When Fixing a Roof Means Fixing Leadership How a leaking ceiling revealed cracks in trust, planning, and accountability.CSOSlive Digest Editorial Team The Story: The Roof That Broke the Relationship At Hillside Court in Johannesburg, the first sign of trouble didn’t start with anger or arguments.It started with a brown stain on a ceiling in Unit 7. Mr. […]

Why what happens after the vote matters more than the vote itself CSOSlive Digest  The Story: The Meeting That Changed Everything At Cedar Grove Estate, the AGM started late.People shuffled in with tight faces and long sighs.Budgets were low, repairs were overdue, and many owners still owed levies. Numbers were presented.Voices got louder.A trustee accused the managing […]

Common Property, Common Sense When the lawn, pool, or parking bay stops feeling like “ours” and starts feeling like “mine vs. theirs.”By CSOSlive Digest Editorial Team(6–7 minute read) The Pool That Divided the People At Willowbrook Heights, the community pool was meant to bring people together.Kids learned to swim there. Families cooled off in summer. […]

Why a simple complaint about loud footsteps became a lesson in law, lifestyle, and listening.By CSOS Digest Editorial Team(Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes) The Night the Music Died (for One Neighbour) Every Thursday, just after 8 p.m., Mr. Daniels would drop the needle on his old jazz records.Trumpets sang, the bass hummed, and for him — […]

How unpaid levies, angry owners, and weak leadership can tear a community scheme apart.By CSOS Digest Editorial Team(Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes) When Numbers Became Weapons In a quiet estate outside Durban, something strange happened.The trouble didn’t start with stolen money or a big scandal.It began with a simple question: “Where did last year’s levies […]

How one man’s camera made people living in a community scheme question privacy, power, and respect.CSOSlive Digest Editorial Team(Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes) The Story: The Camera in the Courtyard In Oakbridge Villas, everyone cared about safety.After a break-in at a nearby complex, Mr. Botha got worried. He was clever with gadgets, so he installed […]

How one cat, two complaints, and a misunderstood rule revealed the emotional and legal heart of community living. (Estimated read time: 7–8 minutes) The Story: When Paws Met Policy It started quietly — with a cat named Milo. In a peaceful estate outside Johannesburg, Mrs. Naidoo had just moved into her new townhouse. She loved her small indoor […]

When home upgrades cross the line — and what every community can learn from it (Estimated read time: 7–8 minutes) It started with good intentions. In a quiet Cape Town complex above Sea Point, Ms. van Rensburg decided to refresh her balcony. Years of salty sea air had eaten away at the railings, so she replaced them […]

The Hidden Dangers of Digital Drama in Community Scheme Living How an everyday chat group spiralled into harassment claims, reputational harm, and a CSOS showdown — and what trustees can do to keep digital spaces civil. (Estimated read time: 7–8 minutes) The Story: When Emojis Turn Into Weapons It started, like many community scheme stories, […]

Dear Community Scheme Member, No matter your community scheme—whether you belong to a Sectional Title Scheme, Homeowners Association, or Retirement Village—having your scheme registered and your rules certified with CSOS lays the foundation for legal security and effective governance.  Why register your scheme? Without registration, your scheme’s rules hold no legal weight and you forfeit access […]

By CSOSlive Digest Editorial Team(Estimated read time: 6 min) 🌿 The Fence That Divided More Than a Garden It started, as so many community schemes conflicts do, with something small: a fence. In a quiet sectional title complex in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, two neighbours — let’s call them Mr Dlamini and Mrs Jacobs — lived side by side for nearly […]

When Parking Becomes a Problem: How CSOS Helps Neighbours Get Along It all started on a hot summer afternoon in Durban. Two neighbours — Ms Govender and Mr Nkosi — lived peacefully in the same complex for many years. But when Mr Nkosi’s son came home from university with a new car, he started parking in the visitor’s bay. […]