Maryna holds the BA, LLB, LLM degrees and is a Director at the Cape Town branch of STBB. She is an admitted Attorney, Notary Public, Conveyancer and Insolvency Practitioner with many years of experience in the fields of property law, conveyancing and the laws relating to corporate compliance (especially in respect of the FICA and POPIA laws). Up until 2018 she was also head of the firm’s national marketing portfolio. She is a seasoned public speaker and presenter, both in person and online. She prepares text for the majority of STBB’s internal and external publications and is editor and co-writer for two pivotal publications in the South African real estate industry – the ABC of Conveyancing (JUTA) and Delport’s South African Property Law and Practice (JUTA).

Property Law Update | Issue 09 – 2021

SELLING THAT WHICH YOU DO NOT YET HAVE

Tomlinson and Another v Tomlinson N.O and Others (11764/2015) [2021] ZAKZDHC 8 (19 March 2021)

If A sells B’s property to C, the resultant legal position is that A is obliged to make B’s property available to C. He will therefore attempt to obtain it. If he succeeds, he can make it available to C and the contract is performed. If B will not let him have it, he (A) fails to perform and is in breach of contract. In such circumstances C has an action against A for damages for breach of contract. How does this principle play out where a surviving spouse, who was married to her deceased husband in community of property, sells her undivided half share in the property to a third party before her husband’s estate was finally wound-up? Did she own that half share and could she sell it?

The Judgment
Summary of the Judgment

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