This follows the decision of Browmann owners Riana Biermann and Lucinda Brown to retire, and to seek a well-established and reputable company to take over their portfolio of 48 properties under management, which together contain almost 1000 homes.

“And after months of evaluating various possibilities, we are confident that the 50-year-old, family-owned Trafalgar* group is the best choice to take over and ensure that our clients’ affairs remain well-managed, maintained and even enhanced,” they say.

“We are in the process of facilitating a smooth takeover, and we are delighted to say that our staff will be migrating to Trafalgar, which will further ensure continuity for our clients.”

Trafalgar MD Andrew Schaefer notes that for the convenience of clients, the properties currently in the Browmann portfolio will also continue to be managed from the same premises in Table View, with the assistance of Trafalgar’s Cape Town property management team, under the direction of Lauren de Freitas and Maryna Scheepers.

“The 48 properties in the portfolio include both sectional title schemes and freehold schemes run by home owner associations (HOAs)” he notes, “and the services provided will include levy collection, management of the body corporate or HOA accounts, full budgeting, financial management and statutory reporting and AGM administration, as well as assistance with facility management services.

“In addition, we have the capacity and systems in place to also assist trustees and HOAs with the many new administrative tasks required in terms of the new Sectional Title Schemes Management (STSM) Act and the new Community Schemes Ombud Services (CSOS) Act.

“These include collection of the fees due by each owner in the scheme to the Ombud, the procurement of professional replacement valuations for insurance purposes every three years, the establishment and management of the separate reserve funds that are now required, fidelity insurance cover and the preparation of the annual financial reports that must be submitted to the CSOS office.

“We can also advise on the correct procedures for the collection of arrear levies and for registering a dispute at the Ombud’s office, and make qualified staff available to attend dispute hearings if necessary.”

Schaefer also says the need for professional property management services has been rising steadily in the wake of the implementation of the new Acts late last year, and that Trafalgar is delighted to now have an office in Table View to meet the growing demand for its services among additional sectional title schemes and HOAs in the Table View, Parkland and Blouberg areas.