BENYI & ANOR. vs. AMO & ANOR [1959]DLHC1995

Date	1959-02-28
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1959]DLHC1995

ADUMUA-BOSSMAN J.

SHORT FOR APPELLANTS.

BENJAMIN (JUNR.) FOR RESPONDENTS.

[1959]DLHC1995
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">BENYI &amp; ANOR.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">&nbsp;vs. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">AMO &amp; ANOR<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT (LANDS DIVISION), CAPE COAST]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1959] GLR 92<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
28TH FEBRUARY, 1959.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

SHORT FOR
APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

ADUMUA-BOSSMAN J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ADUMUA-BOSSMAN J.<o:p></o:p>(His
lordship set out the respective cases of the parties, and proceeded):—<o:p></o:p>The
question of the jurisdiction of this Court to entertain the appeal arises
firstly for consideration. The Writ of Summons, on the face of it, appears to
be a clear claim to the estate of a deceased person. But the real issue would
appear to be whether the plot of land on which the storey-building was erected—<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a) was
his self-acquired plot, so as to make the building, together with the plot on
which it was erected, the self-acquired property of the deceased; or<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b) was
the family-property of his wife’s family, of which land he was only allowed the
use to erect a building for himself and his wife and children, so that both
plot and building were the property of himself together with his wife and
children - a kind of family property in fact. In that event, the appellants
contend, it could not devolve as his self-acquired property.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Lord
Cohen, delivering the judgment of the Privy Council in Vanderpuye &amp; ors. v.
Botchway (2 W.A.L.R. 16 at p. 21), said: “In order to determine into which
category a particular suit falls, the Court must apply the test of what is the
real issue between the parties, and not look only at the wording of the
plaint.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
analogy to the instant case is the usual type of suit concerning property held
in his life-time by a deceased native, where it is claimed on the one hand that
he held the property in a fiduciary capacity as Head of Family, and contended
on the other hand that he held it in his personal capacity as his self-acquired
property. In those cases the issue has always been held to be an “Ownership” or
“Land” issue, not a “Succession” issue, because the real dispute is as to the
original ownership of the land whilst the deceased held it, but not how or upon
whom it should devolve.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Such were
the cases of:—<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a)
Larkai v. Amorkor &amp; ors. (1 W.A.C.A. 323) in which the appellant claimed
that property which had been in undisturbed possession of one Otua for a period
of about 25 years, was property which had devolved as family property upon her,
and which she had, held and controlled all the time in a fiduciary capacity as
Head of the family. The respondents (her children) claimed that it was her
self-acquired property, and that she held it in her personal or individual
capacity; and<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b)
</main>