PVL3701 – Law of Property: Notes, Strategy & Exam Preparation (Better Call
Tom 2025 Edition) economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2.
Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical
1
,INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW SECTION
Welcome to PVL 3701 – Law of Property
Property law is the branch of private law that tells us who controls things, how
those rights are acquired, protected, limited, and lost, and how private
ownership fits within South Africa’s constitutional and social framework.
This guide turns that theory into an exam-focused learning tool explaining each
topic the way a lecturer would teach it in class, not the way a textbook lists it.
economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2. Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Depending on the subject area, these exams can vary significantly in format. Common types of business
Purpose of this Guide
The Better Call Tom PVL 3701 Exam Guide (2025 Edition) is designed to:
1. Simplify the ten learning units from UNISA’s 2025 Study Guide.
2. Blend explanation, case law, examples, and exam strategy into one flow.
3. Equip you to answer problem questions logically under time pressure.
4. Connect property law with its constitutional values of equality, dignity, and
fairness.
It’s not a replacement for your study material it’s a teaching companion that walks
you through the same content using plain language and applied reasoning.
How to Use this Guide
1. Read each unit like a short lecture.
– Core idea → Example → Case → Recap.
2. Underline key terms (real right, accession, spoliation, servitude).
3. After each unit, test yourself:
“Can I explain this to someone else in two minutes?”
4. Use the Cross-Cutting Themes for essay-style questions.
5. Finish with the Exam Strategy & Checklist before the paper.
2
,Prescribed Sources Used
UNISA Study Guide (2025 Edition)
PVL 3701 Corrections & Tutorial Letters (2025)
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
Relevant Statutes:
Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937; Expropriation Act 13 of 2024; PIE Act 19 of
1998; ESTA 62 of 1997; SPLUMA 16 of 2013
Prescribed and Leading Cases (2025):
Ex parte Geldenhuys 1926; Chetty v Naidoo 1974; Petropulos v Dias 2020;
ABSA v Moore 2016; USS Graphics 2023.
economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2. Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Depending on the subject area, these exams can vary significantly in format. Common types of business
Overview of the Ten Learning Units
Unit Theme Core Focus
1 Introduction to Property Law & Sources of property law; concept of
Things as Objects “thing.”
2 Real Rights vs Personal Rights Distinction and the subtraction-from-
dominium test.
3 Ownership: Nature and Limitations Content of ownership and
constitutional limits.
4 Original Acquisition of Ownership Occupatio, accession, specification,
prescription.
5 Derivative Acquisition of Ownership Delivery, registration, nemo plus iuris
principle.
6 Protection and Termination of Rei vindicatio, actio negatoria,
Ownership interdicts, loss of ownership.
7 Co-ownership Rights, duties, and the actio communi
dividundo.
3
, 8 Possession and Holdership: Nature Corpus + animus, distinction from
ownership.
9 Possession and Holdership: Mandament van spolie and statutory
Protection and Termination eviction protection.
10 Limited Real Rights: Servitudes and Creation, registration, and
Restrictive Conditions termination of servitudes.
After Unit 10, the Cross-Cutting Themes section ties everything together:
constitutional property, land reform, real-security rights, and the big picture of
ownership, possession, and limited rights.
Exam Readiness Goals
By the end of this guide you should be able to:
Explain and apply every major property concept in plain English.
Link facts to correct legal principles and remedies.
Recall at least one supporting case per topic.
Write answers using IRAC (Issue – Rule – Application – Conclusion).
Manage your time and marks strategically.
economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2. Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Depending on the subject area, these exams can vary significantly in format. Common types of business
Tone & Approach
This guide teaches you like a live lecturer would:
Short paragraphs and real examples (no textbook jargon).
Quick recaps and “teaching cues” at the end of every unit.
Integrated exam strategy you’re learning and preparing simultaneously.
Final Thought
Property law is everywhere from your phone to your home, from farms to servitudes.
Mastering it isn’t about memorising Latin; it’s about understanding who controls
what, why, and how the law balances fairness with ownership.
4
Tom 2025 Edition) economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2.
Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical
1
,INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW SECTION
Welcome to PVL 3701 – Law of Property
Property law is the branch of private law that tells us who controls things, how
those rights are acquired, protected, limited, and lost, and how private
ownership fits within South Africa’s constitutional and social framework.
This guide turns that theory into an exam-focused learning tool explaining each
topic the way a lecturer would teach it in class, not the way a textbook lists it.
economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2. Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Depending on the subject area, these exams can vary significantly in format. Common types of business
Purpose of this Guide
The Better Call Tom PVL 3701 Exam Guide (2025 Edition) is designed to:
1. Simplify the ten learning units from UNISA’s 2025 Study Guide.
2. Blend explanation, case law, examples, and exam strategy into one flow.
3. Equip you to answer problem questions logically under time pressure.
4. Connect property law with its constitutional values of equality, dignity, and
fairness.
It’s not a replacement for your study material it’s a teaching companion that walks
you through the same content using plain language and applied reasoning.
How to Use this Guide
1. Read each unit like a short lecture.
– Core idea → Example → Case → Recap.
2. Underline key terms (real right, accession, spoliation, servitude).
3. After each unit, test yourself:
“Can I explain this to someone else in two minutes?”
4. Use the Cross-Cutting Themes for essay-style questions.
5. Finish with the Exam Strategy & Checklist before the paper.
2
,Prescribed Sources Used
UNISA Study Guide (2025 Edition)
PVL 3701 Corrections & Tutorial Letters (2025)
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
Relevant Statutes:
Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937; Expropriation Act 13 of 2024; PIE Act 19 of
1998; ESTA 62 of 1997; SPLUMA 16 of 2013
Prescribed and Leading Cases (2025):
Ex parte Geldenhuys 1926; Chetty v Naidoo 1974; Petropulos v Dias 2020;
ABSA v Moore 2016; USS Graphics 2023.
economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2. Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Depending on the subject area, these exams can vary significantly in format. Common types of business
Overview of the Ten Learning Units
Unit Theme Core Focus
1 Introduction to Property Law & Sources of property law; concept of
Things as Objects “thing.”
2 Real Rights vs Personal Rights Distinction and the subtraction-from-
dominium test.
3 Ownership: Nature and Limitations Content of ownership and
constitutional limits.
4 Original Acquisition of Ownership Occupatio, accession, specification,
prescription.
5 Derivative Acquisition of Ownership Delivery, registration, nemo plus iuris
principle.
6 Protection and Termination of Rei vindicatio, actio negatoria,
Ownership interdicts, loss of ownership.
7 Co-ownership Rights, duties, and the actio communi
dividundo.
3
, 8 Possession and Holdership: Nature Corpus + animus, distinction from
ownership.
9 Possession and Holdership: Mandament van spolie and statutory
Protection and Termination eviction protection.
10 Limited Real Rights: Servitudes and Creation, registration, and
Restrictive Conditions termination of servitudes.
After Unit 10, the Cross-Cutting Themes section ties everything together:
constitutional property, land reform, real-security rights, and the big picture of
ownership, possession, and limited rights.
Exam Readiness Goals
By the end of this guide you should be able to:
Explain and apply every major property concept in plain English.
Link facts to correct legal principles and remedies.
Recall at least one supporting case per topic.
Write answers using IRAC (Issue – Rule – Application – Conclusion).
Manage your time and marks strategically.
economics, entrepreneurship, and international business.1.2. Structure of Business ExamsBusiness exams are often a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Depending on the subject area, these exams can vary significantly in format. Common types of business
Tone & Approach
This guide teaches you like a live lecturer would:
Short paragraphs and real examples (no textbook jargon).
Quick recaps and “teaching cues” at the end of every unit.
Integrated exam strategy you’re learning and preparing simultaneously.
Final Thought
Property law is everywhere from your phone to your home, from farms to servitudes.
Mastering it isn’t about memorising Latin; it’s about understanding who controls
what, why, and how the law balances fairness with ownership.
4
