ROELOF L

Useless service

I lodged a formal complaint with the CSOS (1874/WC/24) nearly two years ago regarding a fence erected by the neighbour of our scheme in contravention of municipal regulations. For almost two years, I was repeatedly assured that this was a simple matter and would be attended to shortly. However, CSOS only recently issued a response and confirmed that: • The fence was not compliant with municipal regulations; and • The trustees agreed that the temporary fence would be removed after 6 months. Despite this, CSOS dismissed the application on the basis that the “relief sought is misconceived.” This outcome is incomprehensible. If the complaint is valid and the trustees themselves agree to remove the ******** structure, how can the application be dismissed? It is deeply concerning that numerous other reviews reflect similar experiences — where individual owners’ complaints are dismissed rather than decisively addressed. This creates the perception that CSOS is reluctant to hold trustees accountable, while individual members are left without meaningful recourse. Owners pay monthly levies which include contributions toward CSOS, with the expectation that the Ombud will provide fair, efficient, and impartial dispute resolution. When valid complaints are dismissed on technicalities after years of delay, confidence in the system is severely undermined. I sincerely hope CSOS will provide a clear explanation for this decision and demonstrate that it exists to protect all members of community schemes — not only trustees.