BORDOH vs. G.B. OLLIVANT (GHANA) LTD. AND OTHERS [1964]DLHC1882

Date	1964-05-08
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1964]DLHC1882

BRUCE-LYLE J.

J. K. POLLEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

A. J. MARTIN FOR THE DEFENDANTS.

[1964]DLHC1882
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BORDOH<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;vs. <o:p></o:p>G.B. OLLIVANT (GHANA) LTD. AND OTHERS <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, SEKONDI]<o:p></o:p>[1964] GLR 285<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:
8 MAY 1964.<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">

J. K. POLLEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>

A. J. MARTIN FOR THE DEFENDANTS.<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">

BRUCE-LYLE J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF BRUCE-LYLE J.<o:p></o:p>In this
action the plaintiff’s claim as against the defendants Messrs. G. B. Ollivant
Ltd. is for:<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">“(1) a
declaration setting aside an alleged deed of mortgage purported to have been
made on 24 August 1953 between the plaintiff and the defendants, <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">(2) An
injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and licensees from
interfering with the plaintiff’s ownership of the said house, <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">(3) £G500
damages for trespass to the same house (No. 64/1 Amonoo Street, Takoradi) 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">(4) An
injunction restraining the defendants their agents and servants from
interfering with plaintiff’s ownership and possession of the said house.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
defendants, Messrs. Ollivant &amp; Co. (hereafter referred to as Ollivant) in
the exercise of their right of sale under a deed of mortgage, dated 24 August
1953, instructed an auctioneer Mr. C. Q. Ocran to sell house No. 64/1, Amonoo
Street, Takoradi, by public auction. The date for the sale was fixed for 30
June 1962, but owing to a heavy down pour of rain on the afternoon of that day
the sale did not come on. The bell summoning the public to the sale was rung
and persons gathered but because of the rain the sale did not come on and in
the same afternoon the house was sold by private treaty by Mr. Ocran, who was
then an in-patient in the Takoradi hospital, to one Mr. Sey, acting as agent
for Mr. J. W. Acquah, for £G3,000.<o:p></o:p>Sey
subsequently arranged with Ollivant and paid £G1,000 down and promised to pay
the balance by monthly instalments of £G200 and Ollivant accepted this offer.
It is of interest to note that Sey, at the time of the sale, was a tenant of
the plaintiff and lived in the same house.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>After the
sale Acquah and Sey assumed possession of the house and wrote to the tenants
informing them that Acquah was from 30 June 1962 the new landlord. Acquah then
proceeded to make certain structural and substantial improvements to the house.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiff, in her evidence, has claimed to be the owner of this house, it
having been built for her by her late husband Mr. Cudjoe; that the documents relating
to this house were kept for her by her late husband; that her husband died in
1955 and one-and-half years later when the box in which her husband kept his
documents was opened, the title deeds relating to this house were found to be
missing; and that she did practically nothing to find out the whereabouts of
these deeds until two to three years ago when she wanted to make a wall around
the house and she got a copy of the plan of this house from the town council.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiff’s evidence is that she knew nothing about the existence of any
mortgage on this house (to Ollivant) and that it was when she went to the house
to collect her rents from the tenants that she was informed of the auction
notice; that she had the notice read to her, removed it and immediately sent it
to her solicitor; that sub</main>