reaps his benefit for a particular crop. If the mortgagor wishes to redeem, he must give prior
notice to the mortgagee so that the mortgagee does not invest for the next seasonal crop.
We foresee the following problems arising out of such an arrangement:
•
Where the mortgagee has leased farming land or rented residential or business premises
to a third party and the third party is in possession.
•
Where the mortgagee was unable to make a profit out of the possession of the
mortgaged property and, therefore, now seeks interest for the money he advanced.
•
Where the mortgagor is unable to pay the capital, but requires the property to live when
he returns to the original place of abode following displacement.
In cases where, there is an urgent necessity to resume residence or to eke out a day to day
living on the part of the mortgagor, some alternate security method should be introduced to
secure the debt due to the mortgagee and return the property to the mortgagor.
In other circumstances, the mortgagee can vindicate his claim through the existing
provisions of the Mortgage Act No.11 of 1953. The rule of prescription to sue on the bond
might, however, pose a problem since the courts in the conflict-affected areas have not
functioned for some years. We suggest, therefore, that the relevant provisions of the
Mortgage Act be suitably amended to enable the mortgagee to sue on the bond, if he was
not able to do so within the prescribed period due to displacement or non-functionality of
courts.
ii)
Property subject to conditional sale
The applicable law is: Debt Conciliations Board Act No.39 of 1941 and Common law
The incidence of conditional sale is very high in the Northern Province. It is a transfer with the
right of the vendor to re-purchase the parcel of land from the transferee within a specified
period of time on repayment of a certain sum of money. The general principles of the law of
contract and the Debt Conciliations Board Act No.39 of 1941 apply to most cases. The
problems that could arise are:
FOR THE ORIGINAL TRANSFEREE •
•
•
On execution of the conditional transfer, the transferee does not get possession of the
land although he pays the stipulated sum of money.
Although the stipulated time has elapsed and the conditions have been fulfilled, the
original transferor does not repay the sum of money within the stipulated period.
The transferee is unable to obtain possession because either the original transferor is in
possession or an IDP is now in possession.
FOR THE ORIGINAL TRANSFEROR •
The original transferor was and is ready and willing to pay the money but is unable to find
the transferee.
•
The original transferor having been displaced now finds an IDP in possession and is unable
to ascertain his claim because the ownership still rests with the transferee.
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