10A attached by the City of Johannesburg
WESTDENE – Pay up or lose your property, City of Johannesburg tells building owner.
The City of Johannesburg has taken another step in resolving the infamous 10A property, as they have now attached the property.
The City vowed to address the issues caused by a hijacked building in Westdene that has become the source of many residents’ anger and frustration, as reported online in the article Westdene residents look for answers on infamous property [8 May]. Poppy Louw, stakeholder manager in the office of development planning, explained the progress on the matter. “In March, the City attached the property and gave a letter to the owner on what has to be done to reverse this attachment.”
The attachment states that the City will attempt to take the property from the owner and return it to a state of adequate and by-law-following conditions.
Number 10A is the infamous Westdene property that was abandoned years ago and has now become a dilapidated health and safety hazard for many, including children. The property has no running water or electricity. Residents around the property also believe that the property is home to criminals in the area and that the police are not doing enough to find and arrest these criminals.
According to Louw, the owner’s legal team has been in contact with the City to resolve the issue. The legal team was told that they would need to pay a series of fees for overdue rates, legal action, attachment process and arrears of the municipal bill. Once this is done, the owner will need to ensure that all the occupants of the building are evicted, in a proper legal process.
The City still awaits feedback from 10a’s legal representatives on the recommendations given to reverse the attachment. Louw said, “We haven’t received any feedback from them but we have told them what they need to do to avoid the bond cancellation of this property.”
She added that the owner and his legal team need to come on board to put an end to this issue. Louw also said this should prove to residents that they are hard at work to end this battle.
Related article:
No arrests made by Sophiatown police following the raid of Westdene’s notorious 10A property
