Case Law[2023] ZAGPJHC 808South Africa
Talacar Holdings (Pty) Ltd v Cole (10296/2022) [2023] ZAGPJHC 808; 2023 (6) SA 626 (GJ) (17 July 2023)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)
17 July 2023
Headnotes
PDF format RTF format
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: South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
South Africa: South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
You are here:
SAFLII
>>
Databases
>>
South Africa: South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
>>
2023
>>
[2023] ZAGPJHC 808
|
Noteup
|
LawCite
sino index
## Talacar Holdings (Pty) Ltd v Cole (10296/2022) [2023] ZAGPJHC 808; 2023 (6) SA 626 (GJ) (17 July 2023)
Talacar Holdings (Pty) Ltd v Cole (10296/2022) [2023] ZAGPJHC 808; 2023 (6) SA 626 (GJ) (17 July 2023)
Download original files
PDF format
RTF format
Links to summary
PDF format
RTF format
make_database: source=/home/saflii//raw/ZAGPJHC/Data/2023_808.html
sino date 17 July 2023
SAFLII
Note:
Certain
personal/private details of parties or witnesses have been
redacted from this document in compliance with the law
and
SAFLII
Policy
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH
AFRICA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF
SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG LOCAL
DIVISION, JOHANNESBURG
Case Number: 10296/2022
REPORTABLE
OF INTEREST TO OTHER
JUDGES
17.07.23
In
the matter between:
TALACAR
HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD
Applicant
and
CHRISTOPHER
HOWE COLE
Respondent
JUDGMENT
Mia, J
[1]
This is an application by Talacar Holdings
(Pty) Ltd for relief in the following terms:
“
1.
O
rdering specific performance against the
respondent in respect of the sale agreement concluded between the
parties on 16 November
2021 for the sale and purchase of certain
immovable property known as erf […] portion 2 and erf […]
portion 5 and
erf […] portion 2 with title deed numbers
T15509/1999 and T22179/1999 and T15448/2000 respectively, and which
immovable
property is situated at […]., Sandhurst (the
immoveable property);
2. Ordering and directing
the respondent:
2.1 To immediately take
all steps necessary to cause a bank guarantee to be issued from a
recognised financial institution in favour
of the applicant in the
amount of R135 000 000, (one hundred and thirty-five
million rands) alternatively, such other
undertaking acceptable to
the applicant;
2.2 To deliver such
guarantee/s or undertakings as set out in prayer (i) to the
applicant’s conveyancer within 14 days of
this court order.
2.3 To provide all
information and sign all necessary transfer documents within 5(five)
business days after being called upon by
the applicant conveyances to
do so, failing which the Sheriff of the High Court is authorised to
do so.
2.4 To pay all necessary
costs and charges of and incidental to the transfer of the property,
including:
2.4.1
Such administrative amounts as may be
necessary to obtain a rate(s) and or levy/levies clearance
certificate to facilitate transfer
of the property.
2.4.2
Value added tax levied in terms of the
Value Added Tax Act, 1991 all transfer duty levied in terms of the
Transfer Duties Act, 1949
whichever may be applicable as contemplated
in clause 10 of the sale agreement.
2.4.3
the legal costs charged by the applicant’s
conveyancers.
2.4.4
the cost of registering any mortgage bond.
3. Ordering and directing
the respondent to pay the cost of this application on the scale as
between attorney and own client;
4.
further and or alternative relief.”
The respondent opposes
the application.
[2] The applicant
is Talacar Holdings (Pty) Ltd, the seller of the property in issue.
It was previously known as Ben Nevis
Holdings, a private company duly
registered and incorporated in terms of the company laws of South
Africa, with its place of business
situated at 34 Coronation Road in
Sandhurst, Johannesburg. The respondent is Mr Christopher Howe Cole
(the purchaser), a major
male businessman, residing in the United
States of America (USA). The respondent is represented by Smiedt and
Associates attorneys
situated at 15 on Orange, Orange St., Cape Town.
[3] The parties entered
into a written agreement. In terms of clause 19.2 of the agreement,
the parties agreed that such agreement
will be governed by and
interpreted in accordance with the laws of South Africa. The
agreement was concluded in Johannesburg, which
is within the
jurisdiction of this court. In addition to the above, the property is
situated within the jurisdiction of this court.
This matter is
appropriately before this court.
[4] On 20 October 2021,
the director of the applicant, Mr David Cunningham King, requested an
agent of Pam Golding Properties, Ms
Anastasia Rossen, to place the
property on the market. On 23 October 2021, it was agreed that the
property would be marketed at
a price of R 150 000 000 (one
hundred and fifty million rand). On 15 November 2021, Ms Rossen
showed Mr Cole the property.
On 16 November 2021, Mr. Cole,
assisted by Ms Rossen, concluded an offer to purchase (OTP), which
was presented to Mr King in his
representative capacity as director
of the applicant. On 16 November 2021, the OTP was signed by Mr King
and returned on 17 November
2021. The applicant accepted the offer to
purchase in the amount of R135 000 000. This concluded the
sale of the property.
The respondent then requested a further viewing
of the property. This was arranged for 18 November 2021, and
representatives
of the respondent were accompanied by experts to
check for any defects as provided in clause 20 of the OTP.
[5] Mr Ian Greyling, a
structural engineer, was on site for an inspection on the mandate of
the respondent, confirmed to Ms Rossen’s
assistant Anthony; in
the presence of Mr Gert Van Zyl, a valuer; verbally; and after the
inspection, that there were no structural
defects. The two valuers
who were present could not ascertain any defects either. Thus, clause
20.2, which provided for the respondent’s
experts to inspect
the property for structural defects, was complied with. Consequently,
the respondent expressed his intention,
to Ms Rossen, to continue
with the purchase.
[6] The respondent,
however, failed to take all steps necessary to furnish the bank
guarantee and to transfer the property into
his name and subsequently
communicated to the applicant that he could not continue with the
agreement due to “imperfections”
after conducting due
diligence. The applicant believes these “imperfections”
are artificial and contrived, as the respondent
did not indicate what
specific structural defects or other defects were present until they
were raised in the opposing affidavit.
The applicant notes that these
imperfections conflict with the “voetstoots” clause in
the agreement. They are false
and uncorroborated, as the respondent
failed to provide any evidence to support his contentions after
personally viewing and inspecting
the property with acquaintances and
after receiving feedback from his expert.
[7] The applicant raised
three points
in limine,
which are the central issues for
determination in this matter, and may be dispositive of the
application. They are:
a.
Whether the respondent’s affidavit
should be accepted as evidence without an Apostille certificate;
b.
Whether the respondent’s
non-performance is justified; and
c.
Whether the respondent’s alleged
cancellation of the agreement in terms of clause 20.2 was valid?
Points in Iimine
Whether the
respondent’s affidavit should be accepted as evidence without
an Apostille certificate?
[8] The respondent is
domiciled in Arizona in the USA. He signed the answering affidavit
whilst in Arizona. The applicant contends
that the answering
affidavit does not meet the formal requirements for an affidavit in
terms of Rule 63 of the Uniform Rules of
Court (of the Division of
the High Court, Gauteng, South Africa) as it is not properly
endorsed. Alternatively, the respondent
was required to have the
affidavit authenticated through an Apostille by the relevant
authority in terms of the Apostille Convention
because South Africa
and the USA are both signatories to the Apostille Convention, which
facilitates the use of foreign public
documents such as affidavits.
Apostille
Convention
[9]
The
Apostille Convention is an international treaty which seeks to
simplify the process of authenticating public documents for use
in
foreign countries. It eliminates the need for expensive and
lengthy procedures. It introduced a standardised certificate
called
the Apostille which is attached to the document that verifies the
authenticity of the public document. When a document is
apostilled,
Article 4 of the Apostille Convention requires that:
“
The
certificate referred to in the first paragraph of Article 3 shall be
placed on the document itself or on an "allonge";
it shall
be in the form of the model annexed to the present Convention. It
may, however, be drawn up in the official language of
the authority
which issues it. The standard terms appearing therein may be in a
second language also. The title "Apostille
(Convention de La
Haye du 5 October 1961)" shall be in the French language.”
[10]
Article 1 of the
Apostille Convention provides:
“
The
present Convention shall apply to public documents which have been
executed in the territory of one Contracting State and which
have to
be produced in the territory of another Contracting State. For the
purposes of the present Convention, the following are
deemed to be
public documents:
a)
documents emanating from an authority or an official connected with
the courts or tribunals of the State, including those emanating
from
a public prosecutor, a clerk of a court or a process-server
("huissier de justice");
b)
administrative documents;
c)
notarial acts;
d)
official certificates which are placed on documents signed by persons
in their private capacity, such as official certificates
recording
the registration of a document or the fact that it was in existence
on a certain date and official and notarial authentications
of
signatures.
[11] The Rules of the
High Court provide:
“
authentication'
means, when applied to a document, the verification of any signature
thereon.
(2) Any document executed
in any place outside the Republic shall be deemed to be sufficiently
authenticated for the purpose of
use in the Republic if it be duly
authenticated at such foreign place by the signature and seal of
office
(a) of the head of a
South African diplomatic or consular mission or a person in the
administrative or professional division of
the public service serving
at a South African diplomatic, consular or trade office abroad; or
(b) of a consul-general,
consul, vice-consul or consular agent of the United Kingdom or any
other person acting in any of the aforementioned
capacities or a
pro-consul of the United Kingdom;
(c) of any Government
authority of such foreign place charged with the authentication of
documents under the law of that foreign
country; or
(d) of any person in such
foreign place who shall be shown by a certificate of any person
referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c)
or of any diplomatic or
consular officer of such foreign country in the Republic to be duly
authorised to authenticate such document
under the law of that
foreign country;
(e) of a notary public in
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or in
Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana or Swaziland;
or
(f) of a commissioned
officer of the South African Defence Force as defined in section one
of the Defence Act, 1957 (Act 44 of 1957),
in the case of a document
executed by any person on active service.
(2A) Notwithstanding
anything in this rule contained, any document authenticated in
accordance with the provisions of the Hague
Convention Abolishing the
Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents shall be
deemed to be sufficiently authenticated
for the purpose of use in the
Republic where such document emanates from a country that is a party
to the Convention.
(3) If any person
authenticating a document in terms of subrule (2) has no seal of
office, he shall certify thereon under his signature
to that effect.
(4) Notwithstanding
anything in this rule contained, any court of law or public office
may accept as sufficiently authenticated
any document which is shown
to the satisfaction of such court or the officer in charge of such
public office, to have been actually
signed by the person purporting
to have signed such document.”
[12] In his answering
affidavit, the respondent alleges that he signed the answering
affidavit. The applicant does not dispute the
veracity of the
signature, only the authenticity of the affidavit. This averment
defies logic because the authentication was signed
by a notary as the
commissioner of oaths. The notary has indicated her name, the office
she holds and her business address. Thus,
confirming that the
affidavit was signed before the notary.
[13]
The Apostille handbook
[1]
assists in the application of the Apostille Convention.
[2]
The Apostille Convention list four categories of documents for the
purpose of certainty, which fall under the category of public
documents which are required to be authenticated by an apostille.
They are set out in Article 1 of the Convention as listed above.
The
law of the state of origin determines whether a document is a public
document for the purposes of the Apostille Convention
and requires an
Apostille certificate.
[14]
The Apostille Convention provides that the law of destination
determines what legal effect to give to a purported public document.
The
affidavit the respondent relies upon has been authenticated by a
notary. The purpose of the Apostille Convention is intended
to
simplify the authentication requirement. Both the USA and South
Africa are signatories to the Apostille Convention. The law
of
origin, in this case, the USA, will determine whether the
document is a public document and requires a certificate. No
evidence
was placed before this court regarding this aspect. There is no
suggestion that the signature of either the respondent
or the notary
is not authentic.
[15]
An affidavit is certified by a commissioner of oaths bearing a
particular position of trust. There is no suggestion that either
the
respondent or the commissioner of oath have any reason to mislead
this court or that the affidavit placed before this court
is not
authentic or that the content is not the version relied upon by the
respondent. I am satisfied that the affidavit
meets the
requirements for acceptance as an affidavit. I am satisfied that the
notary’s stamp and details are sufficiently
explained and
reflect a properly signed and authenticated affidavit in terms of
Rule 63. The applicant fails on the first point
in limine
. The
content, as indicated, is to be considered separately.
Whether
the respondent’s non-performance is justified:
Claim
for Specific Performance
[16]
The applicant seeks specific performance of the agreement of sale of
the property and must thus prove:
a.
the
terms of the agreement;
b.
Compliance
with the following obligations
i.
acceptance
of the offer;
ii.
tender
to perform;
iii.
non-performance
by the other party; and
iv.
an
election to claim specific performance.
[17]
The applicant signed the OTP for the property at the respondent’s
offered price of R 135 000 000. The respondent
requested a
further opportunity to inspect the property, which the applicant
afforded to the respondent. In this, the applicant
contends that it
accepted the respondent’s offer and complied with the
respondent’s request to inspect the property
in terms of clause
20. The respondent, after indicating his intention to continue with
the agreement, was required to furnish a
bank guarantee within 7 days
after the conclusion of the inspection in terms of clause 20 of the
agreement. Upon the conclusion
of the further inspection, the
respondent indicated an intention to continue with the purchase of
sale. The payment did not follow
upon the conclusion thereof.
Instead, on 25 November 2021, the respondent communicated that the
agreement was cancelled at his
instance.
[18]
The respondent maintains he was entitled to cancel based on clause
20.2 of the agreement despite the structural engineer not
finding any
structural defects or other defects. The respondent indicates in his
answering affidavit that the reason he cancelled
was as a result of
due diligence. He lists cracks that were noticed in the walls
despite no report furnished reflecting defects.
The respondent,
through his attorneys, indicated that they informed the applicant
that the respondent held the sole discretion
to cancel the agreement
based on the agreement.
[19]
The respondent states that he has no personal knowledge of South
Africa, Johannesburg, and its property market. He indicates
that he
had to rely on the views of others for information on the property
market. However, it is evident from the founding and
answering
affidavits that the respondent visited the property accompanied by
acquaintances and then sent several experts to examine
the property
for structural defects and general defects. None were reported during
or after the inspection. The respondent’s
right to conduct the
inspection and cancel due to defects is included in clause 20 of the
agreement. Clause 20.2 provides:
“
20.2
The Purchaser at his own expense will conduct an inspection of the
home within (14) fourteen days of acceptance of the offer
should
there be structural defects or defects that are unacceptable to the
purchaser then the purchaser can at his discretion elect
to cancel
this agreement”
[20]
The respondent’s defence is that the agreement is void because
there is no agreement for want of consensus on the material
terms. He
put in the OTP and decided on the price, which the seller accepted.
In his view, the “voetstoots” clause
is overridden by
clause 20, which permits him to cancel at his discretion in the event
there are any defects that are unacceptable
to him.
[21]
According to the respondent, the applicant accepted his termination,
and the parties entered into negotiations to conclude
an agreement on
new terms for a lower price. The applicant denies this and replies
that the respondent attempted to strong-arm
him into accepting a
lower price. The lower price which the respondent sought to offer,
according to the applicant, was informed
by his need to spend money
on the property to address the issues which he regarded as defects.
In paragraph [44] of the answering
affidavit, the respondent states:
“…
I
did not have a problem with paying a fair price as long as that would
allow me to cover the additional expenses to address what
I concluded
was unacceptable to me.”
[22]
Having regard to the answering affidavit where the respondent
indicates his reasons for cancellation, namely, the defects are
the
cracks in the wall, the need for installation of new paving in the
driveway, the installation of a lift to access all three
levels of
the house, he required a wider driveway or a second driveway, and he
required a ramp to link the front door to the garage.
These changes
would ensure that the property was changed to a state acceptable to
him.
Whether the
respondent’s alleged cancellation of the agreement in terms of
clause 20.2 was valid?
[23]
Christie and Bradfield
[3]
opine
that the law on cancellation of a contract currently, invalidates a
contract where the discretion is given to one party to
fix the price
in a sale contract or the lease in a rental agreement. What it
means, they contend, is that neither party may
insist on fixing the
price exclusively. Where the agreement was signed and agreed upon and
there was consensus, the agreement is
valid.
[24]
The authors
[4]
note that in
NBS
Boland Bank Ltd v Oneberg River Drive CC
[5]
,
the
court indicated that the rule that a sale or lease is invalid if the
price or rent is to be determined by one of the parties,
was due for
reconsideration. This view was followed in
Engen
Petroleum Ltd v Kommandonek (Pty) Ltd
[6]
,
where the court upheld a lease which entitled the tenant to vary the
lease on reasonable grounds to make the continuation of its
business
economically feasible. The consideration upheld by the court in
Kommandonek
,
was based on objectively ascertainable criteria. This development was
welcomed by the authors
[7]
.
Similarly, on these facts, whilst the respondent has inserted clause
20, which redounds to his benefit, the criteria which he
has set must
be judged on the basis of objective criteria. On an application of
the court’s reasoning in
Kommandonek,
to the present matter, the stipulation in clause 20, relied
upon by the respondent to permit him to perform only if he wishes
to,
cannot be valid.
[25]
That is not the end of the enquiry. Taken to its logical conclusion,
it means, if clause 20, was not excised and was permitted
to remain,
then it should be considered based on objective criteria; which is
tantamount to a re-consideration of some kind. In
line with this
reconsideration, it means a court is required, based on objective
criteria, to make a determination as to whether
there were defects
present. On this basis, the respondent is correct that he was
entitled to view the property and to elect
to cancel it in terms of
clause 20.2. Clause 20 makes provision for cancellation at his
discretion in the event of objectively
determined defects. From a
study of the affidavits (the founding and answering affidavits), and
all the facts considered objectively,
there were no real defects. The
changes the respondent sought to introduce at a later stage, cannot
be translated into material
defects which vitiate the agreement and
would entitle the respondent to resile from the sale agreement and
cancel it. The cracks
alleged to have been noticed in the walls were
not mentioned until the answering affidavit was filed. They were not
structural
and were never pointed out to the applicant or its
representative at the relevant times before or shortly after the
purchase agreement
was signed. Unsurprisingly no report was furnished
by any person who had observed such cracks. The respondent does not
indicate
where he observed the cracks in the walls. The requirement
of new paving is also a cosmetic preference, as the experts did not
point this out as an aspect requiring attention. He required a wider
driveway or a second driveway and an elevator to access all
three
levels of the house. The respondent also required a ramp to link the
front door to the garage. All these aspects are cosmetic,
decorative
specific changes to the property to meet his personal preferences.
These would have been apparent to the respondent
when he placed the
initial offer.
[26]
In any event, the alleged “defects” mentioned in the
respondent’s answering affidavit do not reflect on the
value of
the property and the value of properties in the area. The truth of
the matter is that the respondent sought a reduction
in the purchase
price to accommodate the price of improvements to meet his additional
personal preferences. Thus, he sought to
foist a price reduction on
the applicant. On the facts, the respondent was aware that he could
not withdraw the offer to make a
lower offer without the consequences
of repudiation or cancellation.
[27]
Furthermore, clause 4 of the agreement provides that the property is
sold
voetstoots.
Having regard to the cosmetic nature of the changes the respondent
raised as defects, it is unreasonable for the respondent to
cancel
the agreement. This is so as there was no objectively identified
defect by the respondent or any of the experts. The aspects
raised by
the respondent are artificial and indicate a personal or cosmetic
preference rather than a defect and do not warrant
cancellation. The
sale was subject to a
voetstoots
clause
which would cover minor imperfections such as cracks on the walls if
there were any. Clause 20.2, when read together with
the
voetstoots
clause, takes cognisance of the law applicable in South Africa. The
agreement provides that the agreement be governed in all respects
in
terms of the law of South Africa. On this basis,
the
respondent’s alleged cancellation of the agreement in terms of
clause 20.2 cannot stand nor can it ever be valid.
[28]
Having said so, for the sake of completeness, I consider whether the
applicant is entitled to specific performance. The applicant
seeks
specific performance rather than cancelling the contract and suing
for contractual damages. The respondent should allege
and prove facts
to enable the court to exercise its discretion in his favour.
[8]
In motion proceedings where final relief is sought, factual disputes
are resolved on the papers by accepting facts put up by the
applicant
which are common cause and are not denied by the respondent as well
as facts placed in dispute by the respondent. Where
a respondent’s
version contains bald denials, fictitious disputes of fact or is
palpably implausible, the court is justified
in rejecting them. The
Supreme Court of Appeal in
Wightman
t/a JW Construction v Headfour (Pty) Ltd and Another
[9]
,
said on dealing with disputes of fact in motion proceedings:
“
Recognising
that the truth almost always lies beyond mere linguistic
determination the courts have said that an applicant who seeks
final
relief on motion must in the event of conflict, accept the version
set up by his opponent unless the latter's allegations
are, in the
opinion of the court, not such as to raise a real, genuine or bona
fide dispute of fact or are so far-fetched or clearly
untenable that
the court is justified in rejecting them merely on the papers:
Plascon-Evans
Paints
Ltd
v
Van
Riebeeck
Paints
(Pty)
Ltd
[1984] ZASCA 51
;
1984 (3) SA 623
(A) at 634E-635C
[also
reported at
[1984] ZASCA 51
;
[1984] 2 All SA
366
(A) - Ed]. See also the analysis by Davis J in
Ripoll-Dausa
v
Middleton
NO
[2005] ZAWCHC 6
;
2005
(3) SA 141
(C) at 151A-153C with which I respectfully agree. (I do
not overlook that a reference to evidence in circumstances discussed
in
the authorities may be appropriate.
A
real, genuine and bona fide dispute of fact can exist only where the
court is satisfied that the party who purports to raise the
dispute
has in his affidavit seriously and unambiguously addressed the fact
said to be disputed. There will of course be instances
where a bare
denial meets the requirement because there is no other way open to
the disputing party and nothing more can therefore
be expected of
him. But even that may not be sufficient if the fact averred lies
purely within the knowledge of the averring party
and no basis is
laid for disputing the veracity or accuracy of
the
averment. When the facts averred are such that the disputing party
must necessarily possess knowledge of them and be able to
provide an
answer (or countervailing evidence) if they be not true or accurate
but, instead of doing so, rests his case on a bare
or ambiguous
denial the court will generally have difficulty in finding that
the test is satisfied.”
[29]
In relation to resolving the meaning of the words used in the
agreement, the decision
of
Natal Joint Municipal Pension Fund v Endumeni Municipality
[10]
is
on point. Commenting on the
Endumeni
case,
the Court said in
T
shwane
City v Blair Atholl
[11]
“
It
is fair to say that this court has navigated away from a narrow
peering at words in an agreement and has repeatedly stated that
words
in a document must not be considered in isolation. It has repeatedly
been emphatic that a restrictive consideration of words
without
regard to context has to be avoided. It is also correct that the
distinction between context and background circumstances
has been
jettisoned. This court, in Natal Joint Municipal Fund v Endumeni
Municipality 2012(4) SA 593 SCA;
[2012] 2 All SA 262
, stated that the
purpose of the provision being interpreted is also encompassed in the
enquiry. The words have to be interpreted
sensibly and not have an
unbusinesslike result. These factors have to be considered
holistically, akin to the unitary approach.”
[30]
The agreement records that the property is sold
voetstoots
.
The applicant warranted that there were no latent defects. The
answering affidavit attested to by the respondent does not
indicate
that there is any tangible, extrinsic, objective or expert evidence
relied upon to prove any defect. The corroborating
affidavit does not
assist with regard to the defences raised by the respondent. The
alleged defects listed by the respondent are
aesthetic in so far as
they relate to changes to be effected and for the convenience of the
respondent and to meet the requirements
of the respondent.
[31]
When the respondent sought to cancel the agreement, the applicant
indicated
it regarded the agreement as
binding. The applicant did not consider and agree to a lower purchase
price. The respondent’s
cancellation was regarded as a
repudiation and not accepted. The applicant maintains that the
agreement is binding on the parties.
The agreement permits the
applicant to elect to claim specific performance with the alternative
of damages. The applicant has elected
to claim specific performance.
The respondent’s defences are truly contrived and have no
basis, thus, offering no real dispute
of fact.
[32] In conclusion, for
the reasons I have indicated in the above paragraphs, the point
in
limine
raised fails. The application by the applicant ought to
succeed.
[33] On the issue of
costs, the respondent made no submission nor any case to allow this
court not to follow the general rule on
costs. Moreover, the
applicant sought costs on a punitive scale for the manner in which
the respondent conducted his defence on
issues that were never
canvassed with the applicant when the parties communicated on the
matter that could be resolved if not settled.
Thus, punitive costs is
justified for this court to show its displeasure with the manner in
which the respondent conducted his
defence, in an unfair manner,
prejudicial to the applicant.
Order
[34]
In the result, the application is upheld,
and an order is granted in terms of paragraphs 1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 3
of the notice of
motion which read as follows:
1. An
order for
specific performance is granted
against the respondent in respect of the sale agreement concluded
between the parties on 16 November
2021 for the sale and purchase of
certain immovable property known as erf [...] portion 2 and erf [...]
portion 5 and erf [...]
portion 2 with title deed numbers T15509/1999
and T22179/1999 and T15448/2000 respectively, and which immovable
property is situated
at [...]., Sandhurst (the immoveable property);
2. The respondent is
ordered:-
2.1 To immediately
take all steps necessary to cause a bank guarantee to be issued from
a recognised financial institution
in favour of the applicant in the
amount of R135 000 000, (one hundred and thirty-five
million rands) alternatively,
such other undertaking acceptable to
the applicant;
2.2 To deliver such
guarantee/s or undertakings as set out in prayer (i) to the
applicant’s conveyancer within 14 days
of this court order.
2.3 To provide all
information and sign all necessary transfer documents within 5(five)
business days after being called upon
by the applicant conveyances to
do so, failing which the Sheriff of the High Court is authorised to
do so.
3. The respondent to pay
the cost of this application on the scale as between attorney and
client.
S MIA
JUDGE OF THE HIGH
COURT
JOHANNESBURG
For
the Applicant:
K
Trisk SC & B Brammer
instructed
by Di Siena Attorneys
For
the Respondent:
H
Epstein SC & S Tshikila
instructed
by Smiedt & Associates
Heard:
19 October 2022
Delivered:
17 July 2023
[1]
The
Apostille Handbook
A
handbook on the practical application of the Apostille
Convention
https://www.hcch.net/en/publications-and-studies/details4/?pid=5888
[2]
Nimpuno
v Ismail Ayob and Partners and Others: In re: Ismail Ayob and
Partners v Nimpuno
[2022]
ZAGPJHC 855 (2 November 2022)
[3]
R
H Christie & G B Bradfield Christie’s
The
Law of Contract in South Africa (7
th
ed) p 117-118
[4]
Christie
and Bradfield
,
p 118
[5]
1999(4)
SA 183 SCA 935B;
[1999]
4 All SA 928
SCA
[6]
2001(2) SA 170(W); [2001] All SA 636
[7]
Footnote
4.
[8]
Tamarillo
(Pty) Ltd v B N Aitken (Pty) Ltd 1982 (1) 398 (A).
[9]
Wightman
t/a JW Construction v Headfour (Pty) Ltd and another
[2008] ZASCA 6
;
[2008]
2 All SA 512
SCA at para 12-13
[10]
Natal
Joint Municipal Pension Fund v Endumeni Municipality
2012(4) SA 593 (SCA).
[11]
Tshwane
City v Blair Atholl
2019(3) SA 398 SCA.
sino noindex
make_database footer start
Similar Cases
Talacar Holdings (Pty) Ltd v City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Others (44294/2020) [2023] ZAGPJHC 570 (25 May 2023)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 570High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)100% similar
Talacar Holdings (Pty) Ltd v City Of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Others (44294/2020) [2023] ZAGPJHC 250 (8 March 2023)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 250High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)100% similar
TALT v Commissioner For South African Revenue Services (A2023/077887) [2024] ZAGPJHC 827; 87 SATC 222 (27 August 2024)
[2024] ZAGPJHC 827High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)99% similar
Tamang and Another v S (A91/2023) [2023] ZAGPJHC 1084 (28 September 2023)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 1084High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)99% similar
Tshabalala v Metso Outotec South Africa (2022/15161) [2023] ZAGPJHC 1311 (15 November 2023)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 1311High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)99% similar