ANIM-ADDO AND OTHERS vs. MENSAH ALIAS BIAMA AND OTHERS [1993]DLCA703

Date	1993-03-25
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1993]DLCA703

AMPIAH JSC

KPEGAH JSC

OFORI-BOATENG JA

KOM (WITH HIM HAYIBOR) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANTS.

CHINBUAH FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENTS.

[1993]DLCA703
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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">ANIM-ADDO AND OTHERS<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">MENSAH ALIAS BIAMA AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1993-94] 1 GLR 7<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">

<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">Date: 25 MARCH
1993<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KOM (WITH HIM HAYIBOR) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANTS.<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">

CHINBUAH FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

AMPIAH, KPEGAH JJSC AND OFORI-BOATENG JA<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF KPEGAH JSC.<o:p></o:p>On 5 September 1987 the late Mr. Patrick Kwaku Anim-Addo made a
will in which he provided as follows:<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">“I appoint Mrs Addae Mensah alias Nana Abena Biama as one of the
executors to administer my interest in the company, of Ghana Textile
Manufacturing Co Ltd and pay the benefits, profits to Abena Asantewaa, my
niece, in her lifetime and after her death should pass on to the descendants of
her children. <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">I give and bequeath all my trinkets (gold) to my niece Abena Asantewaa
and after her death to pass to her descendants. <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">I appoint Yaw Asirifi and Gideon Nyarku to run Kwamin Trading Co
Ltd as directors and to administer the company and invest the benefits and
profits to the descendants of Abena Asantewaa. <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">I devise and bequeath the residue of my real estate to my trustees
upon trust as follows: As to house: to collect rents and after paying annual
rates, taxes, etc to invest the net rents in government bonds, and as to
personal estate upon trust to call in and convert into money, if need arises,
and to invest for the benefit of the descendants of Abena Asantewaa. <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">I direct that any property of mine including investments which
have been left out and not mentioned under this will including lands should
pass on to Abena Asantewaa and after her death should pass on to her
descendants.”<o:p></o:p>The children of the late Anim-Addo brought an action in the High
Court Accra (see Anim-Addo v Mensah [1992] 2 GLR 44) seeking a declaration that
the devises “to the descendants of Abena Asantewaa “ or to Abena Asantewaa and
“her descendants” are null and void as offending the rule against perpetuities
since the descendants of Abena Asantewaa born 21 years from the death of the
testator or born after the death of all beings living on the death of the
testator would benefit. The plaintiffs also contended that the dispositions
being a class gift, are null and, because of the uncertainty of the number of
beneficiaries under the will. The plaintiffs’ case was also founded on the
grounds that the dispositions sin against the rules on accumulations and
inalienability. The plaintiffs, therefore, indorsed in their writ of summons a
claim for the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;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; “an order of injunction
restraining the first four defendants from granting vesting assent in respect
of the properties complained of; <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;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; a declaration that the
bequests are null and void; and <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:.75in;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 for account of all rents and profits accruing from these
pro</main>