How do I get out of Joint Bond
Good day
I have a joint bond with my ex. I had to leave him and move out as he was very violent and things got really bad between us to a point where I applied for a protection order I against him. The problem now is the bond as he’s refusing to sell, he’s refusing to get my name out of the bond. I even offered to sign off my portion of the bond to anyone he chooses as I want to start over and rebuild my life, but he’s refusing. He is not even paying for the COJ services. What do I do now as I am stuck, I cannot move on with my life, I’m accumulating a debt I’m not even a part of. He’s living nicely in that house and I’m renting in someone else’s house. It is so unfair to me and my son. I have tried to go to legal aid in JHB CBD and I was turned away.
Category: Property, General Disputes
Region: South Africa, Gauteng
1 Answer
Hello. The Legal Aid Board does a means test to determine if you qualify. Am not sure what happened after you moved out. Did you get a divorce? And if so what was the order made by the judicial officer with respect to a division of the joint estate? I will advise you get a private lawyer to look into the matter and if necessary bring an application to the civil court of the Magistrates court or alternatively the High Court. The Judicial Officer can give direction on how your estate should be divided. Either by Auction or otherwise. Some lawyers might agree to do the case on contingency. This means they will take a percentage of up to 25 per cent of whatever value they are able to recover from the property without charging you any fees upfront. However I hope the lawyer will be able to convince him to reach a settlement other than litigation, which can be a costly exercise for him.