What is an Occupancy Certificate? Why Do You Need It?

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June 2017 NEWSLETTER

Cheops (ruler of ancient Egypt in the 26th century BC) had to wait 20 years for his Great Pyramid to be built and he no doubt realised sooner rather than later that the adage “Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget” applies as much to Pharaohs as it does to you and to me.

And after you’ve suffered the inevitable delays in building your new dream home you will be keen to move in as soon as possible.

But first you need an official Certificate of Occupancy – we look at what that is, why you need it, how it protects you, and how you can get it.

Dagga – Arrest Risk Remains
	Dagga/cannabis has been a hot item in the news recently, and there’s a lot of confusion around whether or not it has recently been partially legalised by a recent High Court decision. We analyse the judgment and discuss whether it is now legal and safe to grow and use dagga in the privacy of your own home, the question of whether patients needing cannabis and cannabinoid products can obtain permission to use them, and the truth behind the hype around the cultivation of “medicinal dagga”. There’s a final note of interest to both employers and employees about workplace use. Read on, there are some important warnings here …

Will Your ANC Protect Trust Assets on Divorce?
	A bitter divorce fight in the SCA recently highlighted the need, before you marry, to have your antenuptial contract (ANC) correctly structured to clearly and unambiguously record your agreement as to what will happen in the event the marriage ends. With millions at stake, the wife in this case attacked two of her husband’s trusts, claiming that they were not excluded by the ANC from the accrual calculation, or that they were her husband’s alter ego and should be included in the accrual calculation on that ground. We analyse the Court’s findings and the valuable lessons to be learned from them.

Starting a Business? The Business Trust Option
	As Mark Twain put it “The secret of getting ahead is getting started” so if you are sure that you are cut out for the exciting, hurly-burly life of an entrepreneur, and if you have a viable business concept, you should take advice right now on how to get started. An essential first step is to choose the correct legal entity to trade in, and in this, the last of our articles in the series “Choosing the right legal entity for your business”, we look at the pros and cons of using a business trust. We’ll tell you what a trust is and what defines a “business trust”, we’ll list 5 advantages and 3 disadvantages of trading in such a trust, and – perhaps most importantly – we’ll discuss government’s ongoing “attack” on trusts and how it should affect your final decision.

Your June Websites: Fighting the Flu with Food
	“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” (‘Father of Modern Medicine’ Hippocrates in about 400 BC) Don’t let colds and the flu knock you for a six this winter. Particularly if you run your own small business, every day in a sick bed is a day of opportunity lost forever! We refer you to a science-based review of the best 15 foods to eat when illness strikes, and also to some recent research on how you may be able to boost the “good food” effect with the help of your local pharmacy – read on for more …

Disclaimer

The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.

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