Crumbling Facade, Sea Point

This 60-year-old building had not been maintained for the previous decade and had such significant structural issues that pieces of the building had broken off from the façade and fallen into the parking garage. The body corporate also had a very complicated history with levy calculations, which had previously resulted in members of the scheme suing one another and going to  the CSOS.

​Remedial Works:

• Updated scheme rules and implemented a 10-year maintenance plan

• Approved the 2025 budget in conjunction with newly appointed managing agents

• Reviewed existing service level agreements, re-negotiated contracts, and terminated those where costs were inflated or service was poor

• Oversaw a multi-million rand full-scale waterproofing and painting project over a 12 month period

• Planned compliance and maintenance projects for the coming fiscal year for the incumbent trustees

• Restored harmonious living among residents and improved general communication & sentiment

Yellow Fellow, Sea Point

This building had been neglected by both owners and managing agents for over a decade. There were major gaps in the scheme's compliance with the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act as a result of this inaction, and the building was in a very poor state of maintenance and administration.

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Remedial Works:

• Worked with recently replaced managing agents to obtain and sign off on missing audited financial statements for the last five years, and updated scheme rules & sectional plans

• Budgeted for multiple large-scale maintenance projects

• Re-established communication and harmonious living between owners

• Acquired loan funding for urgent works

Executive Suites, Bantry Bay

This building was in excellent condition following a recent waterproofing and painting project. It was experiencing a number of internal governance issues that the trustees required assistance with. Additionally, there were some longstanding personal circumstances that required considerable diplomacy to restore harmonious scheme living. After serving my first year as a professional trustee, I gave notice to the body corporate following ongoing hostility and resistance, which made it impossible to restore order and governance as I had been mandated to do.

Remedial Works:

• Oversaw the new building manager and implemented new internal management structures

• Repaired the broken chain of command between body corporate trustees, employees, and the managing agent

• Addressed major security personnel and infrastructure issues

• Managed in-house staff HR issues and found a permanent solution to reduce the need for this

• Reviewed service level agreements with all current service providers

• Resolved historical issues between owners and the body corporate

• Ensured accurate budgeting and projections to complete the projects that had been identified and for which quotes had been obtained

• Advised on insurance claim processes, particularly in cases where the managing agent had incorrectly redirected owners

• Provided guidance on legislative and procedural matters, ensuring compliance with the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act

• Worked to rebuild trust and communication between trustees, owners, and

• other stakeholders during a particularly turbulent period

• Maintained stability and focus on key operational matters despite ongoing interpersonal and reputational challenges

• Provided members of the body corporate with extensively investigated recommendations to restore governance, improve staff performance, resolve long-standing disputes, and implement critical security and infrastructure upgrades

Grande Old Dame, CBD

This 120 year old historical building was placed under administration because thebody c orporate was completely dysfunctional. There were numerous large-scale maintenance issues including such poor water-proofing that it would physically rain inside the apartments.

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Remedial Works

• Oversaw large scale waterproofing, electrical, structural & water meter installation projects

• Acquired a loan on behalf of the body corporate in order to fund necessary works

• Mediated and managed extreme hostility and historical noncompliance between an owner with majority PQ and the other owners

• Urgent COS applications as a result of malevolence, restricted access and refusal to co-operate by owners

• Ensured that the body corporate became fiscally and administratively fully compliant with the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act

Mountain Views, Devil's Peak

This small scheme had a history of ineffective trustee and managing agent relations, insurance issues, and long-standing water ingress problems.

Remedial Works

• Built relations and communication between the trustees and newly appointed managing agents

• Guided and advised trustees to help them understand their roles and responsibilities in terms of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act

• Scoped and implemented major outstanding repairs

• Fixed a long-standing EUA registration issue involving re-drawing sectional plans and compelling owners to register their plans accordingly

• Reviewed historical disputes regarding compliance with the board of trustees

• Engaged with a new insurer and reviewed extensive past claims history in order to identify how to improve the insurance risk profile

• Assessed historical water ingress disputes regarding the liability of owners or the body corporate

• Mediated with owners regarding their failure to maintain their sections

• Represented the body corporate in CSOS disputes with owners

White Wonder, Sea Point

This building was in good shape following a recent painting project. It did, however, have a number of compliance and historical issues. The trustees who initially co-opted me for guidance and action did not have the time to actively work on the challenges the scheme was experiencing. I compiled all the issues I had identified and presented them at the second AGM after my appointment. New trustees came on board, and I was then working with them to action my identifications and findings. Their managing agent was performing well, and I had been working with both the managing agents and the trustees to ensure that both parties were fulfilling their obligations and mandate.

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Remedial Works:

• Identified and costed numerous historical common property compliance and maintenance issues that the trustees were not aware of

• Ran projects for outstanding compliance and maintenance works

• Investigated, mediated, and oversaw neglected maintenance of exclusive use areas in 10 units, all of which were causing resultant damage to one another

• Ensured proper provision and planning for necessary future projects with a significantly depleted maintenance reserve

• Resolved a dangerous lift fire incident by working with the managing agents to challenge both the lift company and insurer, then ensured repairs were completed and a new service provider appointed. A full lift refurbishment project was underway

• Streamlined the day-to-day running of the scheme’s employees, ensuring they were legally employed and performing

• Acted as a neutral intermediary between trustees and the caretaker of 20 years due to performance and behavioural issues