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Have a question you would like answered? Email us and we may answer it. The questions here are based on ones from our readers, with identifying information removed.

Please note: GroundUp is just a news agency. We are not lawyers or financial advisors, and we have nothing to do with SASSA, Home Affairs, or any other government bodies. We do our best to make the answers accurate using publicly available information, but we cannot accept any legal liability if there are errors. If you notice any discrepancies, please email [email protected].

Topic: Housing  |  Show questions and answers for all topics

My late father used another child's birth certificate to apply for an RDP house. The child was listed as the beneficiary and has passed. What can I do to correct this?

Go to your housing municipality and confirm that the birth certificate used was fraudulent and then file a formal complaint.

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My cousin that I live with at our grandmother's house has the title deed of the house. How can I challenge this?

You could go to the Master of the High Court’s office with all your details, and ask if the Master has granted someone the letter of authority and who it is.

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My late grandmother's council house was taken over by my sister, who has evicted me twice and likely doesn't pay rent. How can I get her out?

You can go to your local housing office with your grandmother's death certificate to find out whose name the tenancy is in and request to take it over.

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I was forced to move from a flat I was renting and now my landlord and his agent are withholding my deposit. Please help!

You can take your landlord to a Small Claims Court or reach out to the Rental Housing Tribunal.

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I applied for an RDP house in 2002 but never received it, yet records wrongly show me as having received one.

Make a sworn affidavit stating that you have never benefited from any RDP house, submit it to your municipality, and escalate the matter to the MEC if necessary.

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My mother has right to live on a farm under ESTA, can I remain there after her death and would I be compensated for the house she built if I can't?

Only your mother that has permission to stay out her lifetime under ESTA provisions. The landowner is required to compensate you for the building of the house.

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Can I legally claim ownership of an RDP house sold to me by someone who isn't the deceased owner's legal heir?

If the deceased father did not leave a will, the law of Intestate Succession applies. If the son was not named on the title deed, he is not authorised to sell the house.

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My mother died just as her application for an RDP house was approved. Will we, as her surviving children, be given the house?

You will have to go the municipality where your mother applied and ask them for their advice in this situation.

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How can I challenge or nullify an affidavit which was signed under false pretences?

Make a sworn affidavit stating all the facts, take a copy of your nephew's affidavit to a lawyer for legal help.

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Can the only surviving adult child evict the grandchildren from their late grandmother’s house if there is no will?

No, they cannot evict their deceased mother’s grandchildren from her house. Your uncle is entitled to a share of the home as is the dependents of his deceased sibling's children.

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