Law of Property 2022
students for leadership and management roles in various industries. It focuses on critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A typical
business program might cover topics
Contents
Introduction: Outline of the Law of Property – Ch. 1 ....................................................... 4
Outline.............................................................................................................................. 4
The legal concepts of property – Ch. 2............................................................................. 7
Outline.............................................................................................................................. 7
Characteristics of Things ................................................................................................ 7
Defining a thing ........................................................................................................... 9
Classification of things...................................................................................................... 10
Constitutional concept of property ............................................................................... 11
Constitution, Movable, Incorporeals ........................................................................ 11
Classification according to negotiability ...................................................................... 11
Classification according to nature of things ................................................................ 13
Case Law....................................................................................................................... 16
The Concept of Rights – Ch. 3 ........................................................................................ 16
Outline............................................................................................................................ 16
Conventional Categories of Rights .............................................................................. 17
The distinction between real rights and personal rights ............................................ 17
Courts approach to the distinction between real and personal rights .................. 20
Principle of Publicity and Doctrine of Notice............................................................... 24
Principle of Publicity .................................................................................................. 24
Doctrine of Notice ..................................................................................................... 25
General Principles of Ownership – Ch. 5 ....................................................................... 27
Outline............................................................................................................................ 27
Content of Ownership ................................................................................................... 28
Definition of ownership ............................................................................................. 28
1
,Law of Property 2022
Content and entitlements of ownership................................................................... 28
Forms of Ownership ..................................................................................................... 30
Individual title aka Freehold Title ............................................................................. 30
Co-ownership (aka joint title aka ownership in common) ...................................... 31
Alternative Forms of Title ............................................................................................. 33
Sectional Title Schemes ........................................................................................... 33
Share-block schemes ............................................................................................... 34
Time-share Schemes ................................................................................................ 34
Retirement Schemes ................................................................................................ 35
Communal Property Associations ............................................................................ 35
Indigenous Land Rights............................................................................................ 36
Limitations of ownership – Ch. 6 ..................................................................................... 37
Outline............................................................................................................................ 37
Types of limitations ................................................................................................... 37
Constitutional Limitations – s 25 .................................................................................. 37
Expropriation.............................................................................................................. 38
Deprivation and Expropriation .................................................................................. 39
Constitutionality of s 25 infringements .................................................................... 39
Private law limitations: Neighbour law ........................................................................ 40
Outcomes .................................................................................................................. 40
Neighbour Law <3..................................................................................................... 41
Town Planning/Planning Law ....................................................................................... 46
Public-law restrictions ............................................................................................... 46
students for leadership and management roles in various industries. It focuses on critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A
typical business program might cover topics
Acquisition of ownership – Ch. 7 ..................................................................................... 50
Outline............................................................................................................................ 50
Acquisition of ownership – forms ................................................................................. 50
2
, Law of Property 2022
Derivative Acquisition of Ownership ............................................................................ 60
Transfer of ownership as a separate legal concept ............................................... 60
Transfer of ownership as a juristic act ..................................................................... 61
Real agreement (subjective mental element) ......................................................... 61
Delivery and Registration (objective physical element) ......................................... 63
Protection of ownership – Ch. 8 ...................................................................................... 66
Outline............................................................................................................................ 66
Remedies....................................................................................................................... 67
Real remedies ........................................................................................................... 67
Delictual remedies .................................................................................................... 67
Rei vindicatio ................................................................................................................. 67
Requirements ............................................................................................................ 67
Normal onus of proof ................................................................................................ 68
Defences against rei vindicatio .................................................................................... 68
General defences ...................................................................................................... 69
Limitations of rei vindication – Prevention of Illegal Eviction & Unlawful Occupation of
Land Act 19 of 1998.......................................................................................................... 69
Limitations on the use of rei vindicatio ........................................................................ 69
Statutory Limitation ................................................................................................... 69
Right to housing: Const. s 26 ................................................................................... 70
What is eviction? ....................................................................................................... 70
Procedure .................................................................................................................. 71
students for leadership and management roles in
various industries. It focuses on critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A typical business program might cover topics
3
, Law of Property 2022
Introduction: Outline of the Law of Property – Ch. 1
Outline
1. Meaning of “property”
2. Function & place of property law
3. Scope & sources of property law
a. AJ Van der Walt “Property and Constitution” 2012 PULP 19-43
b. H Mostert and A Pope (eds) The Principles of The Law of Property in
South Africa (2010) students for leadership and management roles in various industries. It focuses on critical thinking,
decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A typical business program might cover topics
Meaning of “Property” Reference
People’s rights over in or over certain objects or things
Right of ownership in a legal object
Legal object to which the right of ownership relates
Tangible v intangible objects Mostert, p. 5.
Legal relationships that qualify for constitutional protection under const.
property clause
Function of Property Law
Balance different individual interests in respect of property
Guarantee & protect individual and group rights to property
Control the relationship between natural & juristic persons,
Δ the things to which they are entitled
Δ and rights + obligations that arise from these relationships between
persons in respect of things p. 6
Social function to balance competing interests
Place of Property Law
Private law regulates relationships between individuals
Public law regulates between state + individuals
Property law falls under Private law
Δ Deals with subjective rights and legal objects
Δ Legal subjectivity = capacity to bear rights, duties, entitlements
Δ This capacity is exercised ito ‘legal objects’ i.e. anything in respect of p. 7-8
which a person may hold a right
Δ These rights and duties are legal objects named ‘things’ or res
SA law permits the use of proprietary remedies to protect both tangible and
intangible objects
Scope of Property Law
4
students for leadership and management roles in various industries. It focuses on critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A typical
business program might cover topics
Contents
Introduction: Outline of the Law of Property – Ch. 1 ....................................................... 4
Outline.............................................................................................................................. 4
The legal concepts of property – Ch. 2............................................................................. 7
Outline.............................................................................................................................. 7
Characteristics of Things ................................................................................................ 7
Defining a thing ........................................................................................................... 9
Classification of things...................................................................................................... 10
Constitutional concept of property ............................................................................... 11
Constitution, Movable, Incorporeals ........................................................................ 11
Classification according to negotiability ...................................................................... 11
Classification according to nature of things ................................................................ 13
Case Law....................................................................................................................... 16
The Concept of Rights – Ch. 3 ........................................................................................ 16
Outline............................................................................................................................ 16
Conventional Categories of Rights .............................................................................. 17
The distinction between real rights and personal rights ............................................ 17
Courts approach to the distinction between real and personal rights .................. 20
Principle of Publicity and Doctrine of Notice............................................................... 24
Principle of Publicity .................................................................................................. 24
Doctrine of Notice ..................................................................................................... 25
General Principles of Ownership – Ch. 5 ....................................................................... 27
Outline............................................................................................................................ 27
Content of Ownership ................................................................................................... 28
Definition of ownership ............................................................................................. 28
1
,Law of Property 2022
Content and entitlements of ownership................................................................... 28
Forms of Ownership ..................................................................................................... 30
Individual title aka Freehold Title ............................................................................. 30
Co-ownership (aka joint title aka ownership in common) ...................................... 31
Alternative Forms of Title ............................................................................................. 33
Sectional Title Schemes ........................................................................................... 33
Share-block schemes ............................................................................................... 34
Time-share Schemes ................................................................................................ 34
Retirement Schemes ................................................................................................ 35
Communal Property Associations ............................................................................ 35
Indigenous Land Rights............................................................................................ 36
Limitations of ownership – Ch. 6 ..................................................................................... 37
Outline............................................................................................................................ 37
Types of limitations ................................................................................................... 37
Constitutional Limitations – s 25 .................................................................................. 37
Expropriation.............................................................................................................. 38
Deprivation and Expropriation .................................................................................. 39
Constitutionality of s 25 infringements .................................................................... 39
Private law limitations: Neighbour law ........................................................................ 40
Outcomes .................................................................................................................. 40
Neighbour Law <3..................................................................................................... 41
Town Planning/Planning Law ....................................................................................... 46
Public-law restrictions ............................................................................................... 46
students for leadership and management roles in various industries. It focuses on critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A
typical business program might cover topics
Acquisition of ownership – Ch. 7 ..................................................................................... 50
Outline............................................................................................................................ 50
Acquisition of ownership – forms ................................................................................. 50
2
, Law of Property 2022
Derivative Acquisition of Ownership ............................................................................ 60
Transfer of ownership as a separate legal concept ............................................... 60
Transfer of ownership as a juristic act ..................................................................... 61
Real agreement (subjective mental element) ......................................................... 61
Delivery and Registration (objective physical element) ......................................... 63
Protection of ownership – Ch. 8 ...................................................................................... 66
Outline............................................................................................................................ 66
Remedies....................................................................................................................... 67
Real remedies ........................................................................................................... 67
Delictual remedies .................................................................................................... 67
Rei vindicatio ................................................................................................................. 67
Requirements ............................................................................................................ 67
Normal onus of proof ................................................................................................ 68
Defences against rei vindicatio .................................................................................... 68
General defences ...................................................................................................... 69
Limitations of rei vindication – Prevention of Illegal Eviction & Unlawful Occupation of
Land Act 19 of 1998.......................................................................................................... 69
Limitations on the use of rei vindicatio ........................................................................ 69
Statutory Limitation ................................................................................................... 69
Right to housing: Const. s 26 ................................................................................... 70
What is eviction? ....................................................................................................... 70
Procedure .................................................................................................................. 71
students for leadership and management roles in
various industries. It focuses on critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A typical business program might cover topics
3
, Law of Property 2022
Introduction: Outline of the Law of Property – Ch. 1
Outline
1. Meaning of “property”
2. Function & place of property law
3. Scope & sources of property law
a. AJ Van der Walt “Property and Constitution” 2012 PULP 19-43
b. H Mostert and A Pope (eds) The Principles of The Law of Property in
South Africa (2010) students for leadership and management roles in various industries. It focuses on critical thinking,
decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding organizational processes. A typical business program might cover topics
Meaning of “Property” Reference
People’s rights over in or over certain objects or things
Right of ownership in a legal object
Legal object to which the right of ownership relates
Tangible v intangible objects Mostert, p. 5.
Legal relationships that qualify for constitutional protection under const.
property clause
Function of Property Law
Balance different individual interests in respect of property
Guarantee & protect individual and group rights to property
Control the relationship between natural & juristic persons,
Δ the things to which they are entitled
Δ and rights + obligations that arise from these relationships between
persons in respect of things p. 6
Social function to balance competing interests
Place of Property Law
Private law regulates relationships between individuals
Public law regulates between state + individuals
Property law falls under Private law
Δ Deals with subjective rights and legal objects
Δ Legal subjectivity = capacity to bear rights, duties, entitlements
Δ This capacity is exercised ito ‘legal objects’ i.e. anything in respect of p. 7-8
which a person may hold a right
Δ These rights and duties are legal objects named ‘things’ or res
SA law permits the use of proprietary remedies to protect both tangible and
intangible objects
Scope of Property Law
4
