Cape Town - An irate Delft homeowner said she was “fed up” with the provincial human settlements department after battling for 21 years to secure the title deed to her house.
Wendy Carstens, 52, said she had exhausted all channels in trying to get a title deed for her council house in Voorbrug, Delft.
The mother-of-four and divorcee had, with her husband, acquired the house in 1989. She said after her divorce the house was left to her and all fees relating to the house were cleared, except for the electricity and water bills.
In 2007, Carstens renovated the home and built four additional rooms.
“I went to the council and my plan was approved and they said my title deed was being processed.”
Eight years later, Carstens is still without a title deed.
She is now living with her daughter in the Strand.
Carstens said she wanted to get her title deed so that she could sell the house and be closer to her children.
“Delft is no longer the place for me; for my condition I need to be relaxed. Daily you hear of shooting and it’s not safe. I need to think of my youngest daughter who is 21 now.”
In the meantime, Carstens has been leasing her house to a man who has showed interest in buying the property, but she is unable to sell it due to the outstanding title deed.
At the Human Settlements offices, in Wale Street, she was handed a letter to take to the Western Cape High Court.
“They said because of my divorce I needed to get lawyers to do the amendments and then I could get the title deed.”
Even after going to lawyers, Carstens did not receive a title deed.
“I am tired of waiting, if they don’t want to give me the title deed they must just give me back the money I used for renovations and I will go. This is making me sick. I get nervous breakdowns because I eat, sleep and think about this Delft house.
“Houses that were built in Wesbank, way after mine, had received theirs. Why not me?”
Zalisile Mbali, the spokesman for Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, said an instruction was forwarded to the Office of the State Attorney two years ago for the transfer of the property. It could not be finalised by the State Attorney due to legal document requirements by the Deeds Office.
“Mr Carstens and his second wife were required by the State Attorney to sign certain documentation. It took some time to obtain the co-operation from Mr Carstens as well as to locate the second wife.”
Mbali said the State Attorney recently obtained the rates clearance certificate from the City of Cape Town to enable them to submit an application for registration of the property to the Deeds Office, and Sars was fast-tracking the transfer duty.
“As soon as the transfer duty receipt has been sorted out with Sars, which should not take longer than the normal anticipated time (eight weeks), the matter will be lodged at the Deeds Office,” he said.
Cape Argus
*Use our Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.