Knysna Hotel CC v Coetzee NO

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Judge: Eksteen AR, F H Grosskopf AR, Nienaber AR, Olivier AR, Van Coller Wn AR
• Judgment Date: 01 December 1997
• Citation: 1998 (2) SA 743 (SCA)
• Docket Number: 396/96
• Hearing Date: 21 November 1997
• Counsel: D A Stephens vir die appellant R S Van Riet (bygestaan deur S T Ryke) vir die respondent
• Court: Supreme Court of Appeal

Eksteen AR:

Op 13 Julie 1979 is mnr Petrus Cornelius Barnard ('Barnard') en sy vrou in die huwelik bevestig, C en op 16 November 1987 is hierdie huwelik deur 'n egskeiding beëindig. Dit het egter nie 'n einde gebring aan die ongeluk van die paar nie. Barnard is op 24 November 1989 gesekwestreer en sy gewese vrou, mev D Valerie Patricia Barnard, het op 30 Augustus 1990 dieselfde paadjie geloop. Die respondent in hierdie saak is op 22 Februarie 1990 as kurator in Barnard se insolvente boedel aangestel. Ene Leonard Cohen ('Cohen') is mettertyd as kurator in mev Barnard se insolvente boedel aangestel.

Barnard en sy vrou was in gemeenskap van goedere getroud en een van die bates in hul gemeenskaplike boedel E was erf 4263 in die dorpsgebied van Knysna. Die erf is in 1985 in die name van albei die eggenote geregistreer. By die ontbinding van die huwelik is 'n akte van dading aangegaan waarin daar onder andere bloot bepaal is dat die roerende en onroerende bates in die boedel verdeel sou word. Die registrasie van die erf het onveranderd gebly.

Op 9 Augustus 1990 het respondent in sy hoedanigheid as kurator in Barnard se insolvente boedel 'n F koopkontrak aangegaan waarin hy bogemelde erf aan die appellant verkoop het. Die kontrak bepaal in klousule 3(a) daarvan, onder andere, dat die koopprys R319 852,89 sal wees

'less the amounts of any releases delivered to or received by the seller prior to the registration of transfer of the property G into the name of the purchaser'.

Voorts bepaal die kontrak soos volg:

'4. Within 30 days from the date of the last signature to this agreement, the purchaser shall procure the issue of suitable H and acceptable bank guarantees to the seller in respect of the purchase price or such lesser figure as is determined in terms of clause 3 above. . . .

6. The purchaser acknowledges that:

(a)

. . .

(b)

. . .

(c)

. . . I

(d)

it is obliged to discharge the indebtedness of the insolvent estate to creditors and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless the trustee in respect of any such creditors' claims irrespective of when those claims are made against the trustee. The trustee agrees that the purchaser shall be entitled to prosecute and/or defend such creditors' claims at its own expense but in the name of the trustee and is entitled to do all things and sign all documents on behalf of the trustee to give effect to the provisions of this clause. J

Eksteen AR

. . . A

8. With effect from the date of registration of transfer all the benefits and risks of ownership of the property shall pass to the purchaser.

9. The parties acknowledge that the purchaser has been in occupation of the premises and the business conducted therefrom. . . .

10. The purchaser shall, on demand by the conveyancer (who shall attend to the transfer of the property from the B purchaser to the seller (sic)) pay all expenses of and incidental to the registration of transfer of the property into the name of the purchaser, . . . .

. . .

12(a) This agreement constitutes the sole and entire agreement between the parties and no warranties, representations, guarantees or other terms and conditions of whatsoever nature not contained or recorded herein shall C be of any force or effect.'

Reeds op 4 September 1990 het respondent, handelend in die uitvoering van sy kontraktuele verpligting wat hy op homself geneem het, 'n volmag aan die prokureur, Hendrik Jan Palma, verleen om oordrag van die erf aan appellant in die akteskantoor te laat registreer. In hierdie volmag beweer die respondent dat hy in sy D hoedanigheid as kurator in beide die insolvente boedels van Barnard en van sy gewese vrou optree, en voorts dat dié twee nog in gemeenskap van goedere getroud was. Albei hierdie bewerings was onjuis en respondent moes dit besef het. Die bewerings was egter nodig om die registrateur van aktes te oorreed om oordrag van die erf te registreer. E

Die erf is dan ook op 21 September 1990 in die naam van die appellant geregistreer onder titelakte T57092/1990.

Alles het daarna stil verloop tot 7 Maart 1991 toe Cohen, in sy hoedanigheid as kurator in die boedel van mev Barnard, 'n aansoek in die Kaapse Afdeling geloods het waarin hy die rojering van die registrasie van die oordrag F van die erf geëis het...