The tricky problem with repossessed houses
A prospective home buyer claims that he is R30 000 poorer after attempting to buy a house through Annica van Staden and Sonja Bruyns.
The man claims that he met with Mrs Van Staden and Bruyns at McDonald’s in 2012 after reacting to an advert on a lamp post offering houses for sale.
He was given several addresses in Mhluzi to choose from. The man claims that they agreed on a selling price of R195 000 for a house in Extension 1.
He met the women at McDonald’s again to sign the paperwork. The sales agreement lists Tusculum Properties and/or Nominees as the seller. The man says that he gave them his personal documents so they could apply for a home loan on his behalf.
He alleges that the women told him that he has to pay R30 000 upfront before the home loan could be approved. He deposited the amount into a trust account belonging to Quarante at Nedbank in November 2012.
Information from a trusted source said the money paid upfront was for the eviction of occupants of the repossessed house, and not a deposit.
From there it has been dead quiet, the man claims. Initial promises that they are busy with the eviction have resulted in nothing. When he went to enquire at the bank himself, he was told that his application for a home loan has been declined.
“They told me that they will do everything. I will simply get the key and move into my new house. Now they are not answering my calls anymore.”
Mrs Van Staden told the Middelburg Observer that she simply worked for Mrs Bruyns and that the money was always paid into Quarante Properties’ account and not her own.
She also claimed that Mrs Bruyns impersonates her and uses her identity documents and sales agreement contracts as her own.
She said that she often accompanied Mrs Bruyns and sometimes did the talking making home buyers think that she was the person receiving the money and defrauding people.Mrs Bruyns says that she will not be involved in a smearing campaign with her former colleague.
She declined to answer particulars of the case, saying that she and Mrs Van Staden are currently locked in a vicious high court battle and that comment could jeopardise the matter.
Mrs Bruyns did however say that clients are not always telling an accurate story, and that the sale of repossessed houses is a tricky process which often takes longer than expected.
She said that money from several clients’ are safely being kept in an attorney’s trust fund until the court case concludes after which it will be paid back to its rightful owners.
• Contact Jana Boshoff at the Middelburg Observer on 013 243 1434 or send an email to jana@mobserver.co.za.
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