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 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 go?” […]
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. […]
Why Scheme Rules Matter — And Why CSOS Reviews Them So Closely Originally published in Issue 28 of the CSOS Shared Living Magazine. Ever wondered why community schemes must have rules, and what makes them so important? According to Section 10 of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act (STSMA), every scheme must create a set of […]
Welcome to Shared Living, the official online magazine of the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) a fresh, inspiring space created for everyone who calls a community scheme home. Whether you live in a Sectional Title, Homeowners Association, Retirement Village, or Share Block, Shared Living is here to help you make sense of community life the good, the challenging, and the inspiring. […]
🏡 1. Right to Access Information You can: request and inspect scheme documents such as: Why it matters: Transparency builds trust and accountability. 🔒 2. Right to Fair Governance You can expect: trustees and managing agents to act: Why it matters: Fair leadership ensures balanced decisions and community harmony. 🏛️ 3. Right to Use Common […]