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Property Law notes - possession - topic 7
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Property law notes on topic 7 relating to possession. case law, diagrams and tables includes.
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SECOND SEMESTER: TOPIC 7: POSSESSION: DEFINITION, CONCEPT & ELEMENTS –VESTING, PROTECTION & TERMINATION:
18 Augustus 2021:
POSSESSION: OVERVIEW:
Introduction
Concept (nature)
Elements
Case law
o VB [11] Reck v Mills 1990 1 SA 751 (A)
o S De Beer v Zimbali Estate Management 2007 (3) SA 254 (N)
o S Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency v Medbury (Pty) Ltd 2018 (4) SA 206 (SCA)
o Monteiro v Diedricks [2021] ZASCA 15 (2 March 2021)
AIMS:
Define possession in your own words
Distinguish between right to possession and right of possession
Distinguish between lawful and unlawful possession
Identify and describe the elements of possession
Understand how different factors impact on elements of possession
Determine whether possession occured in a specific factual situation
Analyse relevant case law with respect to elements of possession.
INTRODUCTION:
,POSSESSION:
Possession = most basic legal relationship between a legal subject and a thing.
o Possession is the most basic legal relationship between a legal subject and a thing.
Possession = factual: It entails the physical control by a legal subject over a thing with a certain
intention (see elements).
o Possession describes a factual scenario – it entails the physical control by a legal subject over
a thing with a certain intention.
Possession can generate important legal consequences – protection (remedies); sometimes
acquisition of ownership through prescription.
o Possession can generate important legal consequences – once you have established that
someone has possession that person may have different remedies available to them
(specifically the mandament van spolie, the possessory action and there are also delictual
remedies).
o The other legal consequences that it may have (in terms of prescription) if you are in
possession of a thing for an undisturbed period of 30 years, you may get ownership over it. In
some cases, possession may lead to ownership.
Note term = “thing”. Incorporeal objects like rights cannot be physically controlled and are not
susceptible to possession. Possession relates only to corporeal objects. BUT quasi-possession.
o Possession deals with corporeal objects – physical control over something. You cannot have
physical control of a right (you cannot touch it – it is not tangible), but quasi-possession
protects possession of rights.
Ownership and possession may coincide and may be held by different persons simultaneously.
o Example: car – I am the owner of my car and in that case I am also in possession of my car
and I am the owner and therefore I have a wide variety of remedies available to me, but I can
, also lend it to someone in terms of an agreement, to my brother – then he is in possession of
my car and he might also have a right to control the car = but he is not the owner.
o Different legal consequences flow with the relationship you have towards that thing.
Example: car
o I am the owner of my car – when I drive my car I own and possess it at the same time,
however when I lend it to my brother, he would possess it as long as it is in his custody. In
this example, I would retain ownership of the car, despite the fact that my brother would be
in control of it.
o A thief who steals the car from either me or my brother, will also acquire possession. The
distinction here is that my possession as owner or my brother’s possession as a borrower is
lawful whereas the thief’s possession is unlawful.
o The fact that the thief’s possession is unlawful does not however mean that it is irrelevant in
the eyes of the law it may also generate certain legal consequences.
o The law usually only grants the car owner or the borrower a remedy to reclaim possession of
it. this is because the possession of both these parties is lawful which entitles them to be in
possession.
o I as the owner may reclaim possession with the rei vindicatio, while my brother owing to a
loan agreement for example between me and him may reclaim possession from the thief
with a possessory action.
o Neither the rei vindicatio nor the possessory action is available to the thief as the thief has no
right in the car – the law in principle affords a remedy only where there is a right, yet the
thief can in certain circumstances reclaim possession from someone who took the car away
from him/her without his permission.
o This is not because the thief has a right in the car, but because the law seeks to discourage
unlawful self-help.
POSSESSION: CONCEPT (PRINCIPLES TEXTBOOK P 68 – 69)
Rights based approach: ius possessionis v ius possidendi.
Distinguish between ius possessionis and ius possidendi
RIGHTS BASED APPROACH:
, Ius possessionis: Ius possidendi:
Right OF possession (right flowing from Right TO possession (possessory right)
possession).
Referred to as the right to possession – the
Known as the right of possession or the ius possidendi refers to your rights to
rights flowing from possession. control something.
Factual case: do you have possession of the Entitlement to demand control
thing? Are you in actual possession of the
thing? The ius possidendi is your entitlement to
demand control.
Consequence of control.
An entitlement which justifies a person’s
In actual possession of thing. claim to have a thing in his/her possession.
Can exist independently (or separately) There is usually some sort of contract or
from the ius possidendi. lease stipulating that you have a right to
control the property. If there is no
This can exist independently or separately contract/lease or agreement, then it is
from the ius possidendi. The ius possedendi unlawful. If a thief steals your thing that
is another way of saying “am I in actual person is still in possession of your
physical control of something”. property, but they do not have a right to
control the property.
Example: I am holding my phone – I am in
possession of this. I have the ius Lawful
possessionis right now.
If you have the ius possidendi, your
possession is always lawful.
Can exist independently (or separately)
from the ius possessionis.
This can exist independently or separately
from the ius possessionis.
The right of possession and the right to possession may coexist.
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