MENSAH vs. PENIANA [1972]DLHC10258

Date	1972-03-25
Suit No.	1 G L R 337 - 346
Citation No.	[1972]DLHC10258

AZU CRABBE J.S.C.

LASSEY J.A

ARCHER J.A.

E. D. KOM FOR THE APPELLANT.

MICHAEL ATADIKA FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1972]DLHC10258
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MENSAH<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>PENIANA<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">1 G
L R 337 - 346&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;DATE:&nbsp;
25TH MARCH, 1972<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>E. D. KOM FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

MICHAEL ATADIKA FOR
THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

AZU CRABBE J.S.C.,
LASSEY J.A, ARCHER J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;AZU
CRABBE J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiff's claim in this case was for
£G100 (¢240.00) "substantial" damages against the defendant for
"destruction" and "damage" to his properties.&nbsp; Giving particulars of his claim in his writ
the plaintiff stated that he was the owner of cocoa and coffee farms, and
within these farms he had also cultivated palm trees.&nbsp; These farms were lying and situated at
Wenyime-Awudome and known as and commonly called "Wenyime." The
plaintiff further stated as follows:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“The defendant about three weeks ago did without
plaintiff's permission, consent and or knowledge fell down about 45
(forty-five) of those palm trees for the purpose of tapping.&nbsp; The defendant during the course of such
unlawful act did cause damage also to plaintiff's cocoa and coffee trees much
to the detriment of the plaintiff."<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;The plaintiff also claimed an order of
injunction against the defendant, his agents and labourers from continuing the
act of trespass and from tapping the palm trees already felled by the
defendant, "pending final hearing and determination of the matter in
issue."<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;It seems to me that looking at the writ very
closely the claim for an order of injunction was really an application for an
interlocutory order for injunction.&nbsp; The
local court magistrate who heard the case also treated the plaintiff's second
claim as such, for after taking the defendant's plea, he recorded as follows:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"Court:&nbsp;
As it is I am satisfied that interim injunction order as sought is
necessary for the preservation of the peace . . .<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Both parties are hereby restrained from
entering into the disputed land until the final determination of the case at
issue."<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Subsequently, the defendant filed a statement
of defence which he called a "counterclaim," and for a clear
appreciation of the issues raised in this case I reproduce in full the
so-called "counterclaim":<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"COUNTERCLAIM:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Deft./Counter Claimant claims from the
Plaintiff herein the sum of £100/-/- (¢240.00) being damages of counter claim
for unlawful claims laid by the Plaintiff on the Deft./Counter Claimant's palm
trees, cocoa farm and coffee.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;To wit: That the Deft./Counter Claimant has
been in possession of a land commonly known and called Wenyime containing palm
trees, and planted cocoa and coffee thereon, which land lying situated and
being at Tsito Awudome District; and bounded on the North by my own property;
on the South by my own property; on the East by my own property; a place where
my village lying situated and being within the jurisdiction of Awudome.&nbsp; On the West by my own property.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;That the land Wenyime is a bona fide property
of Deft./Counter Claimant's Ancestor by name Dever Klu of Tsito Awudome.&nbsp; After the death of the Deft./Counter
Claimant's predecessors namely: Klu Kofi, Peniana Kwase and Togbe Adzati. the
immediate descendants of Dever Klu, the said land had descended into the possession
of the Deft./Counter Claimant as heritage which land inherited by the
Deft./Counter Claimant and his family and are farming on the said land for a
long considerable time.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In the life time of the Deft./Counter
Claimant's predecessors, there had no dispute being raised up by the Plaintiff's
grandfather against palm trees, cocoa and coffee planted on the said land by
the Deft./Counter Claimant's grandfathers.<o:p></o:p>