ADDAE KWASI AND OTHERS vs. ADEKU [1962]DLHC1316

Date	1962-05-26
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1962]DLHC1316

PREMPEH J.

AWOONOR WILLIAMS FOR G. S. LASSEY FOR THE PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS.

F. T. C. AMORIN FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT.

[1962]DLHC1316
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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">ADDAE KWASI AND OTHERS<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">&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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">ADEKU<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, HO]<o:p></o:p>[1962] 1 GLR 401<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"> 26TH MAY, 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">

AWOONOR
WILLIAMS FOR G. S. LASSEY FOR THE PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>

F.
T. C. AMORIN FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT.<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">

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

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF
PREMPEH J.<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the judgment of the Ho Local Court Division
II delivered on the 13th December, 1961, in favour of the defendant-respondent
herein.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The appellants’ claim against the respondent was for a declaration
of title to all that piece or parcel of land commonly called Awakpeta in the
Awudome state, the boundaries of which are therein described. The
defendant-respondent also counterclaimed against the plaintiffs- appellants 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 defendant-counterclaimant claims against the plaintiffs
jointly and severally a declaration of title right interest ownership and
recovery of possession of all that piece or parcel of land situate lying and
being at Sokode Division commonly known and called Awakpe land found by
settlement by the defendant counterclaimant’s great-grandfather naturally known
and called Afesi of Awapke clan on section of Kwanta Awudome, descended to the
defendant by right of inheritance customarily, after the people of Awakpe clan,
section or family have perished and defendant-counterclaimant as the only
survivor of Afesi and Awakpe family’s nephew.<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 plaintiffs are now wrongfully claiming this property as their
property or land. The boundaries whereof: on the north bounded by the property
of Sam B. Attipoe of Ho, on the south by the property of Nicholas Dotse Yaku of
Kwanta Awudome, on the west by the property of the defendant counterclaimant’s
paternal property and on the east by the property of Fia Klu of Anyirawase
Awudome, absolutely sold to Sokode people—and the value is approximately
£G3,000.”<o:p></o:p>Upon a motion coming before the trial court on the 25th October,
1961, as to its jurisdiction to entertain the suits, the court ruled 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">“I am satisfied that the land for which the plaintiffs sued worth
£G200. This case is within the jurisdiction of this court. The counterclaim
filed by defendant is in respect of a land value £G3,000. Its boundaries are
not exactly those of the land for which the plaintiffs sued and is therefore
quite a different land. This court has no jurisdiction to hear and determine
the counterclaim. The counterclaim is therefore struck out of the list.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The basis upon which the trial court found that the land claimed
in the counterclaim is different from the one claimed by the plaintiffs at that
initial stage, without a plan and without an inspection is not shown on the
record. By subsection (2) of section 98 of the Courts Act, 1960,1(1) a local
court magistrate could properly strike out a claim for lack of jurisdiction
where it appears to him that the value of the land in above £G200, and where
there is not consent to his jurisdiction; but in this case, the trial court
struck out the counterclaim not only because the value of the land was given as
£G3,000, but because it was in respect of a different land although in the
counterclaim the defendant-respondent stated that the appellants were
wrongfully asserting title to his land.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Having ruled that the counterclaim is in respect of a different
land, and since the appellants did not s</main>