E-NEWSLETTER | DEC 2016

Disclaimer: This eMagazine is produced especially for residents in Von Wielligh Property Management to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by GLOVent Media & That Touch Media, on behalf of the homeowners’ association (HOA) of Von Wielligh Property Management. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, the HOA and/or the publisher, cannot be held liable for any inaccurate information, and may not agree with all opinions expressed in this publication.

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ContentsLetter From the Principal

Our Wish List For The Festive Period

Seven Deadly Sins Of Renting

Maintenance Assistance Over The Festive period

Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas

Christmas Recipe

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

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A division of GLOVent Solutions www.glovent.co.za | chandi@glovent.co.za

This magazine is designed & published in partnership by :

A division of That Touch Consultants

Welcome to all new residents

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Christmas is a joyous time when families unite and spend a few days together in peace and harmony. To this end, our newsletter contains mere light hearted issues, which will revert to normal in the new year when we will continue to bring to you relevant information regarding matters that have an influence on your property investment.

Our wish for you is that 2017 will be a prosperous year for you and your loved ones. Those of you who will be travelling over this time, we wish you a safe journey and trust that all our readers will return to their responsibilities with new vigour and zest in the new year.

The year is speeding to an end and for the past month or so a visit to shopping centres already entailed the sound of Jingle Bells and songs of people Dreaming of a White Christmas as part of the shopping experience.

Most enterprises will close for the Festive period so that their employees can take a well deserved break. The same applies to

the VPM Team. We therefore advise that our offices will close at midday on 23 December 2016 and again reopen on 3 January 2017. Unfortunately, drains will continue to block and pipes to burst over this period, regardless of the holidays! But rest assured: there is no cause for panic as we will have a dedicated standby team ready to manage all urgent issues.

On behalf of the VPM Team we wish all our readers a Joyous and Blessed Christmas. We trust that the true meaning of Christmas will not pass you by this year, as could so easily happen in this materialistic world with its tinsel and glitter. PRINCIPAL - VON WIELLIGH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

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DEAR

OUR WISH LIST FOR THE FESTIVE PERIOD

At this time of the year we are normally inundated with complaints of things that go wrong in complexes. In an effort to curb any incidents where residents get hot under the collar for one another in matters that could be prevented, we take this opportunity to discuss most of the common ‘sins’ that lead to unhappy residents in complexes today.

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Proceed on holiday without arranging adequate care for your animals. Merely arranging for it to be fed is not enough. Some dogs left alone for extended periods may howl for days and nights on end, causing a nuisance to other residents in the complex.

Arm your house alarm, unless it is linked to a reputable armed response service which has the ability to disarm it. Alternatively, you should hand a set of keys to your house to a trusted neighbour to disarm, if it is set off. Those of you who have had to endure screaming alarms previously will know exactly what we are talking about.

Thou shalt not...

Page 5OUR WISH LIST FOR THE FESTIVE PERIOD (CONT . . . )

Allow young children to carry the remote control of complex gates. Young children can very easily be overpowered. If a re-mote control lands in the wrong hands, the security and safety of all other residents are jeopardised.

Cause a nuisance to other residents by hosting prolonged, noisy parties. We all have social get-togethers from time to time, but there are clear restrictions by what time gatherings are required to cease, as contained in the Complex Rules. Considerate behaviour towards fellow resi-dents is always appreciated.

Detonate fireworks of any nature or description anywhere in the complex. Apart from it being against the law, it is also a transgression of the Complex Rules. Those who make themselves guilty of this offence will be fined and risk being reported to the SAPS.

Have visitors over and allow them to use parking bays allocated to other residents, or to park on the common property. This is a definite no-no and the easiest way to get other residents up in arms! Remember: if no visitors’ parking bays are available in the complex, then visitors need to park outside the complex.

Page 6OUR WISH LIST FOR THE FESTIVE PERIOD (CONT . . . )

Allow children to use the swimming pool without adult supervision, if they are younger than 12 years old, or cannot swim.

We have one life … let’s cherish it. Drowning accidents happen daily. You do not want to become part of the statistics. Better safe than sorry!

Cause a nuisance to your neighbours by setting the volume on the TV or music centre so high that it can be heard in other units. Need we say more?

It all comes back to considerate behaviour …

Leave small children in the complex without adult supervision to roam unattended for extended periods. Unbelievable but true: some parents leave their small children to play in the complex, without any supervision! Children sometimes really get up to mischief, even acts of vandalism in some instances. Parents remain responsible for the conduct of their children.

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The 7 deadly sinsof renting

Since many lease agreements are signed at this time of the year, we thought it wise to share the following information with you as it could be helpful when you draw up your agreement with proposed tenants.

Landlords who make themselves guilty of the seven sins of renting are at risk of financial loss, prolonged stress and damage to their properties. We therefore recommend that you avoid the following:

INADEQUATE SCREENING OF TENANTSNever accept tenants on face value, as they are often desperate to find a home and may resort to saying or doing anything to gain your trust. Protect your investment and yourself:• Complete a thorough credit screening with a recognised credit

bureau.• Verify their employment and income, covering at least three times

the monthly rent.• Keep a copy of their ID/visa or immigration status.• Contact at least the last two landlords or rental agents listed as

references.• Do a Google or Facebook search to see if they are a good personal

fit for your property.

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POORLY STRUCTURED LEASE AGREEMENTA lease must be legally drawn up with clauses in line with current legislation and all parties’ interests and rights outlined. Apart from the main elements of the lease being the parties, premises, rental amount and dates, there are several other crucial elements that must also be included:

• Which party is responsible for repairs and maintenance?• Who must pay for the upkeep of the garden and servicing of the pool?• Who must pay for which utilities and how will they be paid?• House rules that the tenants must follow in a sectional title unit.• How will the lease be renewed on the anniversary of the lease?

INSUFFICIENT DAMAGE DEPOSITA critical error made by agents and landlords is not taking sufficient damage deposits. Traditionally, a one-month deposit was the norm, but with tenants under greater financial pressure, a minimum of two-month deposit is the requirement today.

It is important to bear in mind that the legal costs of dealing with a defaulting tenant will also add up, so taking a two-month deposit is a bare minimum.

RENT DUE ON THE SEVENTHThe lease is the indicator of when the rent is due and failure to pay the rent by such agreed date will render the tenant in breach of tenancy. An insidious urban myth often rears its head in rentals where tenants are under the misguided notion that there is a common law ‘grace period for payment, giving them until the seventh of the month to pay.’ As a landlord, you need to ensure that tenants understand the payment method and due date, as well as the consequent results for late payments.

FAILURE TO DO INSPECTIONS AND MAKE RECORDSLandlords are now required by law to do an incoming and outgoing inspection. Neglecting to do this is a cause of more disputes than any other, and landlords should treat this as a priority. Landlords and/or agents must jointly inspect the property at commencement and termination of a lease and make a good record of the current state of repair of the property. Many landlords neglect this exercise and pay heavily for it at the termination of the lease as deductions will be disallowed by a Rental Housing Tribunal in the absence of good record. A good idea would be to take a video of the property with a digital camera or smart phone, which could then be safely stored for future reference.

THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF RENTING (CONT . . .) Page 9

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FAILURE TO PLAN AND EXECUTE MAINTENANCEA Landlord is obliged to offer the property you rent in a fit and habitable condition. A percentage of rental income should ideally be earmarked towards maintenance of your property. This will ensure that you continue to attract good tenants: remember, happy tenants = good tenants!

FAILURE TO GIVE ADEQUATE NOTICE OF BREACHLandlords should efficiently and swiftly advise tenants in writing of a breach of tenancy. Do not hesitate to notify a tenant of their breach of tenancy by the third day of the month if rent is due on the first – it sets a clear boundary and it means if legal action is necessary that you have already expedited the process to it may escalate to a court of law.

Avoiding these seven deadly sins will ensure that tenants are happy and landlords are able to make the most out of their property rental portfolio.

Adapted from REMAX press release

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THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF RENTING (CONT . . .) Page 10

MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE OVER THE FESTIVE PERIODIt is important that owners distinguish between which URGENT maintenance issues remains their responsibility, and which fall under the responsibility of Von Wielligh Property Management over the Christmas and New Year break.

Herewith most of the issues that VPM will attend to over the festive period:

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• Burst geysers• Blocked drains• Water leaks• Blocked sewerage systems

• Complex gate not operational• Electric fence not operational• Problems with electricity supply to

common property

Important message: Since our offices will be closed between 23 December 2016 and 2 January 2017, no new cell phone numbers will be added onto G-switch data base systems. Please ensure that you have this done prior to our offices closing for the Christmas break.

Ian Muir, Johnny Mans and Jackie Szezinski (complex managers) will take turns to be on standby over this period.

Ian Muir 082 611 9140 23 – 26 Dec 2016Johnny Mans 082 925 7480 27 – 30 Dec 2016Jackie Szezinski 079 876 7230 31 Dec 2016 – 3 Jan 2017

Please note that complex managers who are not on standby will not be required to man their cell phones.

PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW FOR URGENT MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE:

• For those who do not have the contact numbers of the complex managers readily available, contact our offices (014 – 592 5919) and you will by means of a pre-recorded message receive information on which complex manager is on standby at that specific time.

• The relevant complex manager will contact the maintenance team.

• The maintenance team will be deployed to attend to the problem.

MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE OVER THE FESTIVE PERIOD (CONT . . .) Page 12

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Christmas tree ideas

Dare to be different in your choice of christmas tree this year! It need not cost an arm or a leg to make a statement: these bohemian styled ones are affordable, unique and quite lovely!

Alternative

Christmas RecipeSHERRY TRIFLE

This traditional trifle recipe couldn’t be easier, use ready-made custard and sponge to save time.

By Antony Worrall Thompson

Ingredients• 1 packet trifle sponges, broken into 5cm pieces• ½ packet of amaretti biscuits or 150g macaroons

or ratafias• 150ml sweet sherry• 1 tbsp cognac• 4 tbsp blackberry or raspberry jam• 450g fresh blackberries• 450g fresh raspberries• 85g toasted flaked almonds• 600ml ready-made custard

For the syllabub topping• 125ml sherry• 2 tbsp brandy• 1 lemon, juice only• 55g caster sugar• 425mldouble cream• freshly grated nutmeg

To garnish• 2 oranges, grated zest only• 85g flaked almonds

Method

1. Lay the sponge pieces and biscuits in the base of a deep glass dish. Spoon over the sherry and cognac and leave to soak in for a few minutes.

2. Warm the jam until it is runny then pour over the soaked sponge and biscuits. Sprinkle the fruit and flaked almonds on top then pour over the custard.

3. To make the syllabub topping, place the sherry, brandy and lemon juice into a bowl and stir in the sugar until it dissolves.

4. Pour in the cream with a pinch of nutmeg. Whisk together using a wire balloon whisk until it holds its shape. Don’t over-whisk, or whisk too vigorously, as the cream may split.

5. Spoon the syllabub over the trifle and chill, preferably overnight.

6. Just before serving, scatter with the grated orange rind and/or flaked toasted almonds.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sherrytrifle_76387

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is the best medicine

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the

human face.” - Victor Hugo

mailto:andrev%40deltromanzi.co.za?subject=Estate%20Magazine%20Enquiry

We wish all our readers a MERRY CHRISTMAS & A PROSPERIOUS NEW YEAR!

PLEASE NOTE:Our offices will close at 13:00 on 23 December 2016 and re-open on 3 January 2017.

Your VPM TEam

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