MUNICIPAL DEBT SPECIALIST · ESTABLISHED 2002
Your Clearance Figures. Our Specialist Review.
High municipal clearance figures holding up a property transfer? Our Free Clearance Help Desk is the first step towards finding out whether MDS can assist.
We currently prioritise property-transfer clearance matters in the City of Ekurhuleni. Each enquiry is reviewed individually, without an obligation to proceed.
THE FREE HELP DESK PROCESS
Three clear steps. One place to start.
You do not need to decide whether the figures are wrong before contacting us. Our first task is to understand the matter and determine whether there may be a viable opportunity to assist.
Send us the figures
Share the issued municipal clearance figures and basic property-transfer details, with the appropriate authority to do so.
Specialist review
We consider the figures, municipal account history where available, and whether our intervention may be appropriate.
Understand your options
If the matter appears viable, we explain the proposed approach and the terms of any further mandate before you decide how to proceed.
PREPARING YOUR ENQUIRY
What should you send us?
A clear first submission allows us to assess the relevant circumstances rather than relying on estimates or incomplete information.
If you are a conveyancer or estate agent, you may contact us on behalf of a client, provided you are authorised to share the information.
A useful first submission includes
- The municipality's issued clearance figures, preferably as a PDF or clear document
- Municipality and property reference or account details
- Name and contact details of the transferring attorney, where appointed
- Relevant account history or supporting information, if available
- Confirmation that you have authority to share the documents
Please avoid sending unnecessary sensitive personal information in an initial enquiry.
CLARITY FROM THE START
Transparent assessment. Informed decisions.
Our free Help Desk assessment does not obligate you to appoint us. If we consider your matter suitable for specialist intervention, the proposed terms are explained before any paid mandate is accepted.
Free initial assessment
We review the information provided to determine whether our specialist service may be useful. This first review carries no assessment fee or obligation.
No upfront fees on accepted matters
Accepted mandates ordinarily operate under agreed contingency-based, success-fee terms. The fee arrangement is confirmed before work proceeds.
Case-by-case consideration
Not every high clearance amount qualifies for a reduction. High-value, multiple-property or unusually complex matters may require individually negotiated arrangements.
WHO WE ASSIST
Your role in the transfer matters.
Select your role to see what our Help Desk can clarify for you. Your selection stays on this page and does not submit any information.
Protect the progress of your property sale.
If high clearance figures threaten your transfer or sale proceeds, an early assessment may reveal a viable route to a lawful reduction or settlement. Contact us before finalising payment or other arrangements where possible.
A specialist resource alongside your transfer file.
Send the figures with your client's authorisation. We can review whether specialist municipal account analysis and a properly documented settlement approach could assist the transfer process, while you remain the appointed conveyancer.
Help your seller address a potential obstacle early.
High municipal clearance figures can affect registration and commission timelines. Refer the issue to the transferring attorney and encourage an early specialist assessment rather than waiting for the matter to become urgent.
Understand the clearance obstacle before transfer.
A delayed clearance process can affect your purchase timeline. If the seller or conveyancer faces high figures, they can seek a specialist assessment. We'll explain our role without replacing the advice of the appointed attorney.
PRACTICAL ANSWERS
Questions worth answering before you proceed.
These are the matters clients and property professionals most often want clarified. Open any question to read the answer here, without leaving the page.
Do we need to prove the municipality made a mistake?
No. An account may reflect amounts genuinely incurred and still warrant specialist consideration. Our experience may identify lawful reduction or settlement possibilities even where there is no formal billing dispute. Any potential saving depends on the individual facts and the municipality's acceptance of the resolution.
Is this a service for ordinary monthly municipal bills?
No. The Help Desk is intended for municipal clearance figures connected with property sales or transfers. It is not a general service for routine monthly water, electricity or rates billing complaints.
Does MDS currently handle matters outside Ekurhuleni?
Our current intake focuses primarily on property-transfer matters in the City of Ekurhuleni. Matters in other municipalities may be considered individually; we cannot promise acceptance before reviewing them.
How quickly will I receive an assessment?
We aim to review enquiries promptly. Timing depends on the available documents, complexity and current workload. We do not promise a fixed response time or a guaranteed transfer date.
What if the clearance figures are already paid?
Please tell us what has already been paid, agreed or lodged. Early referral generally preserves more options, and prior payments or commitments may restrict what can still be achieved. We will determine whether it is appropriate to consider the matter further.
Will I have to go to court?
Our primary service is specialist account analysis and working towards lawful reductions or documented settlements. MDS is not offering routine litigation as the Help Desk service, and court proceedings are not assumed as part of a standard assessment.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WHEN APPROPRIATE
Bridging-finance introductions
In some transactions, the obstacle is not only the size of the clearance amount but also the availability of funds before registration.
Where appropriate, MDS may introduce the parties to established bridging-finance providers while working alongside the transferring attorney. Finance applications, terms and approval remain entirely subject to the provider's own requirements.
An introduction is not a funding approval or an assurance that finance will be available.
EXPERIENCE GROUNDED IN REAL PROCEEDINGS
Specialist knowledge. A nationally recognised legal legacy.
Municipal Debt Specialist's heritage includes New Ventures Consulting & Services and Livanos, associated with the landmark 2017 Constitutional Court proceedings concerning historical municipal debt under Section 118(3).
The unanimous judgment clarified that a new owner does not become liable for the previous owner's historical municipal debts merely through transfer of the property. That important protection is distinct from the clearance requirements applying before transfer and does not automatically reduce every seller's clearance figures.
INFORMATION TO KEEP AND SHARE
Need an overview of our specialist services?
Property professionals and clients may request a current overview of the MDS Free Clearance Help Desk, our assessment process and how we work with conveyancers.
We are refreshing our published brochure to reflect our current service arrangements. Please request the latest information rather than relying on an older document.
YOUR FIRST STEP IS A FREE ASSESSMENT
Have high clearance figures? Start with the Help Desk.
Send us the municipal clearance figures for your property transfer and let our team determine whether specialist intervention could assist.
Current intake is focused on municipal clearance matters associated with property transfers in Ekurhuleni; other municipalities may be considered case by case. Ordinary monthly municipal billing complaints are outside this service. Every enquiry is assessed individually. No particular reduction, acceptance, funding outcome or transfer date is guaranteed. Fees apply only in accordance with the terms of an accepted mandate.