A servitude is a right which one person holds in/over property belonging to someone else, entitling the holder to exercise a right in the property or prohibit the property owner from exercising one of his/her usual ownership rights.
Two of the most common servitudes you would come across are:
Personal Servitude:
A Personal Servitude is registered against land in favour of a natural person. It is a real right which attaches to the individual in his/her personal capacity. The personal servitude will be limited to the lifetime of the holder thereof. An example would be a usufruct.
Praedial Servitude:
A Praedial Servitude is a registered servitude which one property (the dominant property) has over another property (the servient property). The servitude is registered in favour of another property rather than a person. A praedial servitude will continue forever or until formally cancelled in the relevant Deeds Office. An example would be a right of access.
All servitudes must be formally registered in the Deeds Office having the relevant jurisdiction. For more information and the approximate costs of registering a servitude, contact your STBB conveyancer or email laurens@stbb.co.za
021 673 4700