Contracts of sale of property usually include a clause saying that the property is sold 'voetstoots' - i.e. effectively claiming that the Purchaser has no claim against the Seller in respect of latent defects. However, the truth of the matter is that 'voetstoots' does not provide adequate protection. Following a South African court case in 1994, the law now states that if the Purchaser can prove that the Seller was aware of the defect and concealed its existence, the Purchaser does have a claim against the Seller. To take just one simple example, if a Seller filled a structural crack and painted over it to hide it - and it subsequently opened up - the Purchaser would have a claim against the Seller. And a Purchaser has three years in which to claim against the Seller in terms of a latent defect. All of which opens the door to costly and unpleasant long-term litigation. For the above reasons, an attorney has recently commented: "Under the circumstances, purchasers would be well advised to inspect a property carefully and give particular attention to the structural soundness of the buildings." A Homesure inspection and certificate, however, protects against future 'voetstoots' problems.