Summary
Summary LAW OF PROPERTY LECTURE 1
- Course
- LPRO3724 (LPRO3724)
- Institution
- University Of The Freestate (UFS)
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INTRODUCTION)TO)THE)LAW)OF)PROPERTY)!
) !
•
•
Everything+that+forms+part+of+person’s"estate"can"be"described"as"property"i.e."a"persons"possessions
Property(can(be(a(variety(of(assests(i.e.(Things,(personal(rights((right(to(claim(your(salary),(intellectual(property(
rights'(right'to'your$invention)
• Whilst'property'law'falls'under'the'private'law'umbrella'–!it#has#become#impossible#to#ignore#public#law#when#
Law!of!property!in!the!wide! discussing(property(rights(–!reason'='s25'of'the'Constitution'provides'protection'for'all'rights'in'property,'
sense! consequently,,the,law,of,property'must'take'note'of'Constitutional'principles'and'their'effects'upon'private'law
• Traditionally+law+of+property+was+restricted+to+corporeal+assets+and+things+and+therefore+was+referred+to+as+law$
of#things.
!
• Because'of'socio6economic,(political((and(constitutional)developments,)it)is)not)possible)to)restrict)the)law)of)
!
property'to'corporeal'assets'or'things'as'such'the'term'law$of$property$is#more#appropriate#than#law#of#things
!
• Apart&from&rights&in&property,&the&law&of&property&also&traditionally&deals&with%a%number%of%relationships%that%do%
!
not$qualify$as$rights$at$all.$Although$these$relationships$do$not$qualify$as$rights,$they$are$important$for$the$law$
!
of#property#because#of#their#legal#implications.#i.e.#thief#who#steals#a#car.
!
!
!!!
! !
PRIVATE!
LAW!
Personality! Law!of! Patrimonial!
Family!Law!
Law! Persons! Law!
Law!of! Law!of! Intellectual! Law!of!
obligations! property! property!law! succession!
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
BACKGROUND,,SOURCES,AND,CURRENT,DEVELOPMEMT:
!
SOURCES'OF'TRADITIONAL' SOURCES'OF'CURRENT'LAW'OF'PROPERTY!(SINCE'1994)
LAW$OF$THINGS!(PRE#1994) ! 1. Common)law:!!!!!
! Roman6Dutch!common!law!was!always!considered!an!N.B.!source!of!traditional!law!of!
1. Common%Law%(Roman6Dutch&law) ! !!!
things.!!Whilst!common!law!still!applies!in!our!new!dispensation,!it!must!be!applied!
2. Statutory(law((legislation(i.e.(Sectional( ! !
with!circumspection!in!every!case,!considering!whether!it!will!promote!or!frustrate!the!
Tittle&Act&95&of&1986) ideal!of!human!dignity,!freedom!and!equality!set!out!in!the!Constitution.!
3. Case%law%(precedents%i.e.%Ex%Parte% !
Geldenhuys*1926*(O))
2. Statutory)law:)!
Played!and!N.B.!role!in!traditional!law!of!things!and!will!continue!to!play!a!role!in!the!
future!i.e.!Prevention!of!Illegal!Eviction!and!Unlawful!Occupation!of!Land!Act!19!of!1998!
!
3. Case)law:)!
Always!formed!an!N.B.!source!of!law!of!things!in!that!it!indicated!how!common!law!
As!a!result!of!recent!socio6political!and! principles!and!legislation!should!be!applied!and!interpreted.!!The!authority!of!most!pre!
economic!developments!and!changes,!the! 1994!decisions!will!have!be!evaluated!in!terms!of!their!current!acceptability.!
sources!of!the!law!of!property!must!be! !
seen!in!a!new!perspective,!namely!the! 4. Customary)law:)!
transition!from!a!society!dominated!by! During!the!apartheid!era!customary!law!property!rights!were!often!regarded!as!
white,!privileged!minority!to!a!society! primitive!legal!relationships,!and!they!enjoyed!little!recognition!and!protection!from!the!
based!on!democratic!values,!social!justice! courts.!!Constitution!makes!it!clear!that!customary!law!cannot!be!ignored.!!
and!fundamental!human!rights! !
!
5. Constitutional)law!
All!sources!of!property!law!must!be!interpreted!and!applied!with!due!regard!to!the!
spirit!and!objectives!of!the!Constitution.!The!Constitution!is!the!guiding!principle!for!all!
legal!developments!
Note!some!percepts!of!customary!
law!might!come!into!conflict!with! !
principles!laid!down!by!the!
Constitution,!especially!with!regard!
to!equality!i.e.!Bhe!case!and!principle!
of!male!primogeniture!
!
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
, Law)of)property) Legal)Object)
• Deals!with!the!rights!and!actions!of!
!
DEFINITIONS: • Every!object!with!which!a!legal!subject!has!a!legally!recognised!
persons!with!regard!to!things!and!other! relationship!with!
forms!of!property!as!well!as!other! • 4!types:!things,!performance,!immaterial!property!and!personality!
Legal)Subject)
relationships!between!persons!and! property!
• Any!person!(natural!or!juristic)!
property.!
capable!of!acting!as!a!legal!subject!in!
!
• It!describes!the!way!in!which!property!
any!legal!relationship!and!of!acquiring! Right) Property))Right)
rights!can!be!acquired!and!exercised!
rights!and!duties!
lawfully!and!the!remedies!by!which!they! • A!legally!recognised!and! • Any!legally!recognised!claim!to!or!
!
are!protected!against!infringement,!as! valid!claim!by!a!subject! interest!in!property!
well!as!legal!results!and!implications!of! to!a!certain!object! • It!is!a!relationship!between!a!person!
Thing!
other!relationships!between!persons! • Not!all!relations!between! and!property!which!is!recognized!
• Is!a!specific!category!of!property.!
and!property! a!person!and!an!object! and!protected!by!the!law!
• Defined!with!reference!to!its!
! are!protected!by!law! !
characteristics!as!an!independent!part! !!!
Property) of!the!corporeal!world!(material)! ! ! !
which!is!external!to!humans!and!
• Everything!that!forms!part!of!a!person’s! Principal)thing)
estate,!including!corporeal!things!(i.e.! subject!to!human!control!and!is!of!use!
• Thing!which!exists!independently!and!which!can,!as!such,!be!object!of!
book,!car!(movable!things)!! or!value!
real!rights!–!it!does!not!form!part!of!another!thing!either!as!
• Or!a!piece!of!land!or!house!(immovable! !
component!(accessory!thing)!or!as!supplement!(auxiliary!thing).!!
things)!!!
Object) • Owner!of!principal!thing!is!owner!of!composite!thing,!which!includes!
• And!incorporeal!interests!(i.e.!share!in!a! accessory!and!auxiliary!things!to!principal!thing!!
• Anything!with!regard!to!
company)!!! e.g.!motor!car,!egg!beater,!electric!drill.!NOTE!:!Land!is!ALWAYS!
which!a!person!can!acquire! •
• And!rights!(patent!or!copyright)! regarded!as!principal!thing.!!
and!hold!a!right!!
! ! !
A)claim)or)action) Accessory)thing)
• Is!lawful!when!it!is!acknowledged!and! A)person:! • Thing!which!can!exist!independently!of!principal!thing!but!which!has!
protected!by!existing!legal!principles;! • S/he!can!be!natural!or!Juridical! merged!with!or!been!mixed!with!the!principal!thing!to!such!an!extent!
unlawful!when!it!is!in!conflict!with!or! • A!person!has!rights!which!s/he!can! that!it!has!lost!its!independence.!!
not!acknowledged!by!the!law! exercise!and;! • All!attachments,!which!do!not!help!to!determine!composite!thing’s!
! • Can!be!subject!to!certain!obligations! identity,!can!be!classified!as!accessory!things!!
• A!person!can!acquire!a!right!in!her! • e.g.!a!wooden!beam!built!into!a!house,!roof!carrier!of!a!car,!brick!built!
Remedy) individual!capacity!or! into!a!house!!
• Legal!procedure!provided!by!legal! • A!person!can!acquire!a!right!in!her! !
system!to!protect!a!rights!against! individual!capacity!or!in!the!capacity!
infringement!or!to!control!effects!of!an! of!a!member!in!a!group.! Auxiliary)thing)
unlawful!act!or!situation!! ! • An!auxiliary!thing!is!a!thing!which!exists!separately!and!
• The!remedy!is!two!fold:! independently!of!principal!thing,!but!which,!because!of!its!economic!
1. to!protect!the!legal!holder!of!a!right! value,!destination!or!use,!is!no!longer!regarded!as!an!independent!
2. to!regulate!the!implications!of!a! thing!for!purposes!of!property!law.!!
thief’s!unlawful!property!relation!–!a! • There!need!not!be!a!real!physical!connection!with!principal!thing!!
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
remedy!that!regulates!the!legal! • e.g.!key!to!a!door,!set!of!tools!marketed!with!a!motor!car!
effects!of!theft!
!
THING)
THINGS'AS' !
•
•
Is!a!legal!object!of!a!real!right!and!the!most!N.B.!legal!object!!
can!be!defined!in!terms!of!its!characteristics!!as!a!legal!!object!which!is!an!independent!
part!of!the!corporeal!world,!which!is!external!to!humans!subject!to!human!control!and!is!
LEGAL%OBJECTS useful!and!valuable!to!humans!
! !!!!
!!!
! ! CHARACTERISTICS)OF)A)THING
1.)CORPOREALITY)
• Can!be!sensorily!observed!and!occupies!a!certain!space!i.e.!bike,!car,!house,!land,!brick!
• Note!forces!of!nature!like!gravity,!heat,!light,!sound!and!electricity!can!be!sensorily!observed!but!cannot!be!described!in!terms!of!space!and!therefore!excluded!from!definition!of!
corporeal!things!
• Several!incorporeal!or!intangible!things!have!been!recognized!by!state!and!case!law!as!things,!where!the!object!of!the!real!right!is!not!a!corporeal!thing,!but!another!subjective!right.!!
If!any!of!these!subjective!rights!serve!as!an!object!or!a!real!right,!they!are!regarded!in!terms!of!the!common!law!as!incorporeal!or!tangible!things!
• i.e.!In!BenNTovin)v)BenNTovin)2001)(C))it!was!decided!that!shares!in!a!company,!which!provide!the!shareholder!with!a!claim!against!the!company,!are!incorporeal!things.!!For!the!
purpose!of!the!law!of!property!they!therefore!form!part!of!the!shareholder’s!estate!(his!property),!although!they!are!neither!tangible!nor!perceptible.!!The!shareholder!can!utilize!the!
shares!(as!incorporeal!things)!as!objects!in!various!ways!i.e.!he!can!grant!a!usufruct!in!respect!of!the!shares!–!that!is!the!shares!(personal!or!creditor’s!rights!against!the!company!as!
incorporeal!things)!can!be!the!object!of!a!limited!real!right!(!the!usufruct)!
• In!Badenhorst)v)Balju)Pretoria)Sentraal)1998)(T),)it!was!held!that!the!membership!interest!of!a!close!corporation(!i.e.!creditor’s!right!against!the!cc)!is!an!incorporeal!movable!that!
can!be!attached!by!the!sheriff!
• In!Graf)v))Buechel)2003)(SCA))it!was!held!that!the!loan!account!of!a!director!of!a!company!(creditor’s!right!against!the!company)!is!an!incorporeal!thing!which!can!be!ceded!to!
another!person!
• Another!example!of!a!incorporeal!thing!is!the!creditor’s!right!to!the!use!of!a!telephone!and!bandwidth!system!which!is!installed!on!business!premises!(Telkom)SA)Ltd)v)Xsinet)(Pty))
Ltd)2003)!
2.)EXTERNAL)TO)HUMANS)
• Human!body!and!parts!cannot!be!regarded!as!legal!objects! 3.))INDEPENDENCE)
• An!object!can!therefore!qualify!as!a!thing!only!if!it!is!not!part!of!human!body! • A!thing!must!be!a!definite!and!distinct!entity!that!exists!separately!!
• Having!said!this,!human!corpses!can!possibly!be!classified!as!legal!objects,!but!as!legal!objects! • i.e.!air!and!oxygen!become!negotiable!things!only!if!they!are!contained!in!
which!fall!outside!legal!commerce!! cylinders,!water,!land,!sand,!air!must!be!separated!by!human!activity!into!
• There!are!however!parts!of!bodies!that!can!be!regarded!as!negotiable!things!–!these!are!parts! recognizable!and!manageable!entities!before!they!will!be!regarded!as!things!
which!can!no!longer!be!connected!to!a!human!being!i.e.!hair!used!to!make!wigs.!!This!is! which!fall!within!legal!commerce!
however,!subject!to!the!provisions!of!the!Human!Tissue!Act!65!of!1983,!especially!regarding! • i.e.!Immovable!things!come!into!being!after!demarcation!on!an!approved!
the!availability!of!human!reproductive!cells!and!organs!for!the!purpose!of!artificial! and!registered!diagram!or!general!plan!or!surveyor’s!plan!
reproduction!and!organs!for!the!purpose!of!organ!transplantation! • i.e.!a!sectional!title!unit!as!immovable!thing!is!described!n!terms!of!the!
! registered!sectional!plan!
!
4.))SUBJECT)TO)JURIDICAL))(HUMAN))
CONTROL) 5.))USEFUL)ANDF)VALUABLE)TO)HUMANS)
• Corporeal!entities!which!are!not! • No!legal!relationship!can!exist!between!a!corporeal!thing!and!a!legal!subject!if!it!is!not!useful!and!valuable!to!legal!subject!
susceptible!to!human!control!cannot!be! • Need!not!have!economic!value!can!also!have!sentimental!value!
classified!as!things!i.e.!sun,!moon,! • Usefulness!and!value!however!determined!objectively!i.e.!dead!leaf!in!my!garden!may!in!my!subjective!evaluation!be!of!no!
©!Alda!Vorster!
planets,!sea,!air!–!when!not!separated! ! !
value!to!me!and!I!may!even!regard!it!as!a!nuisance.!!Objectively!evaluated!however,!it!is!valuable!as!it!can!be!used!as!compost!
into!manageable!units! therefore!it!remains!a!thing!as!it!satisfies!someone’s!needs!
! !
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