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MONOPOLY CITY STREETS
San Francisco - Google and Monopoly maker Hasbro on Wednesday launched a new version of the famous board game, which transfers the action from a rectangular piece of cardboard to the simulated world of Google Maps.
Called Monopoly City Streets, the game will run for four months online. Players are given three million Monopoly dollars to buy whatever streets they want anywhere in the world, and then construct buildings on them and charge rent.
Prices are calculated according to an algorithm that takes into account their length and proximity to major landmarks and town centres. Chance cards offer the ability to add bonus buildings, or in another Monopoly innovation, damage a competitor's property by building undesirable features like sewage farms nearby.
The collaboration was dreamed up by Hasbro's ad agency as a way to show that even in the digital age the 75-year-old board game retains its relevance.
However, they might have underestimated just how relevant it remains. The site crashed soon after launch as thousands of players scrambled to sign up and snag the best properties. - Sapa-dpa
HOW TO DEAL WITH RECALCITRANT TENANTS
Weekend Property supplement (Saturday Argus) - Monday Dec 14, 2009 
Landlords are protected against non-paying tenants, but the legal process can be time-consuming.
The frequently heard complaint that some of our laws make it harder to collect rentals is by and large justified, says Grant Gunston, senior partner of Grant Gunston Attorneys. This has become increasingly apparent with the recession.
"In our practice's rental and levy collection department we now have about 500 debtors. This is a two- or three-fold increase on the numbers from early 2008. Particularly worrying is that the number of evictions now being applied for has increased by roughly the same factor."
Many landlords find it frustrating that, although the law does offer them protection from tenants who breach their lease agreements, the legal process can be time-consuming and costly, particularly if the landlord has to fund these bond repayments on his own for three or more months, says Grethe Loof, head of Gunston Attorneys' rent and levy collections.
"The whole cancellation/eviction process will usually take three months," says Loof. "Once the tenant has defaulted on the lease agreement by non-payment, late payment or in some other way, the landlord has the right to cancel the lease forthwith, except in those cases where the lease specifies that a written demand has first to be seen. Usually the landlord can cancel immediately, but sometimes he will be obliged to give the tenant a further seven days to find the money.
"Once the lease is cancelled, it is possible that the tenant will not leave and an eviction order has to be applied for. The PIE Act (the Prevention of Illegal Evictions Act) stipulates that 30 days' notice must be given where there is a lease agreement on a month-to-month basis. Having cancelled the lease, the landlord can apply for an eviction by means of an ex-parte application, signed by the magistrate in his chambers and at this point a date will be set for the tenant to appear in court. The signed application will be served on the tenant by the sheriff 14 days before the court date and only on that date can eviction be ordered by the magistrate."
Gunston says many landlords are not aware that this application must be brought within three months of cancellation of the lease agreement. If this is not done, the act places certain responsibilities on the owner before eviction can take place.
If the tenant does appear in court his circumstances will be enquired into and in general he is given at least 30 days before the eviction
comes into effect. If he is still occupying the property after the lapse of the time stipulated by the court, the sheriff will be authorised by the court to evict him. This can even involve placing his goods and furniture on the street or in the sheriff's store as well as replacing all the locks on the property.
The drastic eviction process, says Loof, occurs only in a relatively few cases.
"a landlord can get the sheriff to attach some or all of the tenant's goods as soon as a summons or a seven-day letter of demand (in terms of the Section 32 of the Magistrates Act) have been issued. After this the tenant is not allowed to remove the goods. Once goods are attached, the tenant will often find the rent due or begin negotiations."
Gunston says the buy-to-rent market is worth investigating because residential properties are available at a discount to former prices and so offer better returns.
"Many problems can be avoided if the landlord employs an agent who knows how to carry out credit and reference checks."
WHAT THE COUNCIL HAS DONE IS TERRIBLE
Graeme Hosken - August 20 2009 at 06:13AM
'What the city did is wrong. I am going to ensure that they pay for what they have done to my family and rebuild my house." These were the angry words of Pretoria homeowner Carl Beukes, whose Faerie Glen home was demolished by the council earlier this month, allegedly because he refused to obey a court order.
The court order, a copy of which is in the Pretoria News's possession, said Beukes was to vacate his property until it was safe for human habitation; that he should stop using the property's additional structures as a commune until the necessary certificates had been issued; that he should remove his and his tenants' belongings from the premises; and, submit building plans for the alterations he had done to his property. The order also gives the council permission to demolish the house if Beukes fails to comply with the court's instructions.
While the council claims Beukes had failed to abide by the order and was in contempt of court, Beukes is adamant that he is not. He said his plans were originally approved, but the municipality withdrew their approval because they believed he provided false information for the approval of the plans. "Here are my plans. Here is the council stamp which shows that my plans were approved and my alterations are legal," he said showing the documents to the News. Beukes said he was contesting the council's allegations that he was in contempt of a 2006 Pretoria High Court order.
"I have done everything that I was meant to have done. Legally I am in the right. What the council has done is terrible. Their destruction of my house has left my family without a roof over our heads. "They have forced us out on to the streets," he said. He added: "Why is the council worried about my house when they can't even fix up their own buildings. Look at Kruger and Schubart Park. Those buildings are falling apart and the council should be embarrassed about the condition they are in." He said he was looking forward to his day in court next month, "where the truth will be revealed".
"The council said I have provided false information in obtaining approval for the plans, but when I asked them to show me what false information I had given them they could not," he said. He said during the demolition the council not only damaged the original part of his home making it uninhabitable, but also destroyed antique furniture handed down generations of his family. "How am I going to replace what they have destroyed? There is no price that can be put to what the council has destroyed. "Not only have they destroyed my house, but they have also destroyed my family's history. "I want the council to pay for what they have done. I want them to say sorry and to admit that they were wrong," he said.
At the time of going to press the City Council had not responded to questions e-mailed to them.
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RENTALS
DA: GOVT MUST ACT ON N2 GATEWAY RENTALS
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Aug 24 2009 13:29
Government must act to sort out problems with the payment of rentals by tenants at Cape Town's N2 Gateway housing project, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday.
"The Department of Human Settlements has admitted that it has only been able to recover just over R600 000 in rentals, despite being owed close to R7,5-million by the occupants over the [past year]," DA human settlements spokesperson Butch Steyn said in a statement.
According to the department, rentals collected declined from 19% in July 2008 to 4% last month.
"Despite the fact that tenants give poor workmanship and lack of maintenance as key reasons for why they are not paying their rentals, only R180 000 has been spent on maintenance over the same period.
"The department must act to normalise this situation by either attending to the genuine complaints by the tenants, after which they must fulfil their obligations, or evict the errant tenants and replace them with deserving people who are looking for subsidised rental accommodation."
Steyn said the DA would be carrying out its own fact-finding mission to determine how "real" problems were at the project. -- Sapa
THE PROPERTY MARKET
'WIDESPREAD LACK OF REALISM IN THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET'
Monday Dec 14, 2009 - Property Guide (Sunday Tribune)
THERE are some essential tips to guide sellers who want to close a property deal, according to Adrian Goslett, assistant regional director of Re/Max Southern Africa.
"Homes have been sitting on the market for longer. And while a rosier picture of the property market is predicted for 2010, sellers and estate agents will have to pull out all the stops marketing a property."
Quoting FNB Home Loans property strategist John Loos, Goslett said there was a widespread lack of realism in the residential market, with most sellers ultimately having to drop their asking prices.
Goslett said FNB put the average time houses were on the market down from a high of 21 weeks and a day in the second quarter of 2009 to 16 weeks and four days in the third.
But he said sellers had to establish what the market was willing to pay for a house.
"A property is worth only what buyers are willing to pay. Home owners can get deeds office data to help them compare prices of properties recently sold in an area.
"This data is accessible through subscriptions to a company that compiles the trends in specific areas based on property transfers.
"Compare your property to the properties sold in your area by taking location, size and amenities into consideration.
"Also compare your property to other properties currently for sale in your area. But remember that the asking price published in advertising material is often different from the actual price achieved."
Goslett said sellers should ensure that swimming pools were in good condition and leaking taps and broken shower doors were repaired before show days.
Another tip was to get rid of clutter and unwanted accessories that could prevent buyers from visualising their own possessions and lifestyle in a home.
"Not all people are animal lovers. Move your puppy's sleeping pillow out of the spare room. The same goes for pet food and water bowls in kitchens.
"Rather welcome buyers with the aroma of freshly ground coffee or the smell of freshly picked flowers in your home."
Goslett said sellers should ask their estate agents to determine a potential buyer's ability to obtain a bond and raise a deposit.
"By doing so, you can speed up the purchasing process once an offer to purchase has been signed and avoid the frustration of having to wait for bond approval."
Goslett advised watching out for subject-to agreements where a buyer made an offer to buy your property contingent on the sale of his or her own home.
"A good estate agent will be able to advise you on how long the buyer's property will be on the market and what price the buyer can expect. Ensure that the agreement has a clause allowing you to consider other favourable offers while you wait for the first buyer's property to get sold," Goslett said.
