In South Africa, the management and maintenance of sectional title schemes—such as apartment complexes or townhouses—require meticulous financial planning to ensure the smooth operation and longevity of the properties. One of the critical aspects of this financial planning is the separation of t...

Extending a Section in a Body Corporate Community Scheme onto Common Property In terms of sectional title legislation in South Africa, owners must obtain proper authorisation before extending onto common property. Common property is collectively owned by all the owners within the sectional title sc...

WhatsApp and Community Housing Schemes “Look, that’s why there’s rules, understand? So that you think before you break ‘em.”Terry Pratchett, Thief of TimeWhatsApp groups are proving increasingly more important for the dissemination of news that affects people living within community s...

Sectional title living has become increasingly popular in South Africa, offering residents the benefits of shared amenities, communal spaces, and a sense of community. However, effective management of reserves is crucial to ensure the sustainability and financial health of community housing schemes....

The importance of adequate insurance cover in community schemesHaving adequate insurance cover in a community scheme, such as sectional title or home owners association, is crucial for several reasons:1.      Protection of Common Areas:Community schemes typically have common...

This short video touches on the requirements of lodging a dispute at the Community Schemes Ombud Service. If you have any queries or require assistance, please feel free to reach out to us at bellbuoy@bellbuoy.co.za

This short video describes the process required for trustees/governing body members to approve supplier invoices through our online portal.If you have any queries as to this please contact your portfolio manager, or email us at bellbuoy@bellbuoy.co.za

This video runs through the main reasons to appoint a managing agent for your community housing scheme.If you require any assistance, or have any queries, please email us on bellbuoy@bellbuoy.co.za and we will get back to you!

THis video contains a brief discussion on the benefits and reasons to consider appointing a Managing Agent in community housing property developments.

During 2023 Bellbuoy introduced new client relationship management software. We are so excited about the opportunities and transparency that this shift brings.Please view our short introduction on the software and download the handy tutorial, for both owners and scheme executives (trustees, exc...

Navigating the Responsibilities and Challenges of Being a Trustee in Sectional Title If you're a homeowner in a sectional title scheme, you've probably heard of trustees and their role in the management of the property. Trustees are pivotal figures in ensuring the smooth operation of communal l...

Some interesting FAQ's discussed at Bellbuoy's seminar held in conjunction with TRACS on 26 August 2023. The questions are grouped into subjects, and reflect commonly asked queries during the course of managing Sectional Title schemes.  TRUSTEES 1.     May I n...

We are excited to announce that the TRACS (Training Academy for Community Schemes) Back2Basics – Protect your property investment roadshow will be visiting Gqeberha on 26 August 2023 and The Bellbuoy Group has partnered with TRACS to bring this event to the Eastern Cape. Join us for an energising ...

Installing a new lift or upgrading an existing one?A recent enquiry reminded me of the pitfalls associated with the installation of a new lift, or indeed a major upgrade, if same is feasible.Many buildings have lifts installed, some are getting on in years, others require statutory upgrades to meet ...

Energy Performance Certificates:Non-residential buildings, with a total floor area >2000m2, were required, in terms of section 19(1)(b) of the National Energy Act, to display (at the building’s main entrance) and submit Energy Performance Certificates (“EPC’s”) to the South African Nation...

5 reasons to appoint a managing agentBecoming a trustee in a sectional title scheme can be a daunting task.The Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act (STSMA), places an inordinate amount of responsibility on the body corporate, and, ipso facto, the trustees. In terms of the STSMA, the buck stops wi...

TRACS - Community Housing Education We are excited to introduce our clients to the free educational opportunities presented by TRACS (Training Academy for Community Schemes) in five languages. TRACS is a non-profit educational organisation that specialises in teaching commun...

This webinar should assist governing body members in understanding the policy requirements and handling of insurance claims, as well as expand upon other insurance related matters, including the differences between resultant and consequential damage.

Hayden Du Preez from HDP Audit discusses the annual audited financials that are approved at the Annual General Meeting. This vidoe will assist in understanding the various responsibilities on parties and what to look for when reading this annual report.

BBV's Craig Jessop discusses community scheme requirements in relation to the intricacies of Labour and Health and Safety Legislation. This webinar is intended to introduce the specific packages on offer that could assist schemes in the context of Health and Safety and Labour requirements,...

This webinar is presented by Curasure’s Frederik Nel and Paul Adams, who will discuss important aspects to this important document and process.

An interesting judgement with regard to an owner running an Air BnB at their unit and a Body Corporate who applied to the Court to request that the owner be stopped. The judgement essentially upheld the Body Corporate's request. We have just received this and are perusi...

Congratulations to the developers of Four Leaf Estate for being declared the greenest development in Africa!The Bellbuoy Group is proud to be associated with this development! Read more here

The Bellbuoy Groups's Shannon-Lee Moore-Barnes and the Bellbuoy Social Committee recently handed over the funds raised for Animal Anti-Cruelty League Port Elizabeth at the recent music trivia held at Old Grey to AACL's Linda-Louise Swain. We thanks all those who attended the event, raising mone...

The staff of The Bellbuoy Group donated items of pet food and blankets to the Uitenhage SPCA. A letter of thanks was received from the Uitenhage SPA. Read Letter

While both special and unanimous resolutions can be attained either in writing or at a general meeting, we will deal with the ways in which special and unanimous resolutions are obtained in general meeting. In addition, we will establish what relief can be sought should these not be attained or be u...

Unanimous ResolutionIn our previous blog, we defined special resolutions and detailed in what types of instances these would be required. We will now proceed to do the same with unanimous resolutions, as well as highlight when unanimous consent is required, which is different to a unanimous resoluti...

“If you want good laws, burn those you have and make new ones.” - VoltaireWith the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act (STSMA) 8 of 2011 and the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act (CSOSA) 9 of 2011 being published in the government gazette on 7 October 2016, new legislative requirement...

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Mahatma GandhiI looked up my family tree and found three dogs using it. - Rodney DangerfieldThe late Greer Moore-Barnes often referred to the 3P’s as causing the most contention in schemes: pa...

You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen, it said 'Parking Fine.' Tommy CooperInsufficient parking usually leads to discontent in community schemes, as it results in occupiers or visitors parking on common property areas not reserved ...

“OH, THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN THE STOCKING THAT MAKES A NOISE, said Death. OTHERWISE, WHAT IS 4:30 A.M. FOR?”  - Terry Pratchett, HogfatherIt is a commonly held view that pets, parties and parking are the most contentious of communal issues. In this blog we will look at what r...

In common law home owner associations a quorum is detailed in the constitution, which should also detail the varying levels of quorum required for different types of decisions or resolutions. The constitution is the common law home owner association’s fundamental form of governing document, as the...

Here are some ways in which to make your property appealing to tenants and buyers alike:1.Street or curb appeal – make the best of the outside aesthetics by tidying the garden (planting can improve the appeal tremendously), cleaning the gutters, high pressure washing walls / roofs and applying a c...

Bellbuoy recently spent a productive team building afternoon under the tutelage of BA Moolman and the Art on Target team. The lesson: all the little individual building blocks coalesce into a united whole!The result: a wonderful centerpiece made from the creative input of all the members of the...

Refer link to Bruno Bozzetto’s animation (2004) of “peaceful” living in a high rise scheme.

The Bellbuoy Group is excited to announce that our updated client portal with improved interface and enhanced facilities will be rolling out to all our current portal clients early next year.   We believe that this development, which will include a mobile app, presents a significant upgrade to ...

The Bellbuoy Group is pleased to confirm that a third of our staff will be returning to our offices as from 4 May 2020, in line with the promulgation of the regulations to the Disaster Management Act of 2002 on 29 April 2020. A copy of our certificate confirming our registration as an essential...

Further to President Ramaphosa’s address on 23 March 2020 announcing South Africa will be in lockdown from midnight on Thursday 26 March 2020 until 16 April 2020, we confirm that we will continue operating and our staff will continue to work remotely from home.Please direct any queries to your por...

The Bellbuoy Group notes that there have been a number of changes to the SANS regulations referring specifically to geysers, including the necessity to install a class B geyser, as well as the issuing of Certificates of Compliance with regard to these installations. We have requested the b...

We can now confirm that after communicating with various members of the municipality we have obtained the following information from Mr Joseph Tsatsire the Director of Water and Sanitation at the NMBM regarding the installation of individual water meters at community housing schemes:It is a legal re...

Bellbuoy is proud to confirm that Professor Cornie van der Merwe will be presenting a seminar to our clients on the new STSM and CSOS Acts on Tuesday 4 April 2017. This promises to be a very interesting seminar, delivered by one of the individuals who, together with Graham Paddock and Joseph Malulek...

The Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu, published the draft regulations to the Community Scheme Ombud Service (CSOS) Act 9 of 2011 and Sectional Titles Management (STSM) Act 9 of 2011 in the government gazette (GG No. 39247) on 2 October 2015. Public comment is requested within 30 days �...