DADSON vs. RANA MOTORS & METAL WORKS ENGINEERING CO. LTD. [1987]DLHC2002

Date	1987-11-10
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1987]DLHC2002

[1992] 1 GLR 345

LILIAN QUAYSON ANGYEI FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT.

O. ABOAGYE (FOR BUGYEI) FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENTS.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1987]DLHC2002</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><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">DADSON<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><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></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><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">RANA MOTORS &amp; METAL WORKS ENGINEERING CO. LTD.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[1992] 1 GLR 345<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Date: 10
NOVEMBER 1987</span><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">COUNSEL</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">LILIAN QUAYSON ANGYEI FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">O. ABOAGYE (FOR BUGYEI) FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENTS.<b><u> <o:p></o:p></u></b></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">JUDGMENT OF BROBBEY J.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The appellant is the owner of H/No. 359, North Kaneshie. He rented
it to the respondent-company (hereinafter referred to as the respondents) in
1981 for without doubt, residential purposes only. The respondents occupied the
house through their directors. In November 1984 the appellant wrote to the
respondents to terminate the agreement by December 1984. The respondents,
through their solicitors, replied in writing on 2 February 1985 asking for “a
reasonable time to hunt for alternative dwelling house.” The appellant gave the
respondents up to the end of May 1985 for their said hunt for alternative house
and to quit. Thereafter, the respondents did not quit but further
correspondence on similar lines ensued with the appellant writing to give more
time and insisting on the respondents vacating the premises while the
respondents kept asking for more time to look for another place.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The appellant finally issued a writ in the district court in which
he claimed recovery of possession and replacement of a dividing wall between
two bedrooms allegedly demolished by the respondents. The appellant grounded
his claim for recovery originally on the sole fact that he required the
premises for his own occupation. During the trial he added that he also needed
it for the occupation of his son. The respondents resisted the claims and
judgment was entered in their favour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">It was against that judgment that the appellant appealed to this
court. In this appeal a number of grounds have been argued and these will be
considered seriatim. In entering judgment for the respondents, the trial
magistrate found that greater hardship would be caused to the respondents than
the appellant. This was because he stated, inter alia, that the appellant is an
Anglican bishop based in Tamale but comes to Accra occasionally in his capacity
as the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church. The magistrate concluded that
the Anglican Church has to accommodate him or pay for his accommodation. That
finding was clearly not borne out by the evidence. It is not a fact in respect
of which judicial notice could even be taken. Against that finding the
appellant in the course of the trial stated that whenever he is in Accra the
church provides him with no accommodation and so he has to squat with relatives
and friends. This was confirmed by his son who testified as the first plaintiff
witness. In fact, some of the families on whom the appellant squats were
mentioned. It was not even suggested to the appellant in cross-examination that
the Anglican Church has accommodation in Accra for its bishops working outside
Accra. This finding of the trial magistrate was totally extraneous to the facts
on record and unwarrantable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Having made this hollow finding of fact, the trial magistrate
proceeded to deduce that even if the church did not furnish him with
accommodation, “it is easier for the plaintiff to find alternative place to
lodge—hotels, friends, for the short period he is in Accra.” That was the very
antithesis of the case the appellant put before the magistrate. When a bishop
of a recognised church insists that he cannot continue living on the bounty or
hospitality of other people, how can it at the same time be said that it is
“easier” to stay with the very people the bishop does not want to inconvenience
by forcing himself on them? If the appellant was to stay in a hotel as the
magistrate concluded, one fact which the trial magistrate should have adverted
his mind to was the cost of staying in the hotel. Who would pay for the
appellant’s hotel accommodation? The respondents pay ¢500 for a month’s
occupation of the plaintiff ‘s house. But one may well ask: In this day and age
where in Accra will anyone obtain a hotel accommodation for one night at ¢500,
and if the appellant has to pay more to stay in a hotel would it really be fair
to expect the appellant to do that when he has his own house in Accra?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">All these points should have been raised during the trial so that
such incidental issues could have been canvassed before the propriety or
otherwise of staying in a hotel could have been decided upon. As it turned out,
the trial magistrate raised it for the first time in his judgment without
giving the appellant or the respondents the opportunity to react to that line
of thinking. That finding is wrong in law and cannot be allowed to stand on the
authority of Barko v. Mustapha [1964] G.L.R. 78, S.C. in which the Supreme
Court held that: “A court is not entitled to rely upon facts which have not
been recorded in evidence, unless they are notorious facts of public interest
of which judicial notice may be taken.” As stated already, none of the
situations about the Anglican Church providing accommodation or the appellant
staying in a hotel was a fact in respect of which judicial notice could have
been taken. If anything at all, judicial notice could only be taken, as I do,
of the fact that the present day cost of living is such that it is not easy to
get a hotel accommodation for one night for a paltry sum like ¢500. Therefore
to insist on the appellant living in a hotel will result in his subsidising the
respondents, which will be gross injustice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; fo</main>