Lawyer struck off the roll for misuse of R50k in property sale

LAWYER Deon Jakobus Beukman has been struck from the roll of legal practitioners in the Western Cape High Court, after being found guilty of bringing the legal profession into disrepute for misappropriating R50 000 meant to be refunded to a buyer in a property transaction.

- NICOLA DANIELS [e-mail]

The matter relates to a 2009 transaction.

Beukman had been the conveyancer in terms of a sale agreement for a property in Somerset West for R550 000. The buyer paid an amount of R561 921.46 to the lawyer and consented to certain funds being paid to expedite the registration of the transfer. The respondent further paid an amount of R41 250 to the estate agent, for his commission.

However the seller died on February 20, 2009 before the transfer was registered, and the executor of the seller’s estate elected to cancel the sale agreement as the seller’s deceased estate was insolvent.

The lawyer refunded the buyer an amount of R481 653.81 together with interest of R67 895.53.