Summary
Summary LAW OF PROPERTY LECTURE 3
Course
LPRO3724 (LPRO3724)
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Uploaded on
April 25, 2018
Number of pages
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Written in
2017/2018
Type
Summary
lpro
property
property law
Institution
University of the Freestate (UFS)
Course
LPRO3724 (LPRO3724)
All documents for this subject (9)
INTRODUCTION)TO)
!
COMMON%LAW%DEFINITON%OF%OWNERSHIP)
− Ownership*is*defined*as*the*most*comprehensive*real*right*
OWNERSHIP:"
OWNERSHIP)AND)CO0 that$a$legal$subject$can$have$regarding$a$thing,$or$as$the$real$
right&which&gives&the&owner&the&most&complete&and&absolute&
OWNERSHIP! !!!!
! !
)
entitlements((to(a(thing!
• Ownership!is!therefore!an!abstract!concept!–!it!implies!!the!relationship!
between!a!legal!subject!and!the!thing!(subjectBobject!relationship)!and!
with!the!relationship!between!other!legal!subjects!regarding!the!thing! • In!Gien)v)Gien)1979)(T))the!court!
(subjectBsubject!relationship)! defined!ownership!with!reference!to!its!
• These!relationship!are!indeterminate!because!their!contents!vary.!The! inherent!nature!as!the!most!
content!of!ownership!varies!because!the!entitlements!(powers)!of!the! comprehensive!real!right!a!person!can!
owner!vary!from!time!to!time!regarding!the!same!relationship!or!from! have!with!regard!to!a!thing.!!The!point!
relationship!to!relationship! of!departure!is!that!a!person!can!do!
• Owner’s!rights!are!also!increasingly!determined!by!the!interests!of!the! with!his!thing!as!he!pleases.!!This!
community!and!are,!therefore!influenced!by!social!factors! apparent!freedom!is!restricted,!
• The!content!of!ownership!is!described!in!terms!of!the!owner’s!exercise!of! however,!by!the!law!and!the!rights!of!
others!
entitlements!regarding!the!thing!
!
MODERN'DEFINITION'OF'OWNERSHIP)
!
Ownership*can*be*described*as*an*abstract*legal*relationship,*which*implies*that*:*!
a) A"legal"relationship"exists"between"the"owner"and"a"thing"(object)"in"terms"of"which"the"owner"acquires"certain"
entitlements,)and!
b) A"relationship,exists,between,the,owner,and,other,legal,subjects,in,terms,of,which,the,owner,can,require,that,others,
respect'his'entitlements'regarding'the'object!
The$relationship:$!
c) Consists'of'indeterminate'entitlements'in'that'they'vary'from'time'to'time'regarding(the(same(relationship(or(
regarding(different(relationships,(and!
d) Is#limited#by#statutory#measures,#limited#real#rights,#creditor’s#rights#or#3rd!parties(and(the(interests(of(the(community!
©!Alda!Vorster!
! ! !
• With%the%common%law%definition%of%ownership%based%on%entitlements,%the%content%of%ownership%
CONTENT&OF&
! must%be%determined%within%the%context%of%each%individual%case
• 2"aspects"must"be"taken"into"account"in"this"regard:
OWNERSHIP 1. Entitlements
2. Limitations)on)ownership)
1. ENTITLEMENTS)OF)OWNERSHIP! 2. LIMITATIONS)ON)OWNERSHIP)IN)THE)PUBLIC)INTEREST!
a) CONTROL!=!!the!entitlement!to!physically!control!and!keep! • Whilst!ownership!is!the!most!comprehensive!real!right!it!is!not!unlimited!–!the!freedom!to!do!as!one!pleases!
thing!i.e.!hold!your!pen! with!his!ownership!is!restricted!by!the!law!and!the!rights!of!others!
b) USE!=!entitlement!to!use!and!benefit!from!a!thing!i.e.!use! • The!Romans!protected!the!rights!of!neighbours!of!an!owner!of!land!against!arbitrary!exercise!of!his!use!rights!
the!wool,!fruit!enjoy!the!interest!on!capital!or!rent! regarding!the!land!–!expressed!in!the!maxim!sic!utere!tuo!ut!alienum!non!laeda!(!an!owner!must!use!his!
payments! property!in!such!a!way!that!another!person!is!not!burdened!or!prejudiced)!
c) ENCUMBER!(burden)!=!the!entitlement!to!grant!a!limited! • Today,!increasing!emphasis!is!placed!upon!the!inherent!responsibility!of!the!owner!towards!the!community!
real!rights!in!respect!of!the!thing!i.e.!servitude! in!the!exercise!of!his!entitlements!–!this!may!mean!that!in!certain!circumstances!an!owner’s!entitlements!
d) ALIENATE!=!!the!entitlement!to!sell!or!donate!the!thing!to! could!be!limited!or!infringed!upon!in!the!interest!of!the!community!–!NOTE!such!infringement!must!always!be!
someone!else! reasonable!and!equitable!
e) VINDICATE!=!the!entitlement!to!claim!the!thing!from! !
another!person!with!the!rei!vindicatio!!
Examples!of!the!limitation!of!entitlements!in!the!interest!of!the!community:!
Whilst!entitlements!are!not!the!essence!of!ownership!they!
1. Economic!interests!of!owners!must!be!weighed!against!the!interests!of!the!community!and!can!be!infringed!
determine!the!extent!of!the!legal!relationship!between!the!owner!
upon!or!limited!in!the!interests!of!the!general!public!for!example!in!the!case!of!a!nature!conservation!(!Corium)
and!the!thing!at!a!certain!time!
(Pty))Ltd)v)Myburgh)Park)Langebaan)(Pty))Ltd)1993)(C)!
• These!entitlements!of!the!owner!arising!from!ownership!
2. In!the!case!of)Diepsloot)Resident’s)and)Landowners’)Association)v)Administrator)Transvaal)it!was!decided!
can!be!limited!by!statutory!measures!(the!law)!and!the!
that!the!interests!of!neighbouring!landowners!are!subject!to!the!rights!of!inhabitants!of!an!informal!settlement!
rights!of!others!i.e.!limited!real!rights!or!other!persons!or!
who,!in!terms!of!the!Less!Formal!Township!Establishment!Act!113!of!1991,!were!resettled!by!the!Administrator!
creditor’s!rights!
of!Transvaal!in!the!vicinity!of!the!landowners,!and!that!the!potential!harm!of!smoke,!dust,!pollution!and!noise!
• Limited!real!rights!of!others!to!the!thing!limit!the!owner’s!
(nuisance)!would!have!to!be!tolerated!by!the!land!owners!!
dominium!in!terms!of!the!subtraction!from!dominium!
3. In!terms!of!the!Prevention)of)Illegal)Eviction)and)Unlawful)Occupation)of)Land)Act)19)of)1998)the!interests!
principle!and!which!are!enforceable!against!the!owners!
of!landowners!have!to!be!weighed!up!against!the!interests!of!squatters!during!eviction!applications!
successors!
• In!Port)Elizabeth)Municipality)v)Various)Occupiers)it!was!held!that!the!circumstances!of!vulnerable!unlawful!
• Creditor’s!rights!others!may!have!against!the!owner!
occupiers!(especially!in!the!case!of!small!children,!single!parent!families!and!elderly!people)!and!the!human!
personally!do!not!limit!the!dominium!regarding!the!thing!
dignity!of!such!people!must!be!considered!before!an!eviction!order!is!granted.!!The!court!must!also!consider!
and!are!not!enforceable!against!successors!in!title!
whether!suitable!alternative!housing!is!available!.!!It!was!however!also!emphasised!that!the!interests!of!the!
!
landowner!must!be!considered!and!that!it!is!not!impossible!to!evict!unlawful!occupiers.!!It!if!appears!just!and!
equitable!in!all!the!circumstances,!the!landowner’s!interests!must!be!protected!and!an!evictions!order!must!be!
Examples!of!limitations!on!ownership!in!terms!of!statutory!law,! granted!
limited!real!rights!and!creditor’s!rights:!! • Economic,!social!and!political!considerations!also!led!to!the!concept!of!ownership!(also!with!regard!to!
1. The!owner!of!agricultural!land’s!entitlement!to!control!his! immovables)!being!radically!amended!and!developed!in!the!interest!of!the!whole!community!i.e.!the!
land!is!limited!by!the!provisions!of!the!Physical!Planning! promulgation!of,!amongst!others,!The)Development)Facilitation)Act)67)of)1995,)The)Land)Reform)(Labour)
Act!125!of!1991!and!the!Development!Facilitation!Act!67!of! Tenants))Act)3)od)1996,)The)Extension)of)Security)of)Tenure)Act)62)of)1997)and)The)Prevention)of)Illegal)
1995!(statutory!limitation)! Eviction)and)Unlawful)Occupation)of)Land)Act)19)of)1998)which,!in!theory,!make!ownership!of!immovable!
!!!
2. A!usufruct!(limited!real!right!of!use!and!enjoyment)!! accessible!to!all!population!groups.!But!the!social!responsibility!of!an!owner!is!not!unlimited.!!In!President)of)
granted!over!a!farm!to!a!usufructuary!limits!the!rights!of! the)RSA)v)Modderklip)Boerdery)(Pty))Ltd)2005)(CC)!it!was!held!that!the!state!cannot!shift!the!responsibility!
the!owner!and!his!successors!in!title!(limited!real!right)! to!supply!homeless!people!with!housing!to!individual!landowners!
3. A!leases!B’s!car!and!exercises!use!rights!regarding!the!car!–! • A!land!owner’s!entitlements!can!be!limited!in!the!interests!of!nature!conservation!in!terms!of!The)Environment)
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
these!use!rights!A!has!limit!B’s!use!rights!to!the!car!but!not! Conservation)Act)73)of)1989.)In!Petro)Props)(Pty))Ltd)v)Barlow!a!landowner!was!prohibited!from!building!a!
his!successors!in!title!(creditor’s!rights)! fuel!service!station!in!an!ecologically!sensitive!wetland!
! !