Judgment No. SC 17/18 8
Civil Appeal No. SC 470/15
The first respondent purchased and paid the full purchase price for the property in
August 2010. It is common cause that the first respondent acted promptly to secure registration
of title by paying the transfer fees and obtaining tax and rates clearance certificates. It is further
common cause that the first respondent, in terms of the contract of sale was entitled to take
vacant possession 3 months after the date of payment of the purchase price, that is, from
November 2010. When the appellant served summons against Nompiliso Maposa, the first
respondent was already residing at the property in question, where service of the summons was
effected.
The transfer could not be registered because Lizhibowa Real Estate (Pvt) Ltd, a
creditor of one of the sellers, had registered a caveat on the title deeds of the property. The
caveat was registered after the first respondent was already in possession of the property and a
day before the first respondent’s transfer papers were filed in the Deeds Registry. The first
respondent had done all that a purchaser is required to do to get transfer.
KOTZÉ J in the case of Van Niekerk v Fortuin 1913 CPD 457 at 458-459,
commenting on the effect of the existence of special circumstances against execution of
purchased property by the seller’s judgment creditor, said:
“It seems to me that the plaintiff being a judgment creditor, and the property being
still registered in the name of the defendant, prima facie the plaintiff has the right
to ask that the property shall be seized in execution, unless the party interested
can show that there are special circumstances why such an order should not
be granted …” (emphasis added)