Money lenders frequently use sale and lease back agreements as an alternative to other more conventional forms of security. These agreements are popular because they are simple and inexpensive to put in place. Unfortunately, South African courts give legal effect to the true intention of contracting parties. Sale and lease back agreements are often held to be simulated contracts and as such they are enforced as disguised pledges. One of the few alternative security options available to money lenders, is a notarial bond registered in terms of the Security By Means of Movable Property Act 57 of 1993. This act has been criticised for creating an ineffective form of security that is costly and cumbersome to put in place. It is suggested that the current security options available to money lenders are supplemented with the creation of a more user friendly public register for the registration of security interests. / Private Law / LL.M.

Money lenders frequently use sale and lease back agreements as an alternative to other more conventional forms of security. These agreements are popular because they are simple and inexpensive to put in place. Unfortunately, South African courts give legal effect to the true intention of contracting parties. Sale and lease back agreements are often held to be simulated contracts and as such they are enforced as disguised pledges. One of the few alternative security options available to money lenders, is a notarial bond registered in terms of the Security By Means of Movable Property Act 57 of 1993. This act has been criticised for creating an ineffective form of security that is costly and cumbersome to put in place. It is suggested that the current security options available to money lenders are supplemented with the creation of a more user friendly public register for the registration of security interests. / Private Law / LL.M.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van saaklike sekerheidstelling is om 'n saak as eksekusievoorwerp tot die beskikking van die kredietgewer te stel. Vorderingsregte as sekerheidsobjekte voldoen hieraan en moet daarom as deel van die saakbegrip beskou word. Vorderingsregte word in die praktyk as sekerheidsobjekte aangewend of by wyse van sekerheidsessies of deur middel van die registrasie van 'n notariele verband daaroor. Alhoewel die regspraak by sekerheidsessies voorkeur gee aan 'n verpandingskonstruksie, is Scott van mening dat 'n algehele sekerheidsessie nog moontlik is. Die toepassing van die verpandingskonstruksie lewer aanvaarbare resultate en voldoen meestal aan die kontrakterende partye se behoeftes. Die vereiste van publisiteit by pandreg sal egter in sekere gevalle nie vir die partye aanvaarbaar wees nie en kan algehele sekerheidsessies hier 'n oplossing bied. By notariele verbande is die bestaande posisie ingevolge waarvan 'n onderskeid gemaak word tussen liggaamlike en onliggaamlike sake as sekerheidsobjekte, onuithoudbaar en is wetgewing in die verband nodig. The aim of real security is to have objects available to a creditor for execution. Personal rights may be used for this purpose and should therefore be included in the definition of property. In practise claims (personal rights) are used as security objects by way of a security cession or through the registration of a notarial bond over the claims. Although the courts give preference to personal rights in security by way of pledge, Scott is of the opinion that these decisions do not exclude out-and-out security cessions. The results that application of the law of pledge causes, are acceptable and will mostly fulfil the need of the parties. In certain situations the requirement of publicity will however be unacceptable in which instance out-and-out security cessions may be the solution. The current position where a distinction is made between corporeal and incorporeal property as security objects, is unacceptable and legislation is needed in this regard. / Private Law / LL.M.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van saaklike sekerheidstelling is om 'n saak as eksekusievoorwerp tot die beskikking van die kredietgewer te stel. Vorderingsregte as sekerheidsobjekte voldoen hieraan en moet daarom as deel van die saakbegrip beskou word. Vorderingsregte word in die praktyk as sekerheidsobjekte aangewend of by wyse van sekerheidsessies of deur middel van die registrasie van 'n notariele verband daaroor. Alhoewel die regspraak by sekerheidsessies voorkeur gee aan 'n verpandingskonstruksie, is Scott van mening dat 'n algehele sekerheidsessie nog moontlik is. Die toepassing van die verpandingskonstruksie lewer aanvaarbare resultate en voldoen meestal aan die kontrakterende partye se behoeftes. Die vereiste van publisiteit by pandreg sal egter in sekere gevalle nie vir die partye aanvaarbaar wees nie en kan algehele sekerheidsessies hier 'n oplossing bied. By notariele verbande is die bestaande posisie ingevolge waarvan 'n onderskeid gemaak word tussen liggaamlike en onliggaamlike sake as sekerheidsobjekte, onuithoudbaar en is wetgewing in die verband nodig. The aim of real security is to have objects available to a creditor for execution. Personal rights may be used for this purpose and should therefore be included in the definition of property. In practise claims (personal rights) are used as security objects by way of a security cession or through the registration of a notarial bond over the claims. Although the courts give preference to personal rights in security by way of pledge, Scott is of the opinion that these decisions do not exclude out-and-out security cessions. The results that application of the law of pledge causes, are acceptable and will mostly fulfil the need of the parties. In certain situations the requirement of publicity will however be unacceptable in which instance out-and-out security cessions may be the solution. The current position where a distinction is made between corporeal and incorporeal property as security objects, is unacceptable and legislation is needed in this regard. / Private Law / LL.M.

A real security right improves a creditor’s chances of recovering a debt owed to him by the debtor. In the case of an ordinary pledge, the pledgor delivers physical control of his movable property to his creditor to serve as security for the repayment of the principal debt. The increasing value and use of movable property as an object of security coupled with technological advancement have resulted in many countries calling for legal reform of real security rights over movable property. In South Africa this led to the introduction of the Security by Means of Movable Property Act 57 of 1993 which makes provision for a pledge without possession. The Act regulates only special notarial bonds and does not apply to general notarial bonds. The real security right vests in the bondholder upon registration of the bond, provided that the movable property encumbered is described in a notarial bond in a way that makes it readily recognisable. The Act has substituted delivery with registration in the Deeds Registry. Registration of the notarial bond in the Deeds Registry is questioned as to whether it complies with the publicity principle. This is because movable property can be shifted from one place to another without any knowledge on the part of the creditor due to the inaccessible and costly registration system. The third party then receives the property subject to the real security right of the creditor. The substitution of delivery with registration is the controversial feature in this study. Linked to the legal problems regarding compliance with the publicity principle, is the description and identification requirement as provided for under the Act, the exclusion of general notarial bonds from the application of the Act, and the question of whether it is appropriate to regard special notarial bonds as pledges without possession. This study questions whether the current land registry system should be used for the registration of notarial bonds and suggests that a new system designed specifically for the registration of real security rights over movables be considered. I compare the position in the Belgian legal system as regards developments in real security rights over movables to identify possible solutions and recommendations for the South African approach. / Private Law / LL. M.