ACKUN AND ANOTHER vs. YANNEY [1962]DLHC1310

Date	1962-06-13
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1962]DLHC1310

DJABANOR J.

N. Y. B. ADADE FOR THE PLAINTIFFS-RESPONDENTS.

J. OWUSU-YAW FOR C. F. HAYFRON-BENJAMIN (SNR.) FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

[1962]DLHC1310
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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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">ACKUN AND ANOTHER <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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">YANNEY<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">&nbsp;[HIGH COURT, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p>[1962] 1 GLR 464<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">

DATE:<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0"> 13TH JUNE, 1962.<o:p></o:p>

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

N.
Y. B. ADADE FOR THE PLAINTIFFS-RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p>

J.
OWUSU-YAW FOR C. F. HAYFRON-BENJAMIN (SNR.) FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

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

DJABANOR J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF
DJABANOR J.<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the judgment of the Amansie Local Court
Division 1, Bekwai, dated the 25th January, 1961, by which that court gave
judgment for the plaintiffs-respondents “for the title and ownership of house
No. T.F. 30 Bekwai.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The first respondent claimed that the house was built by the late
J. E. Morgan who died intestate, and that he as the accredited head of the
deceased’s family was entitled to the ownership of the house which by the death
of J. E. Morgan had become family property. The appellant based her title to
the premises on what she alleged was a valid gift to her. under custom by the
late J. E. Morgan who was her husband.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The issue was a clear-cut one. It was for the appellant to prove
the alleged gift to her by custom. In the judgment of the Land Court, Accra, in
Asare v. Teing1(1) the court summed up the essentials of a valid gift as
follows:<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">“The essentials of a valid gift made in accordance with customary
law are: publicity, acceptance, and placing the donee in possession. The way to
give publicity to a gift of land is to make the gift in the presence of
witnesses, particularly members of the family of the donor who would succeed to
the property upon the donor’s death intestate; and the acceptance must be evidenced
by the presentation of ‘drink’ or some small amount of money to the donor, part
of which is served to or shared among the witnesses to the transaction.
Possession is given by taking the donee to the land, owners of the adjoining
lands having been given previous information to stand on their boundaries and
the donee is taken round the said boundaries.<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">In the absence, however, of publicity of the gift at the moment of
its making, possession and occupation by the donee and the open exercise by him
of rights over the land, which is incapable of any other explanation except
that the person in such possession is the owner, will be sufficient evidence
and publication of a gift.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>According to custom apart from the offer of this drink, the donee
must also make valuable presentation to the donor, and this is usually done by
the donee’s representatives (usually relatives) on his behalf. By this means
these relatives and the others in whose presence the presentation would be made
become witnesses to the confirmation of the gift. By the authority of Yeboah v.
Tse2(2) it is not necessary for the whole family to be present when a gift is
made.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The defendant gave evidence that the gift was made to her. This is
what she said:<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">“Before my husband left for England</main>