If you struggle to read this article or do not see the images, click here.

 

 

 

| under the mistletoe |

The year has flown past and the holiday season is upon us, as is the final newsletter of the year. We will also be taking a break and our next newsletter will only be with you towards mid-January 2008 as dwp will be closed from 21 December 2007 and re-open again on Monday 7 January 2008.

 

| jingle jingle from the partners |

It has been another blockbuster of a year for DWP and next year promises more of the same with the decision to expand our business to Johannesburg at the top of the  agenda – our national clients are insisting on it!

 

In a break with tradition the partners have decided that instead of sending gifts to our clients as we are donating the cash to four charities on your behalf, the charities are St Lukes Hospice, Men at the side of the road, SOS Childrens villages and the Reach for a Dream – in a year in which research shows that the South Africa’s poor got poorer we thought you would approve.

 

May you and your family have a safe and joyful holiday period!

 

| in short |

| legolands* no more |

 

The legislation discussed in this month’s in short is slightly less interesting than last month’s, but perhaps more relevant in today’s booming property market.

 

In this era where there is no end to the number of less-than-scrupulous developers that put up Legoland mass housing developments, a new act warrants our attention: The Housing Consumers Protection Measures Amendment Act, No. 17 of 2007. 

>>> Read further (full article)

 

 

 

| mekanik |

| attorney's lien |

The right of an attorney to retain papers and documents which he has drawn up or upon which he has done work arises from one of the retention liens, namely the debtor and creditor lien.

 

A right of retention is the right of a person who is in possession of the property of another, to retain the property in his possession until he has been properly compensated in terms of an agreement existing between himself and the owner, or if no agreement exists, until he has been compensated for work done and actual expenses incurred to the extent only that the owner of the property has been enriched. 

 

>>> Read further (full article)

 

 

| ek sê |

| deeltitels vir landbou grond? |

In die verlede was die onderverdeling van lanbougrond ‘n massiewe kopseer vir menige boer en aktebesorger.   
 

Die Wet op Onderverdeling van Landbougrond, Wet 70 van 1970 (die Wet), omskryf landbougrond en reguleer die onderverdeling daarvan. Die hoofdoel van hierdie wet is om te verhoed dat landbougrond onderverdeel word in klein eenhede wat nie ekonomies volhoubaar is nie, en daarom stel dit die vereiste dat enige planne om lanbougrond te verdeel, deur die Minister van Landbou goedgekeur moet word. 

 

>>> Lees verder (volledige artikel)

 

 

| nowheresville |

| love thy neighbour |

It’s that time of the year again, the festive season. It’s the time of year where people light up their houses with all kinds of Christmas decorations and flashing Christmas lights. The time of year where on every corner houses gloat with a Father Christmas on the front lawn or one half way down the chimney.

 

But to what an extent do you have to take your neighbour into consideration?  

 

>>> Read further (full article)

 

 

| br!ghtshark |

| free access to the law for all - wiki for law |

Since the early ages the issue of ease access to the law has been a serious issue. So serious in fact, that Napoleon ordered that the law of the time be written up in books so that the general public can access the law more easily. Although Napoleon was not the first ruler to have all laws written down, he is generally credited as being the first ruler to simplify a confusing legal system so that everybody can access it and in doing so, establish the rule of law.

 

Because of historic reasons, South Africa’s legal system is not entirely codified but in this age of information sharing and collaborative effort, it may just become easier for the general public to lay their hands on the law.

 

The platform for this, is the well-known wiki-format. According to wikipedia (how very fitting!), a wiki is defined as follows:

“(n) A collaborative website which can be directly edited by anyone with access to it.”

 

JurisPedia (http://en.jurispedia.org/index.php/South_Africa) is a site that aims to use the wiki-platform to make the law more easily accessible for all. The idea is that lawyers and law professors (and law students) contribute to the page. At this stage, only one topic has been covered, being “An Introduction to the Law of Contract”. Hopefully this will be expanded on soon.

 

>>> Read more br!ghtshark ramblings at http://blog.brightshark.co.za

 

 

| rollonfriday |

| disco dentist faces $300k claim |

A US woman has sued her dentist after he accidentally drilled into her face whilst dancing around his surgery.

    

Brandy Fanning claims the ironically named Dr George Trusty punctured her sinus cavity with his drill because he was so busy boogying to the 70s disco classic, "Carwash". She said that Trusty got his groove on whilst drilling her molar, when suddenly she heard a snap and opened her eyes to see the drill bit had just missed her eye.

 

Fanning had to be rushed to hospital for an emergency operation and she is now suing Trusty for $300,000. She claims that Trusty was so busy "performing rhythmical steps and movements" to Carwash, that he was completely unaware of what he was doing.

   

Trusty declined to comment.

 

(This section is made possible courtesy of RollOnFriday.com, visit them at www.rollonfriday.com)

| admin stuff |

|as boring as the small print |

If you have any questions, comments, want to know some more on any of these topics or want to suggest a topic for discussion, please drop the editor of the newsletter a shout at heinrich@dwp.co.za.

 

This would also be convenient opportunity to tell us if you do not want to receive a copy of this newsletter in future (just to comply with the provisions of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, you know how we lawyers are...).  To unsubscribe, send an email to unsubscribe@dwp.co.za

 

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We reserve our rights to the contents of this newsletter. If you want to use some of the contents then give us a call to arrange it beforehand.

 

Disclaimer: None of the information in this newsletter should be taken as professional advice. Unfortunately human error does sometimes creep in and the printers devil also does not always keep away from the door. We can therefore not accept any responsibility for any of the content of this newsletter without you coming to see us first so that we can take proper instructions from you about your circumstances and apply the necessary legal points to your problem.

 

*LEGO^® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site

| contact us |

delport ward & pienaar

attorneys, notaries &  conveyancers
1st floor - cornerstone house

16 loop street

cape town

8001

 

telephone, cape town
+27-21-419.3733

 

telefax, general
+27-21-419.3743

 

telefax, collections dept
+27-21-421.6625

 

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+44-20-8133.0337

 

telephone, washington dc
+1-202-657.6733

 

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+852-8139.7374

 

| info@dwp.co.za |

 

 

1st floor - cornerstone house, 16 loop street, cape town | docex 600, cpt | t, +27-21-4193733 | f, +27-21-4193743

info@dwp.co.za | www.dwp.co.za