'Atrocious' working conditions at Joburg Deeds Office contributing to huge property transfer delays - attorney

A Joburg attorney has outlined a dire situation at the central Deeds Office, which is causing huge delays in property deals and will ultimately affect the economy.

Last week on 25 February, the office stopped accepting deeds for lodgment, reports Julian Sher, director at Strauss Scher Attorneys in Sandton.

The Deeds Office is responsible for the registration, management and maintenance of the country's property registry - conveyancers lodge various documents there for the purposes of transferring properties, registering bonds in favour of banks and so on.

"On average there are about 700-750 of these documents lodged in that deeds office every day. I learned this afternoon that only tomorrow (Friday) will they start accepting deeds again, but even then with limited staff."

Julian Sher, Director - Strauss Scher Attorneys Sandton

In the course of nine days, around 6,500 deeds that would been lodged in the normal run of things, in fact haven't been, he goes on.

This, of course, has huge knock-on effects.

"The process is imperative for the economy, it keeps the city of Joburg in rates and taxes, SARS eventually get their VAT... It keeps a host of things going."

"The banks don't earn interest, buyers and sellers find themselves unable to get their hands on their proceeds and theyve committed money elsewhere... and of course it has an impact on the profession as the conveyancers themselves don't get paid."

Julian Sher, Director - Strauss Scher Attorneys Sandton

The problem comes down to the building itself, which is an old one, Scher says.

He's been told that working conditions there are 'atrocious', with lifts not in working condition and the air conditioning is out of order. 

"The staff have just refused to use the lifts - it's 22 floors up, so they've set up camp on the ground floor where there are a few of them trying to work."

"What I hear from my colleagues that go in there every day is that nothing seems to be done about it. The Department of Public Works doesn't talk to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform which is the government department under which the Deeds Office sits."

Julian Sher, Director - Strauss Scher Attorneys Sandton 

Sher says he feels sorry for the 'good bunch of people' working there in what appears to be a building that is not safe.

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