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ARTICLE · 23 AUGUST 2021

Signed, Sealed And Not Delivered

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Excitement is running high as you have just signed an offer to purchase on your dream house. Perhaps it was the quirky water feature which caught your eye as you walked through the lush...

South AfricaReal Estate and Construction
Alicia Heyneke
Alicia Heyneke
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Can a seller unilaterally remove any fixture from the property upon moving out?

Excitement is running high as you have just signed an offer to purchase on your dream house. Perhaps it was the quirky water feature which caught your eye as you walked through the lush, well-kept garden or maybe the thought of spending long summer afternoons under the pergola. Whichever it was, you know you certainly made a good choice and now eagerly await the property to be registered in your name.

Move-in day arrives, but, sadly, delight soon plunges into despair as the water feature is nowhere to be seen.  And what happened to the pretty pink peonies by the back door? Is it even legal for the seller to have removed these items from the property without your knowledge? The short answer is “no” because, as the purchaser, you are entitled to receive the property with all physical improvements of a permanent nature as well as all items which are permanently attached to the land or to

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