Marianne Pretorius Attorney

About

We are a dynamic, well-established law firm, providing professional legal services and solutions to a diverse client base.

Description

We are a dynamic, well-established law firm, providing professional legal services and solutions to a diverse client base
The firm was established by Marianne Pretorius 19 years ago and has developed into a small, highly specialized firm focused on evictions, debt collecting and litigation. Our aggressive professional approach to eviction and litigation matters has resulted in a solid client base and earned us great client loyalty. Focused on litigation and commercial work, we put our clients ahead of ourselves and apply ingenuity, hard work and attention to detail in delivering the results our clients desire. We also focus on light commercial work, commercial disputes, debt collection, property lease management and high and lower court litigation.

Marianne Pretorius started her career in 1990 as a prosecutor in Westonaria. She thereafter served as a regional court prosecutor of Roodepoort for a period of two years immediately prior to taking up articles and sitting for the attorney’s entry examination.

After qualifying as an attorney she founded the firm and have grown significantly to be included on the panel of attorneys of a number of financial institutions including Unibank Limited (Absa Bank Limited took over all the assets and liabilities of Unibank), Daimler Chrysler Financial Services, Saambou Bank Limited, New Republic Bank Limited and Saamfin. She has been on the panel of Unibank, and now more recently also of Absa for an interrupted period of 13 years.
In this time, she brought applications for the repossession of goods in virtually every large magisterial district in South Africa and have to date not been unsuccessful in a single application. Similarly, the firm has not suffered any adverse judgments in any of the cases where action was instituted on behalf of these clients.

During this time, the firm was extensively involved in recoveries of the debtor book of Pretoria Bank. A large number of these actions were defended, in most instances defenses of a technical nature, e.g. lack of locus standi and defenses based on the provisions of the Prescription Act. Every one of these challenges was met. In view of the exposure that the firm has enjoyed and still enjoys, we consider us to be well versed in the various legal and practical aspects of collecting debts of this nature.

In 1998, DRDGold retained the firm to institute actions on their behalf for the eviction of illegal tenants from their properties. At that, stage the Prevention of Illegal Eviction From and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act no 19 of 1998 came into operation which introduced a quantum shift in complexity in dealing with these matters, requiring a high level of specialization.
We have been representing DRD Gold in matters of this nature now for the past 13 years. Since our involvement from 1998 to 2013, the recoveries on rentals both current and in respect of arrears have increased dramatically.

Our list of clients has since grown to also include:
• Absa Bank’s Absa Technology Finance Solutions (Pty) Ltd matters;
* Absa Bank Limited
• Colliers International (Pty) Ltd, know known as RMS Corporate Solutions (Pty) Ltd to attend to evictions for the Far West Rand Dolomitic Association in the magisterial districts of Oberholzer and Westonaria;
• AngloGoldAshanti, for eviction and collections in the far West Rand; and
• Blyvooruitzicht Mine and ERPM, two gold mines within the DRDGOLD structure.
* Sibanye Gold Limited

The total number of eviction matters that we have instituted on behalf of these and other clients are as follows:
• DRDGOLD - 1053
• Far West Rand Dolomitic Water Association – 450
• Ponong Properties – 20
• Kilikor Properties 14
• Blue Dot Properties – 4
• Anglo Gold Ashanti – 149
• Murray & Roberts – 67
• Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mine – 132
• East Rand Proprietary Mines Limited - 514

We also regularly receive instructions from other attorneys to institute legal proceedings on behalf their clients.
Our success can be attributed to the following:
• Our understanding of current political and economic trends;
• Our ability to deal with adversity and diversity;
• Our ethical approach to the practice of law;
• Our ability to give our best to our clients at all times; and
• Our dedication to the rule of law.

As a result, we possess the expertise, capacity and experience to enable us to deliver efficient, comprehensive and cost-effective legal solutions as well as the proven ability to deliver excellent results to our broad client base. We are committed to finding innovative legal solutions, whilst uncompromisingly maintaining the highest levels of service, trust and integrity.