Taxi conducted a credit assessment
which the
applicant submits was as required by the NCA.
36.1
The assessment revealed that the commercial purpose intended by the
respondent
would succeed. In arriving at this conclusion, SA Taxi
first established whether the respondent possessed an operating
licence
which permitted him to operate a taxi on the route run by the
particular organisation of which he was and is a member. The
respondent
furnished proof of his membership and a copy of his
operating licence.
36.2
The respondent was required to complete a so-called ‘taxi route
form’
which contains details of the number of daily trips he
would make, the number of passengers to be conveyed on each trip, the
fees
payable by those passengers, and, as a product of all those
entries the monthly income he anticipated by the operation of a taxi
on that route. The respondent provided this information on his taxi
route form signed on 25 April 2022. He estimated his monthly
income would be R67 320.00 per month and his operational
expenses R15 038.50. The applicant relied on the veracity of
this information so provided. The respondent does not dispute that
the applicant advised him that the application for credit would
be
based on the contents of the taxi route form. He acknowledged in his
opposing affidavit that he did not achieve his anticipated
figures,
but contends that this does not mean that this business has failed.
36.3
SA Taxi undertook its own calculation of the costs associated with
the operation
of that route, including petrol and maintenance costs
and the driver’s salary. SA Taxi drew on its own experience as
the
financier of thousands of taxis throughout South Africa, which
affords it insight into the average amounts of such expenditures,
against which the data provided by the respondent could be evaluated.
36.4
SA Taxi concluded that, after allowing for the monthly instalments in
terms
of the anticipated credit agreement as well as insurance and
the costs of a tracking device, a reasonable prospect existed that
a
taxi operator, such as the respondent, would derive a profit from the
operation of a taxi on the route. The respondent’s
net monthly
profit was estimated to be R52 281.50 per month.
36.5
The
respondent was also required to complete and sign a form headed
“Credit Application for Vehicle Finance”. That form
was
populated with details of the goods required, the respondent’s
personal particulars (name, residential address, contact
details,
marital status, occupation, employer’s name), his bank account
and next of kin details, and his insurance requirements.
It did not,
however, provide for the respondent to disclose details of any debts
or other credit agreements to which he may have
been party. It did
stipulate that he consented to SA Taxi checking his credit record
with any credit reference agency, that he
declared all current debt
repayments by his extended family and himself as currently being met,
and that he confirmed that his
current income exceeds all his monthly
expenses
[17]
.
37.
The respondent is critical of the credit vetting process undertaken
by SA Taxi on behalf
of the applicant on the bases that:
37.1
The applicant failed to do a diligent affordability assessment taking
into
account his debt repayment history (of which he provided no
particulars either then or in his opposing affidavit) and his
existing
financial means (of which he also provided no particulars);
37.2
The applicant did not take into consideration any further existing
financial
obligations such as his monthly household expenses, other
credit obligations that he ‘might have’ or even that he
‘might
have to pay tax’ – again no particulars were
provided by the respondent;
37.3
The applicant did not make allowance for repairs and services;
37.4
The taxi route form sets out only ‘anticipated’ figures;
37.5
The taxi route form anticipated 12 daily trips with 15 passengers
each, but
in fact only 6 trips daily of 15 passengers each are
undertaken for 22 days per month, yielding gross income of only
R35 640.00
per month.
38.
The respondent’s last three points of criticism of the credit
assessment are readily
met by the fact that the respondent was the
source of the information populated on the taxi route form. The
applicant cannot fairly
be criticised for relying on his
representations, particularly as he was forewarned about the
importance of the form. In any event,
SA Taxi evaluated his
information against the average figures at its disposal as a result
of financing thousands of taxi other
vehicles.
39.
The
respondent’s argument that the applicant was insufficiently
diligent in assessing affordability disregards that the applicant
was
entitled to rely on, or at the very least, have regard to the
respondent’s declarations in his credit application form.
There
is no basis to hold that the applicant was under an obligation
to
carry out further investigations in order to determine whether the
respondent’s declarations were indeed true and correct
[18]
.
Absent
any particulars being provided by the respondent of his debt
repayment history, and, at the time of applying for credit,
of his
existing financial means and financial obligations, it is not
possible to gauge if his first two points of criticism gave
rise to
reckless credit.
40.
The respondent has therefore failed to provide
sufficient
information to the Court to enable the Court hold that a declaration
of reckless credit is a
bona fide
defence, and to exercise its discretion
to grant the respondent’s request for a resumption of the debt
review on either of
the bases advanced by the respondent.
41.
In the result, the following order is issued:
41.1
Termination of the credit agreement concluded between the parties on
25 April
2022 is confirmed.
41.2
Summary judgment is granted in favour of the plaintiff against the
defendant
for delivery up of the
2013 Toyota Quantum 2.5 D-4D
Sesfikile 16S
with engine number
2[…]
and chassis
number
A[…]
to the plaintiff forthwith.
41.3
The defendant shall pay the plaintiff’s costs on the scale as
between
attorney and client.
F
GORDON-TURNER, AJ
ACTING
JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT
Appearances
Counsel
for Applicant/Plaintiff
Adv
Celest Tait
Instructed
by
Marie-Lou
Bester Inc.
For
the Respondent/Defendant
Mr
Nduli
Legal
Aid
Instructed
by
Steyn
Coetzee Inc.
[1]
He abandoned the point that the applicant did not provide the debt
counsellor with the certificate of balance within the prescribed
timeframe.
[2]
See footnote 2 for wording of the sub-section.
Even if the debt
counsellor had referred the matter to the Magistrates’ Court,
the applicant’s right to give notice
in terms of Section
86(10) would continue until the Magistrate made an order as
envisaged in Section 87 of the NCA. See, in this
regard,
Collett
v FirstRand Bank Ltd
2011 (4) SA 508
(SCA) at para [6] and para [14]
[3]
Section
86(10) of the NCA provides:
“
(10)(a) If
a consumer is in default under a credit agreement that is being
reviewed in terms of this section, the credit
provider in respect of
that credit agreement may, at any time at least 60 business days
after the date on which the consumer
applied for the debt review,
give notice to terminate the review in the prescribed manner to-
(i) the
consumer;
(ii) the
debt counsellor; and
(iii) the
National Credit Regulator; and
(b) No
credit provider may terminate an application for debt review lodged
in terms of this Act, if such application for
review has already
been filed in a court or in the Tribunal
.”
[4]
Section
86(5) of the NCA provides:
“
(5)
A consumer who applies to a debt counsellor, and each credit
provider contemplated in subsection (4)(b), must —
(a)
comply with any reasonable requests by the debt counsellor to
facilitate the evaluation of the consumer's state of indebtedness
and the prospects for responsible debt re-arrangement; and
(b)
participate in good faith in the debt review and in any negotiations
designed to result in responsible debt-rearrangement
.”
[5]
As
considered in by the SCA in
Collett
v FirstRand Bank Ltd
supra at para [13]:
“
Where,
as in this case, the consumer has applied for debt review before the
credit provider has proceeded to enforce the credit
agreement, the
consumer and credit provider are obliged, as s 86(5) requires, not
only to comply with any reasonable request
by the debt counsellor to
facilitate an evaluation of the consumer's indebtedness and the
prospects for responsible debt-restructuring,
but also to
participate in good faith in the review and negotiations
.”
[6]
(2307/14) [2014]ZAWCHC 92 (17 June 2014)
[7]
Ibid
at
para [10]
[8]
Ibid
at
para [11]
[9]
Ibid
at
paras [12] & [13]
[10]
See,
as cited by Binns-Ward J:
Standard
Bank of South Africa Ltd v Panayiotts
2009
(3) SA 363
(W)
at para 77;
SA
Taxi Securitisation (Pty) Ltd v Mbatha and Two Similar
Cases
2011
(1) SA 310
(GSJ)
at para 35-36 and 46-50;
Pelzer
v Nedbank Ltd
2011
(4) SA 388
(GNP),
at para 6.3-6.4
;
Standard
Bank of South Africa Ltd v Newman
[2011]
ZAWCHC 91
, at para 11
;
Absa
Bank Ltd v O’Connor
[2012]
ZAWCHC 152
at
para 3;
Nedbank
Ltd v Jaars
[2012]
ZAWCHC 270
, at para 22-23;
SA
Taxi Securitisation (Pty) Ltd v Melaphi
[2014]
ZAWCHC 47
, at para 11
[11]
ABSA
Bank v Walker
supra
at para [16]
[12]
SA Taxi
Securitisation (Pty) Ltd v Mbatha and two similar cases
2011
(1) SA 310
(GSJ) at para [48]
[13]
Ibid
at
para [47]
[14]
Ibid
at
para [46] & para [50]
[15]
Ibid
at
para [25] & [26]
[16]
Absa
Bank Limited v Potgieter
(2344/2013) [2017] ZAECPEHC 8 (31 January 2017) at para [43]
[17]
The respondent was, it seems, not required to provide the
particulars contemplated in Section 3 of Annexure A to the
National Credit Regulations
Including Affordability Assessment Regulations published under GN
R202 in
GG
38557
of 13 March 2015
[18]
Absa
Bank Limited v Potgieter
supra
at para [46]
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