Did your email system mangle this newsletter? Click here to see it online. Need to subscribe? Click here to subscribe.

Get ahead in 2012

We understand the competitive property industry. Differentiate yourself from your peers – learn a new set of skills and further your career.
Take a look at our property management courses:

Home Owners' Association Management course

UCT (Law@Work) Sectional Title Scheme Management course

Student feedback

"The course material is very comprehensive and relevant. The workload is fair for a distance-learning course. I already feel that I can answer the questions of the owners with more confidence."

Mandy Roesstorff, managing agent and accountant, M.R. Financial Services

Dear Paddocks Press Fan,

Welcome back from holiday – may you have a wonderful 2012. We have great hopes for this year, in which we expect to see the Sectional Titles Schemes Management and Community Scheme Ombud Service Acts brought into operation.

In this edition of Paddocks Press:
1. Anton deals with quorum requirements in sectional schemes and HOAs;
2. We boast about Paddocks Club with its private online consulting facility,
3. Bruce discusses swimming pool insurance;
4. Karlo deals with the establishing HOAs from a town planning perspective; and
5. I deal with some questions and answers.

Please don't forget that the Home Owners' Associations Management course starts on 13 February 2012.

Be safe out there,

Graham

P.S. Read about online Private Consulting, which is now available through the Paddocks Club website.

Quorum requirements for member meetings

Similarities and differences in sectional title schemes and HOAs

By Anton Kelly

The concept of the quorum for a meeting might not be clearly understood by everyone and there are a number of interesting similarities and differences in the quorum requirements for member meetings in sectional title schemes and home owners’ associations (HOAs).

In this article, Anton outlines these similarities and differences. (reading time: ± 3 mins)

Read the full article...

Online private consulting launched

Now available through Paddocks Club website

By the newsletter team

Paddocks Club is an exclusive online learning community for people involved in sectional title and community schemes. Building on its growth in 2011, the Club has launched a private one-on-one legal consulting service this month. Graham Paddocks is now offering interested parties the opportunity to get affordable, confidential and tailored legal advice online.

In this article, we outline the new service that is available to everyone. (reading time: ± 2 mins)

Read the full article...

Swimming pool insurance

Measures to protect your insurance cover

By Bruce Gibson

Swimming pools are an increasingly common feature in many South African properties and sectional title properties are no exception. With summer in full swing, most swimming pools are being used on a daily basis. In order to protect themselves and their insurance cover, property owners should ensure that suitable precautions are taken in and around their swimming pools. There are a number of measures which can be taken to ensure this.

In this article, Bruce looks at a number measures which property owners should take to protect themselves and their insurance cover. (reading time: ± 2 mins)

Read the full article...

Establishing an HOA

How are HOAs commonly established?

By Karlo Hendriksz

There are two ways in which HOAs are commonly established. A new gated or secure development is approved by the Council or a group of property owners go through a process to fence in an existing neighbourhood. It is very important to know what you will be getting into when buying property in an estate or creating an estate in your area.

In this article, Karlo explains the two ways in which HOAs are established. (reading time: ± 2 mins)

Read the full article...

Q&A with the Professor

Monthly Q&A

By Prof Graham Paddock

This month, we cover the following topics in our Q&A section:

• Arrear levies for a rented unit
• Owner worried about HOA insolvency (reading time: ± 2 mins)

Read the full article...

Upcoming training

Home Owners’ Association Management course
Registrations close: 3 February 2012
Learn all about the legal aspects of home owners’ association (HOA) management.
Click here for further details on this course.

UCT (Law@Work) Sectional Title Scheme Management course
Registrations close: 8 June 2012
Be equipped to manage sectional title schemes according to the legal aspects of scheme management with this benchmark course.
Click here for further details on this course.