Head ache

It has now been more than three years since we purchased a house in cash, paid the full purchase price and transfer costs, yet the property still has not been transferred into our names.

Only after the sale did we discover that the property allegedly owes millions of rands in municipal rates and taxes — something that was never disclosed to us beforehand. Because of this, the transfer cannot proceed.

The owner convinced us to release R150 000 from the trust account, claiming the money would be used to resolve the municipal debt issue, but nothing was done. We later learned that the municipal account allegedly had not been paid since 2017.

When we asked Van Hulsteyns Attorneys to release our money so that we could purchase another property, they refused.

The owner suggested mediation, but both the owner and Van Hulsteyns Attorneys failed to avail themselves meaningfully during the process.

The estate agency informed us that they had wanted to use their own attorneys for the transfer, but that the owner specifically brought Van Hulsteyns Attorneys into the transaction.

Communication with the attorney handling the matter has also been extremely frustrating, as we are repeatedly told he is “busy” whenever we try to get updates.

At one stage we were told that transfer costs were still outstanding, but after providing proof of payment, the explanation changed and responsibility was shifted to the owner.

For more than three years we have been living in extremely difficult conditions while this matter remains unresolved. We are deeply disappointed by the lack of accountability, communication, urgency, and assistance we have experienced throughout this process.