MICHELLETTI POLLA LTD. vs. CRABBE AND OTHERS [1975]DLSC409

Date	1975-11-24
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1975]DLSC409

SOWAH J.A

ARCHER J.A

ANIN J.A.

AKYEA-DJAMSON FOR THE APPELLANTS.

NO APPEARANCE BY OR FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[1975]DLSC409
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MICHELLETTI POLLA LTD. <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>CRABBE AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1976] 1 GLR 108<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DATE:
25 NOVEMBER 1975.<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">

AKYEA-DJAMSON FOR THE APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>

NO APPEARANCE BY OR FOR THE RESPONDENTS.<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">

SOWAH, ARCHER AND ANIN JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF SOWAH J.A.<o:p></o:p>Sowah
J.A. delivered the judgment of the court. This is an appeal from the judgment
of the circuit court whereby the learned judge of the court purported to enter
judgment for the plaintiffs-respondents under Order 36, r. 1 of the High Court
(Civil Procedure) Rules, 1954 (L.N. 140A), in a summons for directions in which
no such application had been made. The parties herein will be referred to
simply as plaintiffs and defendants.<o:p></o:p>The brief
facts are that the plaintiffs issued a specially endorsed writ against the
defendants claiming:<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)
¢1,440 arrears of rent due and owing for the period 1 April 1971 to 31 March
1974 at ¢480 per annum in respect of the plaintiffs’ land at Avenor, Accra,
leased to 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">(b) Mesne
profits.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>An
appearance was entered; thereafter the plaintiffs filed a statement of claim
detailing further and better particulars of facts in relation to, and in
support of their claim. The plaintiffs after a recital of their title
proceeded:<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) By
an indenture of a lease dated 26 April 1956 and made between the plaintiffs and
the defendants the plaintiffs demised or granted a part of their land to the
defendants for the term of fifty years from 1 April 1956. <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) The
reversion expectant on the said term is now vested in the plaintiffs. <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">(5) It is
a term of the said lease that the defendants shall pay to the plaintiffs a
yearly rent of four hundred and eighty cedis (¢480) yearly in advance whether
demanded or not and that upon failure by the defendants to pay the said rent
the lease shall absolutely determine. <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">(6) The
defendants have failed to pay the reserved rent for the period 1 April 1971 to
31 March 1974 despite repeated demands and are therefore in breach of their
covenants.”<o:p></o:p>The
defendants in a fairly long statement of defence admitted the lease, the
covenant to pay rent and further averred that their possession of the said
piece of land was being disturbed by a third party, one Violet Afua Naanum
Whitaker, who had also taken out a writ of summons asserting title against them.
The defendants were therefore obliged to issue a third party notice on the
plaintiffs herein to defend their title in the action, then pending in the High
Court. As a result of advice received from their solicitors, they began paying
the rents into court to abide the hearing.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiffs filed a reply admitting the existence of the suit and alleging that
the plaintiff therein had died and there had been no substitution. The action,
according to them, had consequently abated.<o:p></o:p>