November 2014 – MHI Attorneys Blog
Onderhandel oor die kansellasieboete met die gimnasium. Jy sal verras wees wat ‘n onmiddellike betaalaanbod as ‘n kansellasieboete kan vermag. En koop eerder hardloopskoene volgende jaar, selfs al is hulle duur. Hulle sal geduldig in jou klerekas wag tot die volgende Nuwejaarsdag…
A POWER OF ATTORNEY, IS IT ENOUGH?
Capacity in the legal sense is a threshold requirement for persons to retain the power to make decisions for themselves. In South Africa the law of agency is based upon the principle that an agent cannot do that which his principal has no capacity to do himself. In other words, one cannot authorise someone else to perform acts that you yourself do not have the capacity to perform. In order for the power of attorney to be valid, the principal must have the necessary contractual capacity.
A legitimate expectation of the law is that it should establish a structure within which appropriate autonomy and self-determination is recognised and protected. Such a structure should provide appropriate substitute decision-making devices and the necessary protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Persons with limited capacity to contract, such as minors, may grant powers of attorney only in so far as the powers conferred fall within the limits of their contractual capacity. A power of attorney granted by a person who is incapable of managing his own affairs through mental disorder is normally invalid, even if granted before he became so incapacitated.
At present the law deals with decision-making incapacity by way of curatorship. The curatorship system has been criticised on the ground that if suffers from a number of serious and frustrating difficulties mainly relating to its high cost, prolonged procedure, paternalistic nature and potential for abuse.
The present mechanisms to identify incapacity for legal purposes are based on the premise that a person is presumed to have the requisite capacity. A lack of capacity must be alleged and proved before a Court in order that it may decide the issue. The onus is upon the person alleging lack of capacity to prove this allegation.
Against the above background the South African Law Reform Commission, provisionally proposed that a change to the law is necessary to provide for the following:
An alternative to the curatorship system, without abolishing it.
Introduction into our law of the concepts of the enduring power of attorney and the conditional power of attorney. (An enduring power of attorney endures the subsequent incapacity of the person who granted it, while a conditional power of attorney comes into effect only on incapacity.)
It needs to be notes that it has been 10 years since the above was introduced and the matter is yet to be taken further.
In this instance an option would be to apply to court for the appointment of an administrator or a curator, depending on the circumstances. The application is usually brought by next-of-kin, but can be brought by any person with a sufficient interest in the person concerned. The person against whom the declaration is claimed must be properly represented by a curator ad litem. The Court, after hearing all the medical and other evidence, if satisfied that the person is mentally ill, and as such incapable of managing his or her own affairs, makes the declaration.
Another alternative would be to set up a family trust, which itself takes time and could be overly complex.
Although not considered a legal document, an advance directive (also known as a living will) allows people with dementia to outline the treatment and care they would like in the future, when they may not be able to communicate their wishes – this however does not make provision for another to manage their property and affairs.
In light of the above it is clear that a power of attorney is of little or no value to someone who fears that their mental capacity is weakening or may be weakened in the future and who wants someone to act on their behalf if and when that situation arises.
Should a similar situation arise and you are unsure of the legal consequences, rather approach an attorney to assist you and to make sure that everything is in compliance with the law.
Compiled by Melanie Visagie
Wille’s Principles of South African Law 55.
Molyneux v Natal Land & Colonization Co Ltd  AC 555(PC) at 561.
Phil Morkel Bpk v Niemand 1970(3) SA 455 (C) at 456.
ALGEMENE VOLMAG, IS DIT VOLDOENDE?
Handelingsbevoegdheid is die drempel vereistes in ons reg om te bepaal of ‘n regsubjek die mag het om die draer van regte en pligte te wees. In die Suid-Afrikaanse reg is die beginsel dat ‘n prinsipaal nie ‘n agent kan magtig om namens hom op te tree, indien hyself nie die bevoegdheid het om op te tree nie. Vir ‘n algemene volmag om geldig te wees, moet die prinsipaal self oor die nodige handelingsbevoegdheid beskik.
Die verwagting in ons reg is dat dit ‘n struktuur moet vestig waarbinne selfstandigheid en selfbeskikking erken en beskerm word. So ‘n struktuur moet voorsiening maak vir ‘n plaasvervangende meganisme, wat diegene wat nie meer oor die nodige handelingsbevoegdheid beskik nie beskerm teen uitbuiting, verwaarlosing en misbruik.
Persone met beperkte handelingsbevoegdheid, soos minderjariges of geestesongesteldes, mag slegs iemand nomineer om hom as agent te verteenwoording, in sover as wat hul bevoegdheid binne die grense van hul eie kontraktuele bevoegdheid val. ŉ Persoon met beperkte handelingsbevoegdheid, wat nie sy eie sake kan behartig nie, sal nie ŉ wettige volmag aan ŉ ander kan verleen nie. Indien sodanige volmag verleen is voor ŉ persoon onbevoeg verklaar is, sal die volmag ongeldig geag word vanaf die oomblik van onbekwaamheid.
Tans handel ons reg met hierdie kwessie deur voorsiening te maak dat diegene wat nie meer selfstandig besluite kan neem nie, se naasbestaandes aansoek kan doen om kuratorskap. Die roete van kuratorskap word egter in die binnekringe gekritiseer, weens die hoë kostes daaraan verbonde, uitgerekte prosedure, paternalistiese natuur en moontlikheid van uitbuiting.
Die uitgangspunt is dat enige persoon geag word om oor die nodige handelingsbevoegdheid te beskik. Onbekwaamheid moet beweer en in die hof bewys word alvorens daar enige besluite oor die persoon se vermoë geneem kan word. Die onus is op die persoon wat beweer om die nodige gebrek aan bevoegdheid te bewys.
Teen hierdie agtergrond het die Suid-Afrikaanse Regshervormingskommissie voorlopig voorgestel dat ‘n verandering aan die wet nodig is om voorsiening vir die volgende te maak:
ŉ Alternatief tot kuratorskap sonder die afskaffing daarvan; en
Die moontlike inwerkingtrede van ŉ blywende- en voorwaardelike volmag in ons reg (die blywende volmag duur voort indien ‘n persoon onbekwaam word, terwyl ŉ voorwaardelike volmag in werking tree by die gebrek van handelingsbevoegdheid).
Tog moet daarop gelet word dat dit reeds tien jaar is sedert die regshervormingskommissie voormelde opsies vir kommentaar voorgelê het, en daar tot op datum geen vordering hieromtrent gemaak is nie.
Om by die Hooggeregshof aansoek te doen om aanstelling van ŉ kurator of administrateur, afhangende van die omstandighede. Die aansoek word gewoonlik geïnisieer deur ŉ naasbestaande, maar kan ook geloods word deur enige persoon met voldoende belang tot die betrokke persoon. In die eerste instansie moet daar ‘n aansoek na die hof gebring word vir die aanstelling van ‘n kurator ad litem vir sodanige pasiënt om hom in die verrigtinge te verteenwoordig. Die hof sal dan ‘n bevel maak of die persoon wel onbekwaam is om sy eie belange te behartig, waarop ‘n kurator vir die pasiënt of sy goed aangestel word.
Nog ‘n alternatief sou wees om ‘n trust te stig, maar hierdie proses neem tyd, is kompleks en die proses om eiendom te skenk of aan die trust oor te dra, is duur.
‘n Lewende testament, hoewel dit nie as regsdokument geag word nie, maak voorsiening vir die mediese behandeling van ‘n persoon wat nie meer in staat is om self sekere besluite te kan neem nie en sorg dat daar uting aan die wense van ‘n persoon gegee word. Die dokument is egter beperk tot mediese behandeling en maak nie vir eiendom of die bestuur van sake voorsiening nie.
In samevatting, is dit duidelik dat ‘n volmag van min of geen waarde is vir iemand wat vrees dat hul eie vermoë verswak of moontlik in die nabye toekoms kan verswak en bloot wil voorsiening maak dat iemand namens hul in sodanige tyd kan optree wanneer die situasie hom voordoen nie.
Indien u onseker is of u aan die regvereistes voldoen en wat die pad vorentoe is, skakel gerus ‘n prokureur wat u sal bystaan en adviseer.
Saamgestel deur Melanie Visagie
MHI MEISIES GENIET AKTESJOL 2014
Dit is al tradisie om elke jaar ‘n Aktesjol te hou vir die aktesekretaresses van die Noordelike Voorstede. Prokureursfirmas in die area maak beurte om die geleentheid aan te bied en borge te betrek.
This year’s jol was organized by FPS Attorneys. The theme was a Boerefest at Loch Lynne farm. Each guest received a goody bag with fun items and a cowboy hat. The brothers Christo & Kobus provided the entertainment for the afternoon.
Catherine of the Bonds department was one of the first ladies to take the mechanical bull for a ride!
Ons meisies het hierdie jaar met verskeie gelukkige trekkings weggeloop, onder andere ‘n Ipad, kontant, ‘n spa behandeling, wyn, ‘n piekniek en ‘n Tygervallei geskenkbewys.
November was also the birthday month of our director Jurgens Tubb. He was surprised by his girls with a hamper full of his favourite spoils.
Verder is die Personeelforum besig met die beplanning van ons Kersete op 12 Desember. Dit blyk ‘n groot verrassing te wees en sal by ‘n geheime venue plaasvind… ons vertel volgende maand verder.