Dozens of families face eviction

Families living in the Communicare-owned homes and social housing complexes in Brooklyn and Rugby have received eviction notices due to overdue and unpaid rent.

At least four women, all over 70, met with Tabletalk  last week to discuss their fears about being put out on the pavement with their belongings.

These women, living at Reyger Court for over two decades, are just a few of the hundreds of residents who face eviction and were due to vacate their units at the end of last month.

The women, who did not want to be named fearing victimisation, showed proof that while their rent was in arrears, they had entered into a concession agreement with Communicare in 2024.

Instead of paying R2100, they were allowed to pay R600 because they are South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries.

The women maintain that they have been paying the lower amount as requested, and provided bank statements, but still face eviction.

However, after one of them had visited the Communicare offices in Pinelands in February, she was told that the concession had fallen away, and Communicare demanded that they pay their rent in full.

However, none of them cannot afford it.

“If we had to pay over R2 000 for rent from our pension, where would we get money for water, electricity and food? The concession apparently ended but we were not informed,” said one of the women.

Two of the women who met with us claim that their health had been affected by the eviction notices; one of them had suffered a heart attack and the other a stroke - showing us their medical records. Both had been seen at Somerset Hospital.

The women said Communicare suggested that they move in with family and friends, and offered them R5000 to help with the move but they refused because their children are also struggling financially, they said.

The complexes threatened by the evictions are Reyger Court and Drommerdaris Housing Complex.

Families at the Drommerdaris Housing Complex echoed what these women have said, and added that they are left in limbo, "sleeping with one eye open" and fearing that they will soon be evicted.

“It's so horrible, my kids are still young, and we have nowhere else to go,” said a woman who would only identify herself as Deb.

Other tenants living at Drommerdaris did not want to speak to Tabletalk, accusing us of working with Communicare and wanting to get them out faster.

The eviction notices for the tenants at the complexes were drafted by attorney Simon Thomson, who said he was instructed by his client, Communicare, not to respond to our questions.

Tenants at some free-standing houses, owned by Communicare in Piet Grobler Street, Landros Avenue, and Koeberg Road, were informed that their homes were being sold by new owners and would need to move or face eviction.

But these tenants also maintain that they have nowhere else to go.

Francis Sullivan, living along Koeberg Road, said she had moved into the three-bedroom house 25 years ago after signing an indefinite lease with Communicare.

She said her payments were up to date but is still being told to move from the house.

For all these years, she says, she had seen to the maintenance of the property; including creating a garden, the painting of the house, and putting up burglar bars.

“Communicare had never come forward to help or assist with the maintenance at this property,” said Ms Sullivan.

She said she received a call, sometime in February, from a guy who said his partner had purchased the property and that she was “granted grace” to stay there until the end of May when she will receive R 6000 to find new accommodation - she showed us a copy of this agreement with hand-written notes on the eviction notice.

She said Communicare offered to sell the property to her for R900 000 but being a pensioner, she would never qualify.

However, according to a DeedsWeb document, which we have a copy of, the new owner bought the house from Communicare for R400 000.

Ms Sullivan said if Communicare brought down the price like they did for the new owner, perhaps her son could have applied for the loan, but Communicare did not negotiate with her.

On Monday, March 10, Ms Sullivan called Tabletalk, notifying us that Communicare had offered to put her up in one of their housing units if she reapplied.

“I don’t understand why I have to reapply, they are putting me out of the house, so why not give me one,” she added.

Another tenant whose rental is in arrears, living in Piet Grobler Street house for 26 years, said she was called by Délan Kruger, a property director, and was told that the house was being sold and that she needed to move at the end of April. 

She was also offered R15 000 to use as a deposit elsewhere.

But said she won’t be able to afford to rent another place because she is a pensioner.

She also said that Communicate had not informed her that the property was being sold.

Mr Kruger told Tabletalk that he called the tenant, “on behalf of his business partner,” to introduce themselves as the new landlords.

He said that since the tenant told him that Communicare had not informed the tenant, he had given her an extra month to vacate the property - at the end of May.

He said the tenant told him she was happy to move but did not have any money to do so, and so he offered the R15 000 after discussing it with the business partner.

“We said if you are struggling, we can help you,” added Mr Kruger.

Dev Moretti, Communicare’s spokesperson, said the organisation is no longer able to retain the  arrears that have accumulated at the housing complexes.

She said the Brooklyn properties have pending legal cases for arrears that exceed R10 million. The Reyger Court Complex arrears exceed R4 million, and the Drommerdaris complex has more than 20 tenants who owe over R100 000 each.

“The total arrears is about R8 million,” she added.

“Tenants with excessive rental arrears may purchase their homes if they can secure financing, and reach a settlement agreement with Communicare. When properties are sold to new investor landlords, the sale is subject to existing tenancies,” she said.

But most tenants could not afford the prices of the homes, she said.

She added that the new landlord is bound by the tenant's rights under the lease and the terms and conditions of that lease. Tenants who pay their monthly rent should be retained as per the existing lease agreement.

Despite concessions provided by Communicare, tenants continued to default on payments which resulted in the “slow pace of the courts granting eviction orders,” said Ms Moretti.

Rental concessions are awarded on a case-by-case basis and are only available for a year and are informed of this when making an application, she added.

Ms Moretti said the evictions are auctioned by the Sheriff of the court with support from police, and added that Communicare is not aware when the evictions will take place.

“Evictions are never the first action. They are granted by the court after a lengthy engagement and legal due process. During these engagements, tenants would have been given the opportunity to make payment arrangements and/or find more ffordable alternatives either at one of our complexes or elsewhere.”

In the case of elderly tenants, they would be encouraged to relocate to their families. “We do not pay people to move but we assist with the move when needed. For example, our social workers would assist the elderly in finding and applying for care facilities for the aged and securing tenancy there, Communicare does not have retirement homes or benefits,” she added.