OPPONG vs. OPPONG [1992]DLCA2050

Date	1992-06-03
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1992]DLCA2050

AMPIAH JA

ADJABENG JA

FORSTER J.A.

JAMES AHENKORAH FOR THE APPELLANT-WIFE.

AIDOO (WITH HIM AKPOKAVI) FOR THE RESPONDENT-HUSBAND.

[1992]DLCA2050
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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">OPPONG<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">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">OPPONG<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1992] 1 GLR 83<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">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JAMES AHENKORAH FOR THE APPELLANT-WIFE.<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">

AIDOO (WITH HIM AKPOKAVI) FOR THE RESPONDENT-HUSBAND. <o:p></o:p>

AMPIAH, ADJABENG AND FORSTER JJ.A. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF AMPIAH J. A.<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff and the defendant were married customarily in 1959.
In 1973 they converted their said marriage into an Ordinance marriage. Both are
Ghanaians. They lived in Accra. After the 1973 marriage, the plaintiff left for
London where he was joined in 1974 by the defendant. There were eight issues of
the marriage, five of whom are still living. According to the plaintiff, in
1966 he purchased house No. V. 49, Community 4, Tema then a rental unit from
one Larbi and put it in the name of the defendant. The plaintiff came down from
London in 1980. In 1987 or thereabout, the defendant sought and obtained a
dissolution of their marriage in London. She also obtained an order from the
Edmonton County Court transferring their matrimonial house No. 57, North Grove,
Tottenham, London, No. 15 to her. She then sought to eject the plaintiff from
house No. V 49, Community 4, Tema claiming that the property belonged to her.
Wherefore the plaintiff claimed at the Circuit Court, Tema for:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a).&nbsp; “A declaration that the
plaintiff is the beneficial owner of the house numbered V. 49, Community 4,
Tema. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b).&nbsp; An order compelling the
defendant to cause a transfer of the said house into the name of the plaintiff.
<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">(c).&nbsp;
An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, her
agents or servants, e.t.c. from in any way dealing with the said house against
the plaintiff’s interest.”<o:p></o:p>As stated before, the defendant denied the plaintiff’s claim and
said the house was acquired by her personally.<o:p></o:p>

On 21 December 1990 the learned trial judge gave judgment for the
plaintiff and restrained the defendant from in any way interfering with the
property in dispute. The defendant has appealed against this decision.<o:p></o:p>The defendant originally claimed that “the judgment was against
the weight of the evidence.” On 10 March 1992, however, she filed a further
ground of appeal alleging that:<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 manner in which the learned circuit judge handled the issue
of beneficial interest in the disputed house was so unsatisfactory that it misled
her to arrive at the wrong conclusion that the beneficial interest belonged to
the plaintiff instead of the defendant.”<o:p></o:p>Many issues were set down for trial but the real issues which
arose on the pleadings and evidence for determination, in my opinion, were:<o:p></o:p>1 who purchased </main>