OPINION: Inaccessible plots are not worth a cent

DEAR Editor,-

With reference to the letter in last week’s Herald entitled ‘Plot access problems remain unresolved’ from Les Sparks, I would like to comment as follows.

In early 2007, Mr Sparks’ partner approached me (as an estate agent) to sell their two vacant stands in Ramsgate. Their asking price was in the region of R400 000 each and when we visited the site, she could not identify the properties and just pointed in a general direction. We proceeded in this general direction and came to the river that flows into Ramsgate beach. I asked her where the access to the two properties would be from, but she couldn’t answer. We went back to my office where I researched the properties in detail.

The finding was that the original access was supposed to be from the R61 side via the unfinished Bundu Road, which was totally cut off when constructing the highway years earlier. My research also revealed that they purchased the two properties in 2004 and paid R33 500 each.

I also informed her that these properties are not marketable as access to them is not possible. I indicated to her that since I also serve as ward councillor for the area, I would try to assist them with declaring the properties non-rateable because HCM cannot provide access. I was successful with this.

Road engineer Gert Brits also got involved and declared that it would be very costly and highly improbable to construct a bridge over the river with all the environmental issues involved.

The questions that need to be asked now are: How did they buy these properties? If they did their homework they would have noticed that these properties are not accessible and are not worth a cent. Maybe they bought them ‘blindly’ and thought they could make a quick buck. Who is to blame? The municipality? The ward councillor? Gert Brits? I don’t think so. The blame lies squarely on their shoulders and maybe that of the unscrupulous estate agent who sold the properties to them. Maybe they should seek compensation from there.

The moral of the story is: do not ever buy property that you have not inspected and seen in person. Many buyers have burnt their fingers in the past and will do so in future if correct protocols are not followed.

GEORGE HENDERSON

DA Ward Councillor