Milton Manor, located on the scenic 2 Milton Road in Sea Point, offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Table Mountain.
For some of its residents however, the beauty of the location is being overshadowed by a long-standing issue that’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore—a tree whose invasive roots are causing serious damage to the property.
The tree, located on the pavement outside the building, has caused damage to the boundary wall, paving, and even the apartments, some of which cost more than R3 million to buy.
Since December 2023, residents have been struggling with the ongoing issue, with one pensioner in particular being directly impacted.
The roots of the tree have invaded her apartment, forcing her to move her furniture around to avoid further damage.
Marion Koegelenberg from S. Kempen Property Management, who spoke on behalf of the trustees of Milton Manor, has expressed the growing frustration of residents.
Koegelenberg said despite numerous attempts to get a response from the City of Cape Town, including emails, phone calls, and photographic evidence sent to the authorities, no significant action has been taken to resolve the matter.
"We’ve been trying to address this issue for over a year now, and still, nothing has been done,” Koegelenberg said.
The Property Management also pointed out that is not an entitlement issue, but a safety issue.
According to the Management Agency, they have also tried attending to the problem themselves and even got a quote from contractors to remove the tree, but were told by the City that they are not mandated to do it because the tree falls on City property.
The residents agree with winter fast approaching, the weather worsening, they need a resolution sooner rather than later.
The building’s manager, Billy Ockerman, shares the same sentiment.
"It’s been dragging on for so long, and winter’s approaching. The wall is leaning more every day, and we’re still waiting," Ockerman said.
"We’ve been passed from one department to another, and no one is giving us any answers.
“The wall is starting to tilt- I even call it the Leaning Wall of Milton Manor."
Residents are increasingly frustrated, especially after seeing a similar issue resolved just down the road.
“Last November, a building just around the corner had the same problem, and they removed their tree quickly,” Ockerman said.
"We even asked if we could have the same treatment, but we’re still stuck here, 16 months later, waiting for a solution."
Ward councillor for Sea Point, Nicola Jowell, said she has been in contact with the residents and is aware of the ongoing issue.
“The residents logged the complaint with the City in January 2024.
“Since that point myself or my assistant has responded to various residents, the managing agents representatives over 30 times and have done numerous follow ups with the department.
“It should have been resolved given the length of time that this has been outstanding.”
Jowell said the issue has also been on their monthly tracking list with the Parks Department which contains all items that are outstanding.
“We meet monthly to both receive updates and put pressure on the department to resolve these issues.”
In relation to the tree that was removed around the same vicinity, Jowell said the Parks Department would need to respond to the rationale for why some trees were dealt with last year.
“The other tree on Beach Road that was removed has been reported and assessed since at least 2020.
“Removing a tree is not done lightly by the Parks Department and there has to be an assessment by the City’s arborist before any decision is taken.
“The unfortunate frustration here is that the Parks Department has not had a continuous tree maintenance tender in place and that has hampered their ability to respond, and this has been raised and flagged with the department to address.”
In response, the City of Cape Town issued a statement acknowledging the delays.
"The Recreation and Parks Department is currently experiencing delays with its tree tender, which is why the work has not started," the City said.
"The job is also contingent on an application for road closures to be approved, so that the work can proceed safely. At this stage, no set timeline can be confirmed. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to ensure that the matter is resolved."