<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Levine and Freedman]]></title><description><![CDATA[Levine And Freedman]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:40:35 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Challenging a Will in South Africa: Grounds &#38; Process]]></title><description><![CDATA[What Makes a Will Valid in the First Place Before asking whether a will can be set aside, it helps to know what the law actually requires of a valid one. The Wills Act sets out the formalities: the will must be in writing, the testator must sign it, and two competent witnesses who are at least fourteen years old must sign in the presence of the testator and of each other. The testator must also have been at least sixteen years old and mentally capable of understanding the nature and...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/challenging-a-will-in-south-africa-grounds-process</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a69c53f328f65b1065605f8</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:46:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_ceffd5261881455cabc639d2f61c3630~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Locked Out of Your Property? Get a Spoliation Order]]></title><description><![CDATA[What Is a Spoliation Order? A spoliation order, formally known as the mandament van spolie, is one of the oldest remedies in South African law. Its purpose is narrow but powerful: to restore possession to someone who has been deprived of it without their consent and without following a proper legal process, regardless of who ultimately has the better claim to the property. The underlying principle is that nobody is allowed to take the law into their own hands. If you believe someone owes you...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/locked-out-of-your-property-get-a-spoliation-order</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a69c256fc8daac1bb1950cb</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:35:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_9b965a262acf4992b6c0e42d413183a0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Selling Sectional Title? Watch the Levy Certificate]]></title><description><![CDATA[What Is a Levy Clearance Certificate? A levy clearance certificate is a document issued by a sectional title scheme's body corporate confirming that the seller, as the outgoing owner, has settled everything owed to the scheme, or has made arrangements the body corporate is satisfied with. Section 15B(3)(a)(i)(aa) of the Sectional Titles Act 95 of 1986 prevents the Registrar of Deeds from registering the transfer of a unit unless a conveyancer produces this certificate. In practice, this means...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/selling-sectional-title-watch-the-levy-certificate</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a69c0925329f38dcec5bf7d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:25:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_56d9c78ee4894775952827262a02e1c6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Can You Change Your Antenuptial Contract After Marriage?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why couples want to change their matrimonial property regime The reasons vary, but a handful come up repeatedly. A spouse going into business, or becoming a director or member of a company, often wants out of community of property so that a joint estate is not exposed if the venture runs into debt. Couples who married young and signed a standard out of community contract without accrual sometimes want to add fairness back into the arrangement later in the marriage. Blended families planning...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/can-you-change-your-antenuptial-contract-after-marriage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a69bea3328f65b10655f28e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:22:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_5264645e53f1436282f9704ea022620b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Happens If You Die Without a Will in South Africa?]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you die without a will in South Africa, the law decides who inherits, not you. Here's the order, the amounts, and who gets nothing.]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/dying-without-a-will-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a687d9871e3b7d8ea3b7500</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:09:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_474a616f335a5458396755~mv2_d_6016_4016_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New R30,000 Small Claims Court Limit: What It Means for You]]></title><description><![CDATA[Someone owes you money and will not pay it back. Maybe it is a former tenant who skipped out on a deposit shortfall, a contractor who took a deposit and never finished the job, or a friend who borrowed cash and has gone quiet. The amount is real but not huge, and the thought of hiring an attorney and paying for a summons over a few thousand rand has probably put you off doing anything at all. That calculation is about to change for a lot of South Africans, because the Small Claims Court has...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/small-claims-court-limit-south-africa-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a687952bba8a399967566fc</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:50:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_48354c66306e477965746b~mv2_d_5472_3648_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Does a Property Transfer Really Cost in SA?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most buyers budget for a deposit and assume the rest of the purchase price is the only real cost of buying a home. Then an offer to purchase is signed, a conveyancer sends through a cost estimate, and the buyer discovers there are several separate bills involved in getting a property registered in their name, none of which are optional and none of which are included in the purchase price itself. With borrowing costs still a significant factor in most buyers' affordability calculations,...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/property-transfer-costs-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a621798bfc95addbecdabd8</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:32:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_63fc135c73ed42c09fe3e1095caaee59~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why the PIE Act Doesn't Apply to Commercial Evictions]]></title><description><![CDATA[A landlord in Rosebank or anywhere else in Gauteng whose shop tenant has stopped paying rent, or whose office tenant refuses to move out once the lease has ended, usually starts by searching for South Africa's eviction process. Almost everything that search turns up is written for residential landlords dealing with unlawful occupiers under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, generally known as PIE. Applying those rules and timelines to a dispute over a...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/pie-act-commercial-tenant-eviction-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a6214d059dc3f2805c28101</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:20:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_c1ce043dfdc5415a94992adb33e8d9be~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Voetstoots: Can You Still Sue Over Property Defects?]]></title><description><![CDATA[You have just moved into a home you bought voetstoots, and within weeks you find damp climbing the bedroom wall, a roof that leaks in the first proper Highveld storm, or electrics that trip every time the kettle and the geyser run together. Someone tells you it is too late because you signed voetstoots, and someone else tells you the seller must have known. Both statements can be true at once, and the difference between them decides whether you have a case. Voetstoots is one of the most...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/voetstoots-can-you-still-sue-over-property-defects</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a61bf09424f5a9980a3befd</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:13:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_b6b00807757d4ca2b8022d246c023572~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is It Too Late to Sue? Debt Prescription in SA Explained]]></title><description><![CDATA[Someone owes you money, or someone says you owe them money from years ago, and the first question either side usually asks a lawyer is whether it is even still legally possible to chase the claim. In South Africa, the answer often turns on a single legal concept: prescription. Once a debt has "prescribed," the person who was owed money generally loses the right to recover it through the courts, no matter how valid the claim once was. Knowing how long you actually have, and what can pause or...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/is-it-too-late-to-sue-debt-prescription-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a61bc9b532301fe59f3d865</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:06:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_526ebd095fb24e76a3952bc338f36223~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Long Does It Take to Wind Up a Deceased Estate in South Africa?]]></title><description><![CDATA[When someone close to you dies, the practical business of winding up their estate usually lands on the desk of a grieving family member who has never done it before. One of the first questions that comes up, often within days of the funeral, is simple: how long is this going to take before the house can be sold, the bank accounts released, or the inheritance paid out? The honest answer is that deceased estate administration in South Africa rarely follows a fixed timetable, but understanding...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/how-long-deceased-estate-winding-up-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a608663de63d10e2e77ad00</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 08:59:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_474a616f335a5458396755~mv2_d_6016_4016_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Antenuptial Contract After Customary Marriage in SA]]></title><description><![CDATA[Many couples in Gauteng marry under customary law first and plan a civil ceremony, sometimes a white wedding, some years later. Along the way, someone usually suggests signing an antenuptial contract before the civil ceremony so the marriage is out of community of property. Plenty of couples did exactly that, in good faith, on the advice of a notary or a relative. A Constitutional Court judgment handed down in January 2026 has made that plan legally shaky, and anyone in this position needs to...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/antenuptial-contract-after-customary-marriage-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a60825cde63d10e2e779c43</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 08:42:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_229c6ab08b404dc0a17ada1c2b6260e4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New PIE Amendment Bill: What SA Landlords Should Know]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you own a rental property or vacant land in Gauteng and have discovered unlawful occupiers on it, you already know the frustration of being told you cannot simply lock the gate or change the locks. South African law requires every eviction, however clear-cut it may seem, to go through the courts under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act of 1998, commonly known as the PIE Act. In 2026, government gazetted an Amendment Bill to that Act, and property...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/pie-amendment-bill-what-south-african-landlords-need-to-know</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5f2f48f5dd4b73d6b551cb</guid><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:36:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_0b87b32bed584f7d8349a5080028b96e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Understanding the Property Transfer Process in South Africa]]></title><description><![CDATA[Buying or selling property in South Africa involves far more than signing an offer and waiting for the keys to change hands. Behind the scenes, a legally regulated chain of events has to unfold correctly — often involving three separate law firms, two banks, a municipality, and the national Deeds Registry — before ownership actually transfers. For most buyers and sellers, this is one of the largest financial transactions of their lives, yet the process itself remains poorly understood. This...]]></description><link>https://www.levineandfreedman.co.za/post/understanding-the-property-transfer-process-in-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a8117b0df7a7bf5034446f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:04:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e7a12_47597852bc7c493aae24f798c5bf0597~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_550,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ant Freedman</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>