Comparative Perspectives on the Keeping of Animals in Sectional (Strata) Title Schemes

Authors

  • Cornelius G van der Merwe University of Stellenbosch

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2022/v25i0a13909

Keywords:

Animals, trustee approval, sectional title schemes, conduct rules, reasonableness criterion, comparative perspectives

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide comparative perspectives on the keeping of animals in sectional title schemes by analysing the conduct rule for the keeping of animals, reptiles, and birds in the provisions of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act. This investigation is prompted by the approval of new pet rules by the chief ombud and the provisions of the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act on adjudication orders available for nuisance caused by animals. The Act further allows the body corporate to record a new scheme governance rule or to declare a scheme rule invalid. The topics to be discussed are: the types of animal kept in sectional title schemes; the written approval of the trustees for the keeping of animals which may not be withheld unreasonably; whether the body corporate may adopt a scheme rule containing a blanket prohibition on the keeping of animals in a sectional title scheme; the reasonable conditions which may be attached to trustee approval; the withdrawal of approval if the conditions are breached; the requirements for a rule restricting the keeping of a kind of animals or animals with specific characteristics in a scheme; and the deemed approval for the keeping of guide, hearing, and assistance animals in a sectional title scheme.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Bibliography

Literature

Baxter L and Hoexter C Administrative Law (Juta Cape Town 1984)

Booysen J and Van der Merwe CG "A Critical Analysis of the Financial and Social Obligations Imposed on Sectional Owners in Sectional Title Schemes as well as Their Enforcement" 2015 Stell LR 168-189

Civin A and Pereira R "Paws Before Signing on the Dotted Line" 2015 January/February De Rebus 34-35

Durham CM "Save Sweet Sophie! A Case Study of Trustees Withdrawing Consent" 2014 January Paddocks Press Newsletter 4

Durham CM "Permission to Keep Pets" 2014 July Paddocks Press Newsletter 5

Horn JG and Pienaar GJ "Exclusive Use Rights in Terms of the Sectional Title Legislation" 2020 Stell LR 91-109

Kelly A "Pet Stories" 2015 March Paddocks Press Newsletter 2

Paddock G "Withdrawal of Permission to Keep Pets in Sectional Title Schemes" 2019 January Paddocks Press Newsletter 1

Paddock G "South Africa's Leading Sectional Title Academic Confirms that 'No Pets' Rules are Invalid" 2021 June Paddocks Press Newsletter 1

Pienaar GJ and Horn JG Sectional Titles and Other Fragmented Property Schemes 2nd ed (Juta Cape Town 2020)

Pienaar GJ and Horn JG "The Development, Nature and Enforcement of Third Generation Sectional Title Rules" 2020 THRHR 299-317

Van der Merwe CG European Condominium Law (Cambridge University Press Cambridge 2015) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316145487

Van der Merwe CG 2021 "Is a Scheme Rule Prohibiting the Keeping of Animals in a Sectional Title Scheme Invalid? Lessons from the Landmark Decision of the New South Wales Court of Appeal" 2021 TSAR 456-473 DOI: https://doi.org/10.47348/TSAR/2021/i3a3

Van der Merwe CG "Lessons from New South Wales, Queensland, and British Columbia to Assist South Africa in Adequately Regulating the Keeping of Assistance Animals by Disabled Persons in Sectional Title Schemes" 2022 Stell LR forthcoming

Case law

CSOS Adjudications

Cluny Body Corporate v Dewald Barkhuizen CSOS 553/WC/17

Trustees of Body Corporate of Somerset Country Estate v George du Plessis CSOS 00602/KZN/17

New South Wales

Cooper v The Owners – Strata Plan No 58068 [2020] NSWCA 250

Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal

Body Corporate for River City Apartments CTS 31622 v McGarvey [2012] QCAT 47

South Africa

Abraham v Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate Management Association Two (RF) (NPC) (7124/12) [2014] ZAKZDHC 36 (17 September 2014)

Body Corporate of Sandown Village Scheme v A Magnus (D&CLD) (unreported) case number 8556/2000 of 16 August 2001

Body Corporate of the Laguna Ridge Scheme No 152/1987 v Dorse 1999 2 SA 512 (D)

Body Corporate of the Pinewood Park Scheme No 202 v Dellis (Pty) Ltd 2013 1 SA 296 (SCA)

Govender v Naidoo [2019] JOL 42882 (KZD)

Lottering v Palm 2008 2 SA 553 (D)

Wiljay Investments (Pty) Ltd v Body Corporate, Bryanston Crescent 1984 2 SA 722 (T)

Legislation

South Africa

Community Schemes Ombud Service Act 9 of 2011

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,1996

Promotion of Equality and Prohibition of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000

Sectional Titles Act 95 of 1986

Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act 8 of 2011

Australian Commonwealth

Disability Discrimination Act 135 of 1992

British Columbia

Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, 2015 (Ch 17)

Strata Property Act, 1998 (SBC 1998 Ch 43)

New South Wales

Anti-Discrimination Act 48 of 1977

Companion Animals Act 87 of 1998

Conveyancing (Strata Titles) Act 17 of 1961

Customs Act 6 of 1901

Strata Schemes Management Act 50 of 2015

Strata Schemes Management Amendment Act 1 of 2021

Queensland

Body Corporate and Community Management Act 28 of 1997

Guide Dogs Act, 1972

Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act, 2009

Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Amendment Bill, 2015

United States

Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990

Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, 1982

Government publications

British Columbia

Guide Dog and Service Dog Regulation 223 of 2015

New South Wales

Companion Animals Regulations 441 of 2018

Strata Schemes Management Regulation 501 of 2016

Queensland

Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Regulation, 2019

South Africa

City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality By-law Relating to Dogs and Cats, 2006 (N 1334 in Gauteng Provincial Gazette 135 of 10 April 2006)

Sectional Titles Schemes Management Regulations, 2016

International instruments

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2007)

Internet sources

Andreone F 2021 It's an NSW Pets Fest https://gostrata.substack.com/p/its-an-nsw-pets-fest?token/ accessed 27 November 2021

Andreone F 2021 My Strata Companion is an Animal https://gostrata.substack.com/p/my-strata-companion-is-an-animal/ accessed 27 November 2021

Atwood Marshall Lawyers 2020 From the Doghouse to the Penthouse – It's Time to Let the Dogs In https://attwoodmarshall.com.au/by-laws-to-allow-pets/ accessed 7 May 2022

Australian Human Rights Commission 2016 Assistance Animals and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/projects/assistance-animals-and-disability-discrimination-act-1992-cth accessed 23 July 2021

Bannermans Lawyers 2020 Pet Owners in Strata Celebrate! Court of Appeal Invalidates No Pets By-law https://bannermans.com.au/

strata/articles/by-laws/-pet-owners-in-strata-celebrate-court-of-appeal-invalidates-no-pets-by-law-2/ accessed 25 November 2021

British Columbia Government 2021 Guide Dog & Service Dog Certification https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/human-rights/guide-and-service-dog/ accessed 27 November 2021

British Columbia Law Institute 2016 New Rules for Strata Corporations on Guide and Service Dogs in Force Today https://www.dcli.org/new-rules-for-strata-corporations-on-guide-and-service-dpgs-in-force-today/ accessed 27 November 2021

Calabrese Law Associates 2020 What Condominium Owners Should Know About the Changing Pet Policy Landscape and Applicable Laws https://www.calalaw.com/blog/what-condominium-owners-should-know-about-the-changing-pet-policy-landscape-and-applicable-laws/ accessed 27 November 2021

Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2021 Healthy Pets Healthy People https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health-benefits/ accessed 25 November 2021

Cordata Partners 2020 Court Strikes Down "No Pets" Strata By-law https://www.investmentpropertylawyer.com.au/no_pets_strata_by-law.htm accessed 7 May 2022

Disability Info South Africa 2021 Guide Dogs http://disabilityinfosa.co.za/visual-impairments/assistive-devices-equipment/guide-dogs/ accessed 27 November 2021

Ferdman RA and Ingraham C 2014 South Africa is Dog Country https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/family/pets/south-africa-is-dog-country/ accessed 25 November 2021

Grace Lawyers 2016 Assistance Animals and the New NSW Legislation https://sca.associationonline.com.au/news/assistance-animals-and-the-new-nsw-legislation/ accessed 27 November 2021

Heyns and Partners Inc 2018 Can Trustees Ban Your Pet in a Sectional Title Scheme? https://heyns.co.za/2018/05/28/can-trustees-ban/ accessed 27 November 2021

JS Mueller & Co Lawyers 2021 Pets Owners Rejoice https://muellers.com.au/2017/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Pet-Owners-Rejoice.pdf accessed 25 November 2021

Kretschmer E 2015 Pets and Property Prices in Sectional Title Schemes https://paddocksblog.com/2015/04/28/pets-and-property-prices-in-sectional-title-schemes/ accessed 13 March 2021

LookUpStrata 2017 NSW: Q&A Can I Keep Pets in a Strata Building? https://www.lookupstrata.com.au/nsw-pet-rules-for-strata/ accessed 22 May 2022

LookUpStrata Team NSW 2018 Q&A "No Animals Allowed" – Not Even a Companion Animal https://www.lookupstrata.com.au/strata-committee-companion-animal/ accessed 23 July 2021

NSW Office of Local Government 2021 Assistance Animals https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public/dogs-cats/responsible-pet-ownership/assistance-animals/ accessed 23 July 2021

NSW RSPCA Guide 2021 Should I Share my Apartment with a Dog? https://www.rspcansw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/rspca-act-dogs-in-apartments/ accessed 25 November 2021

Pet Industry Association 2021 Pet Ownership Statistics https://piaa.net.au/australian-pet-ownership-statistics/ accessed 25 November 2021

Pet Secure 2021 A Guide to Worldwide Pet Ownership: Worldwide Pet Ownership Statistics: Most Common Pets Around the World https://www.petsecure.com.au/pet-care/a-guide-to-worldwide-pet-ownership/ accessed 25 November 2021

Peta 2022 Dogs in Islam https://www.animalsinislam.com/islam-animal-rights/dogs/ accessed 7 May 2022

POB Lawyers 2020 NSW Court of Appeal Determines Blanket No Pets By-law as Oppressive https://www.pobilawyers.com.au/2020/10/14/cooper-v-the-owners-strata-plan-no-58068-2020-nswca-250-nsw-court-of-appeal-determines-blanket-no-pets-by-law-as-oppressive/ accessed 27 November 2021

Queensland Government: Communities, Disability Services and Seniors 2021 About Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Legislation https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/industry-partners/guide-hearing-assistance-dogs/about-guide-hearing-assistance-dogs-legislation/ accessed 27 November 2021

Rademeyer Attorneys 2016 No Pets Allowed https://www.rademeyer.co.za/no-pets-allowed/ accessed 27 November 2021

Schindler Attorneys 2014 Internal Publications: Body Corporate of the Laguna Ridge Scheme No 152/1987 v Dorse 1999 www.schindlers.co.za/wp-content/uploads/wp-post-to/ accessed 27 November 2021

Werkman's Attorneys 2013 South Africa: Definitions of Disability and the 2011 Census https://www.mondaq.com/southafrica/arbitration-dispute-resolution/147254/definitions-of-disability-and-the-2011-census accessed 23 November 2021

Wikipedia 2022 Service Animals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service animal/ accessed 7 May 2022

Published

27-10-2022

How to Cite

Van der Merwe, C. G. (2022). Comparative Perspectives on the Keeping of Animals in Sectional (Strata) Title Schemes. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 25, (Published 27 October 2022) pp 1 – 35. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2022/v25i0a13909

Issue

Section

Special Edition: Festschrift - Charl Hugo