Encroachment Do our courts have a discretion as to the resolution of a dispute between the parties PDF

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Encroachment: Do our courts have a discretion as to the resolution of adispute between the parties?JONATHAN SMITH (BCom LLB)IntroductionIt invariably occurs that a property­owner c...

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Encroachment:Doourcourtshaveadiscretionastotheresolutionofa disputebetweentheparties? JONATHANSMITH(BComLLB)

Introduction Itinvariablyoccursthatapropertyownerconstructsanimprovementacrosstheboundaryofhis orherpropertywhetherinnocently,negligentlyorintentionallysothattheimprovementlies partiallyontheadjacentproperty. InSouthAfricanlaw,theownerofthelandisalsotheownerof,interalia,theimprovementson thatland,asownershipofthelandandtheimprovementsthereoncannotbeseparated. Thus,whereapropertyownerhasconstructedanimprovementacrossaboundary,theadjacent andaffectedlandownermayseekanordertohavethebuildingremovedor,asanalternative, mayseekfinancialcompensationfortheprejudicethatarisesfromtheincorrectlyconstructed improvementonhisorherland. Thequestion,inlaw,iswhatcircumstanceswilldeterminewhetheranoffendingpropertyowner mustremovehisorherimprovement(onanadjacentpropertyowner'sland)or,asanalternative remedy,berequiredtocompensatetheadjacentlandowner. ThefactsinTrusteesoftheBrianLackeyTrustvAnnandale 2003(4)AllSA528(C)areprecisely alignedtothisproblemandthejudgementcontainsaverypreciseandinsightfulreviewofourlaw insuchcircumstances. Inthisinstance,theownerofaconsolidatederfatPortOwenMarinaonthewestcoastofSouth AfricaimplementedtheconstructionofaR3millionresidenceonwhathethoughttobehis vacantland. Abuildinginspectorsubsequentlyrevealedthatthehousehadbeenincorrectlyconstructed acrosstheboundaryoftheconsolidatederfandtheadjoiningpropertyowner'slandsothat approximatelyeightypercentofthedevelopmentlayontheneighbour'sproperty.Thisbecame appar en ttoth ebu ildin gin spector an dth epr oper tyown er swh en th eimpr ovemen twas approximatelyseventyfivepercentcomplete. istheconstitutionbreachedifpropertyownersaredeprivedoflandthroughcourtorders OneoftheissuesbeforethecourtwaswhetherourConstitutionwouldbebreachedifthe prejudicedpropertyowner(thedefendant)wasdeprivedofhislandthroughacourtorderwhich causedhislandtobetransferredtotheoffendingneighbouratasuitablecompensation. OurConstitutionstatesthat(atsection25(1),"Noonemaybedeprivedofpropertyexceptin termsoflawofgeneralapplication,andnolawmaypermitarbitrarydeprivationofproperty." Thequestion,therefore,iswhetherthelawofgeneralapplicationincludesanordergrantedbya courtasaresultofthecircumstancescontainedinthiscase. Thelearnedjudge,incasu,referredtoapassageinLAWSAandwhichpassageaddressesthis matter 1: "Whenalandownererectsastructureonhislandhemusttakecarethathedoesnotencroachonhis neighbour'sland.Thisruleofneighbourlawisnotonlyapplicableincaseswherethebuildingitselfor itsfoundationsencroachonneighbouringlandbutalsowhereroofs,balconiesorotherprojections encroachontheairspaceaboveaneighbour'sland. Inthecaseofencroachingstructurestheownerofthelandwhichisencroacheduponcanapproach thecourtforanordercompellinghisneighbourtoremovetheencroachment....Despitetheabove rulethecourtcan,initsdiscretion,inordertoreachanequitableandreasonablesolution,orderthe paymentofcompensationratherthantheremovalofthestructure.Thisdiscretionisusually exercisedincaseswherethecostofremovalwouldbedisproportionatetothebenefitderivedfrom theremoval. Ifthecourtconsidersitequitableitcanorderthattheencroachingownertaketransferoftheportion ofthelandwhichhasbeenencroachedon.Insuchcircumstancestheaggrievedpartyisentitledto paymentforthatportionofland,costsinrespectofthetransferofthelandaswellassolatiumon accountoftrespassandinvoluntarydeprivationofportionofhisland."(Thelearnedjudge's emphasis.)

Thusthecourtwasfaced,inthisinstance,withthequestionastowhetherthecourthasa discretiontodecidebetweenorderingtheremovaloftheoffendingstructureorwhethertoorder thatthedefendantsellhispropertytotheplaintiff. Thecourtreferredtothedefendant'ssubmissionofvariouscaselawregardingencroachment, whereinthedefendant'scounselhaddetailedthecircumstancesinwhichtherespectivecourts hadorderedthattheencroachmentsberemovedfromtheinnocentowner'sproperty.Ofequal importance,however,asthelearnedjudgepointedout,isthatnoneofthejudgmentstowhich

thedefendant'slegalteamreferredsuggestedthatacourtmaynotuseitsdiscretionwhen decidingcasesofthisnature. Furthermore,inthisinstance,thecourthadbeencalledupontodecideinasituationwherethe encroachmentwasofasubstantialnature.Thisparticularencroachmentwould,ifitwereremoved throughacourtorder,causesubstantialfinanciallosstotheplaintiff. Asthecourtpointedout,noneofthecourtsreferredtohaddeclinedtoexercisetheirdiscretion. Itwas,asitwere,merelyfortuitousthattheinnocentpartyhadreceivedthebeneficialdecisionin eachinstance. Inhisfurtheranalysisoftheargumentsprovided,thelearnedjudgealsoremindedthecourtof thenecessitytoapproachEnglishlawwhichpromotestheawardingofaninterdictinfavourof theinnocentparty(thepartywhohassufferedtheencroachment)withcaution. Hisreminder,inthisinstance,wasthatSouthAfricahasadifferentsetoflawsregardingproperty andthetwosetsoflawsshouldnotbeconfused.Insupportofthis,hequotedVanderMerwe, whopointsout2,"thelawofthingsisoneofthebranchesof[SouthAfrican]law...inwhichthe principlesofEnglishlawplayaverysubordinaterole";orasSchreinerputit:3" Ou r lawo f propertyoweslittletoEnglishlaw." Inconclusionofhisdiscussionregardingtheapplicationoftheworkingrule,sometimesappliedin situationsofencroachment,thelearnedjudgereferredtotheShelfercase,wherethe"rule"was originallyenunciatedandwhereLINDLEYLJexpressedhimselfasfollowsinaconcurring judgment:4 "Withoutdenyingthejurisdictiontoawarddamagesinsteadofaninjunction,evenincasesof continuingactionablenuisances,suchjurisdictionoughtnottobeexercisedinsuchcasesexcept underveryexceptionalcircumstances.Iwillnotattempttospecifythem,ortolaydownrulesforthe exerciseofjudicialdiscretion.Itissufficienttorefer,bywayofexample,totrivialandoccasional nuisances:casesinwhichaplaintiffhasshownthatheonlywantsmoney;vexatiousandoppressive cases;andcaseswhereplaintiffhassoconductedhimselfastorenderitunjusttogivehimmore thanpecuniaryrelief.Insuchcasesasthese,andinallotherswhereanactionfordamagesisreally anadequateremedyaswheretheactscomplainedofarealreadyfinishedaninjunctioncanbe properlyrefused." (Thelearnedjudge'semphasis.)

Conclusion Thecourtsubsequentlyconcludedthatitdid,indeed,haveadiscretionastowhetheritshould interdicttheplaintifftoremovetheoffendingencroachmentorordertheplaintifftocompensate thedefendant. And,inexercisingitsdiscretion,thecourtorderedthattheplaintiffwouldbedisproportionately prejudicedifheweremadetoremovetheencroachment. Thesubsequentorderwasinfavouroftheplaintiffwhowascompelledtocompensatethe innocentparty(thedefendant)(althoughnoorderforaquantumwashandeddown). Thiscasehastheeffectofclarifyingthelawofneighboursbyconfirmingthatourcourtsmay, indeed,compensateavictimofencroachment,wheretheinterdictwouldprejudiceaparty disproportionately.p4

Footnotes 1 2 3 4

Vol27FirstReissue(2002)SvThingsparagraph[317](footnotesomitted) Lawsaopcitparagraph196 ContributionofEnglishLawtoSouthAfricanLaw40(asquotedinLawsaopcitparagraph196footnote1) Atpages316317...