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De Villiers & Pheiffer Attorneys

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De Villiers & Pheiffer Attorneys

DE VILLIERS & PHEIFFER ATTORNEYS is a dynamic law firm.

18/10/2026

Buying your first place together is a massive milestone. Paint swatches. Pinterest boards. Arguing about the couch. 💛

Here's the one conversation worth having before the fun stuff, especially if you're not married.

Your title deed will show that you each own a share of the property. It won't show who paid the deposit, who covers the bond, or what happens to the house if life takes you in different directions.

A simple co-ownership agreement sorts all of that out while you're both happy and on the same page. Who put in what. Who can buy the other out. What happens if one of you wants to sell.

It's not unromantic. It's the grown-up version of "we've got this."

Thinking of buying together? Come chat to us first.

www.dvpattorneys.co.za

16/10/2026

Voetstoots. Possibly the most misunderstood word in South African property. 🏠

Here's what it means. A seller who sells voetstoots isn't liable for defects they genuinely didn't know about.

Here's what it doesn't mean. It doesn't protect a seller who knew about the leaking roof and kept quiet. Hiding a defect you know about is still on you, clause or no clause.

And if an estate agent is involved, the Property Practitioners Act requires a signed defects disclosure form to be attached to the sale agreement. So honesty isn't just good manners anymore. It's paperwork.

Buyers, read the disclosure properly. Sellers, fill it in properly. Everyone sleeps better.

www.dvpattorneys.co.za

12/10/2026

Better late than never, right?

A recap of Our September newsletter is finally here in it's bite-sized form. We cover the six “types” of will (spoiler: only one counts), the big change to cross-border marriage law, a pothole case that ended up in the High Court and a neighbour’s CCTV camera that saw a little too much.

Swipe through for the highlights, then sign up for the full newsletter at www.dvpattorneys.co.za. And keep an eye out, because our October newsletter is landing soon.

24/09/2026

Heritage Day was not always Heritage Day.

In KwaZulu-Natal, 24 September was Shaka Day, marking the presumed date of King Shaka's death in 1828. When the new democratic Parliament drew up South Africa's list of public holidays, that date was left off. The IFP objected. The compromise was not to hand the day back to one group. It was to open it up to everyone. The first Heritage Day was celebrated on 24 September 1995.

A very South African outcome. An argument that ended in something bigger than what either side asked for.

Here is the part most homeowners do not know. Heritage is not only a feeling. It is written into our property law.

Section 34 of the National Heritage Resources Act says no structure older than 60 years may be altered or demolished without a permit. In 2026 that means anything built in 1966 or earlier. Your home does not need to be declared or historically famous. Age alone is enough. And "alter" is broad. It covers structural work, but also painting and plastering.

In Gauteng that permit comes from PHRAG, and you need it before your plans go to the municipality.

So if you are buying an older home, or planning to renovate one you already own, check the age of the structure first. It is a five minute question that can save you months.

Happy Heritage Day from all of us at DVP.

www.dvpattorneys.co.za

22/09/2026

Tomorrow the Reserve Bank announces its interest rate decision. Here is what that actually means for you.

Right now the repo rate sits at 7.00% and prime at 10.50%. Prime is the number that touches your bond, and it always sits 3.5 percentage points above repo.

Here are the three ways it can go:

Held. Nothing moves. Your repayment stays exactly where it is.
Cut. Prime comes down and your repayment eases. On a R1 million bond over 20 years, a 0.25% cut is roughly R170 less a month.
Raised. Prime goes up and your repayment follows, by roughly that same R170.

Worth knowing either way: nothing changes on your account tomorrow. The new rate takes effect almost immediately, but your bank only adjusts your instalment from your next debit order.

Some context going in. Inflation cooled to 4.3% in July after five months of climbing, and the Bank left rates untouched at its last meeting.

Rates move. The legal foundation under your property transaction should not. If you are buying, selling or reviewing your bond, come talk to us before you commit to anything.

www.dvpattorneys.co.za

18/09/2026

Today is the last day of National Wills Week.

If you have spent the week meaning to do it and never quite got there, you have not missed your chance. There are still hours on the clock.

And if today gets away from you, that is alright too. We draw wills all year round. Wills Week just gives people a reason to finally pick up the phone.

So here is your reason.

www.dvpattorneys.co.za

17/09/2026

The Sanlam Legacy 2026 Wills Survey landed this week, right at the start of National Wills Month. It found that only 28% of South Africans have a will that is signed, witnessed and safely stored. 65% have no will at all.

The interesting part is that people are not uninformed. 77% said they feel confident about how wills and estates work. They just have not done it yet.

And of the people who do have a will, 39% have never told the person who will wind up their estate where the document is or what is in it.

So here is what actually makes a will valid in South Africa:

You must be 16 or older.
It has to be in writing. No voice notes, no video.
You sign every page, and again at the end.
Two witnesses aged 14 or older must watch you sign, then sign it themselves.

And the one that catches people out: anyone who signs your will as a witness is disqualified from inheriting from it. So is their husband or wife. A court can lift that in limited cases, but it is not something you want to rely on.

National Wills Week runs from 14 to 18 September. Good excuse to finally sort it out, or to check that the will sitting in your cupboard still says what you think it says.

We draft wills and wind up estates every week, and we have been doing it since 1996. If you want yours done properly the first time, come talk to us.

www.dvpattorneys.co.za

16/09/2026

Behind every smooth transfer, seamless bond registration, and late-night deed check is this exact crew. ☕️📄

We love a good legal technicality, but we love our team culture even more. Just a quick peek behind the scenes at what happens when we aren't buried in paperwork.

Hi, from the DVP team! 🏛️✨

10/09/2026

Everyone deep cleans the house in September. Almost nobody deep cleans the file with all the important documents in it.

Four things worth checking this month:

Your title deed. Do you know where it actually is?
Your will. Is it signed, dated and witnessed properly?
Your ID and marriage documents. Still current and still findable?
Your municipal account. Any surprises sitting on it?

Twenty minutes now saves weeks later.

www.dvpattorneys.co.za

Address

10A View Street
Pretoria
0181

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 16:30
Tuesday	08:00 - 16:30
Wednesday	08:00 - 16:30
Thursday	08:00 - 16:30
Friday	08:00 - 16:30

Website

http://www.dvpattorneys.co.za/

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