Poor, poor service

Schumann Van Den Heever & Slabbert handled my mother's estate, and what started with hope turned into a long, frustrating ordeal. When they first contacted me in September 2021, I was optimistic. Mapule, my first point of contact, was friendly and reassuring, and Noliso, who took over later, was even more supportive. She went above and beyond, meeting me on a Saturday to collect my mother's estate documents and keeping me updated every few weeks. I understood that the process would take time, especially since the Master's office was delayed due to system issues.

Noliso helped with everything, from arranging couriers when I moved to Cape Town to assisting with the house and car (my mother had lost the pink slip). I even sent a compliment in June 2022 to Barend, thanking him and his team for being prompt, helpful, and reassuring during this difficult time. This first time is the reason why there are two stars, not one.

But then everything changed in mid-2022 when Noliso left. Suddenly, I was passed from person to person, and no one seemed to take responsibility. My emails and calls went unanswered for weeks. Finally, in July, Renee became my contact, but even she was often unresponsive. By October 2022, while Renee had resolved the final letter and invoice, I still didn't have the necessary paperwork for my mother's car or clear answers about certain annuities. Additionally, a payment to Discovery from the estate was still outstanding. By January 2023, these issues were still unresolved.

In March 2023, I had to take matters into my own hands. After discovering that one organization had sent forms to Renee in February which I completed and Renee she never forwarded back to them, I handled the situation directly, resulting in a payout. I also contacted the GEPF, who informed me that they needed the original letter of executorship delivered by hand. After weeks of trying to reach Renee, who rarely answered my calls, she eventually admitted that she had forgotten about me. It wasn't until I escalated the issue to Barend in April that I finally received the car papers in May 2023— it had been uninsured and unserviced till then, something I had repeatedly emphasized to their team.

I continued to follow up with the GEPF weekly, monitoring the file as it went through various stages, from processing to filing errors to nearly being paid out in the first week of December 2023. However, when I called back on the 13th of December, I was told the payment had been cancelled because the executor's bank account didn't exist. They assured me that if I resubmitted the letter of executorship and proof of a new bank account, it would take only three weeks to process.

I called Schumann Van Den Heever & Slabbert again, only to learn that Renee had left. Siphokazi, who replaced her, informed me that nothing could be done because the firm was closing for the year. She promised to send the required documents to the GEPF as soon as possible in the new year. However, when I followed up in January, she said she needed to draw the file, which would take a few weeks. By the end of February, she finally arranged the delivery of the documents—right after a major malware attack at the GEPF that downed their systems for a month. When I asked Siphokazi when the documents had been delivered, I never received a clear answer.

Despite my efforts to follow up with the GEPF every month, I was recently informed that the documents were lost. If Siphokazi had acted promptly in January, this could have been resolved before the systems outage. Now, I'm back to square one, needing the letter again.

This week, I discovered that Siphokazi has also left the firm. I spoke with Florence, who today informed me that the GEPF will only communicate with the beneficiary or the Executor. But Schumann Van Den Heever & Slabbert are the Executors! Their negligence and lack of communication have caused endless delays, stress, and frustration.

I will be taking this matter to the ombudsman and strongly advise against using this firm for any legal matters.