Estates
Deceased and insolvent estate auctions,
without the guesswork.
Dynamic Auctioneers is an auction house for executors, trustees and liquidators: it sells the property and assets of deceased, insolvent and divided joint estates, and of companies in liquidation or business rescue. Auction gives a defensible market price on a fixed date, with a paper trail that survives scrutiny.
Key takeaways
- We act for executors, trustees and liquidators, for companies in liquidation or business rescue, on divided joint estates and on company wind-downs.
- An open, advertised, competitive auction is evidence of market value, and far harder for a disgruntled beneficiary or creditor to challenge than a negotiated private sale.
- Property typically runs around three to four weeks from signed mandate to auction day. The real constraint is usually the documentation.
- We will want to see the letters of executorship, or the certificate of appointment as trustee or liquidator, before marketing anything.
- Afterwards you get a written report covering what each lot achieved, the marketing carried out and the bidder registration record.
Who we act for
Four situations, one discipline.
Deceased estates
Executors appointed by the Master of the High Court, realising property and household assets to settle liabilities and distribute to heirs.
Insolvent estates & liquidations
Trustees and liquidators realising the assets of an insolvent individual or a company in liquidation or business rescue.
Divided joint estates
Where a joint estate must be divided and the parties cannot agree a value, an open auction produces a number neither side set. Guide: selling property in a divorce
Company wind-downs
Solvent closures and site clearances where directors need the assets converted and accounted for cleanly.
Why auction suits estates
A price nobody can argue with.
Defensible valuation
An open, advertised, competitive auction is evidence of market value. That is far harder for a disgruntled beneficiary or creditor to challenge than a negotiated private sale.
A fixed date
Estates cannot stay open indefinitely. An auction date is a deadline you can plan the rest of the wind-up around.
Everything at once
Property, vehicles, machinery and household contents can be handled by one firm rather than coordinated across three.
A full paper trail
Catalogue, marketing record, bidder registration, and a written report on what each lot achieved and to whom: the documentation an account to the Master or to creditors requires.
Business rescue, insolvency and deceased estates
What the law asks of the sale.
Each kind of appointment comes with its own rule about how assets may be sold. In short, and from the Acts themselves:
Pending legal review. What this section says about the law has not yet been signed off by Dynamic Auctioneers’ attorney. For your own matter, your attorney or conveyancer has the final word.
Business rescue
Business rescue is the process in Chapter 6 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 for rehabilitating a financially distressed company under the temporary supervision of a business rescue practitioner. While it runs, the company may dispose of property only in the ordinary course of its business, in a bona fide transaction at arm’s length for fair value approved in advance and in writing by the practitioner, or as part of implementing a business rescue plan that has been approved. Where another person holds security or a title interest in the property, their prior consent is needed unless the proceeds will settle that debt in full. From the buyer’s side: buying from a company in business rescue.
Insolvent estates and liquidations
The Master appoints a trustee by issuing a certificate of appointment. Once authorised at the second meeting of creditors, the trustee sells the property of the estate in the manner and on the conditions the creditors direct; if they have given no directions, the Insolvency Act requires a public auction or public tender, after notice in the Government Gazette. Companies that are wound up are liquidated under Chapter 14 of the old Companies Act of 1973, which continues to apply under the 2008 Act’s transitional provisions. More in insolvent estate and liquidation auctions.
Deceased estates
Nobody may wind up a deceased estate except under letters of executorship or a direction from the Master. Unless the will says otherwise, the executor sells estate property in the manner and on the conditions the heirs with an interest in it approve in writing. Where the heirs cannot agree, or an heir is a minor, absent or under curatorship, the Master approves the manner and conditions instead. More in selling deceased estate property.
Our past auctions are listed on our results page. Every auction we run has its own rules of auction.
For executors, trustees and practitioners
Auction or private treaty: choosing a route.
We offer both, so we have no reason to push you toward one. Whichever you choose, the sale has to fit the rule your appointment comes with first.
Pending legal review, like the section above: check the law in it with your own attorney or conveyancer.
| Your rule | Executor: on terms the heirs approve in writing, or the Master where they cannot agree. Trustee: as the creditors direct; without directions, public auction or public tender. Business rescue: outside the ordinary course of business and an approved plan, for fair value approved in advance and in writing by the practitioner. |
|---|---|
| Price evidence | Auction: an open, advertised, competitive sale, which is evidence of market value. Private treaty: a price negotiated with one buyer at a time. |
| Timeline | Auction: a fixed date, roughly three to four weeks from mandate for property. Private treaty: open-ended, until the right offer arrives. |
| Record | Auction: catalogue, marketing record, bidder registration, and a written report on what each lot achieved and to whom. |
| Best suited to | Auction: unique property, distressed and estate sales, anything where a deadline helps. Private treaty: conventional stock in a liquid suburb with plenty of comparables. |
Private treaty for property runs through Dynamic Real Estate. Before you sign anything, read our seller terms and the rules of auction, and for the wider comparison, auction or estate agent.
Getting started
What we will need from you.
Deceased estates
- Letters of executorship or letter of authority
- Identity document of the executor
- Title deed and rates account for any property
- An inventory of the assets, however rough
- Details of any bond or outstanding finance
Insolvent estates & liquidations
- Certificate of appointment as trustee or liquidator
- The court order or resolution placing the estate in liquidation
- Asset register or inventory
- Details of secured creditors and any perfected security
- Access arrangements for viewing and collection
Common questions
Estate auctions, answered.
Can you handle both the property and the contents?
Yes, and it is usually the sensible route. Running the property and the movable assets through one firm means one point of contact, one set of reporting and one coordinated timeline.
How quickly can an estate auction be arranged?
Property typically runs around three to four weeks from signed mandate to auction day. Movable assets can be quicker depending on the calendar. The real constraint is usually the documentation, not us.
What if beneficiaries disagree about selling?
The executor holds the authority to realise estate assets, but we will always want to see the letters of executorship before marketing anything. Where there is active dispute, that needs resolving on your side before an auction is a sensible step.
Do you provide a valuation for the estate account?
We provide written market appraisals and property inspections. Our valuations page explains what they cover.
What reporting do we get afterwards?
A written report covering what each lot achieved, the marketing that was carried out, and the bidder registration record: the documentation an account to the Master or to creditors requires.
Guides for this
Read up before you decide.
Insolvency and liquidation auctions: how the sale works, and who decides
How trustees, liquidators and business rescue practitioners sell at auction: creditors' directions, the Master, early sales, and what buyers should expect.
Read the guide Estates · 15 minSelling property from a deceased estate: a guide for executors
How an executor sells deceased estate property in South Africa: letters of executorship, heirs' consent or Master's approval, auction, timeline and proceeds.
Read the guide Estates · 14 minSelling the family home in a divorce: who decides, and how
Selling the house in a South African divorce: marital regimes, spousal consent, settlement orders, receivers and liquidators, the bond, CGT and practical steps.
Read the guideActing on an estate?
Tell us what is in it and what your deadline is. We will tell you what is realistic.
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