DONKOR vs. DZOKOTO [1993]DLCA719

Date	1993-11-04
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1993]DLCA719

ESSIEM JA

BROBBEY JA

FORSTER JA

HACKMAN (FOR JAMES AHENKORAH) FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

S A X TSEGAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT

[1993]DLCA719
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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">DONKOR<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">DZOKOTO<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1993-94] 1 GLR 193<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: 4
NOVEMBER 1993<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>HACKMAN (FOR JAMES AHENKORAH) FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.<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">

S A X TSEGAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

ESSIEM, BROBBEY AND FORSTER JJA<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF FORSTER JA.<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff-respondent, Margaret Abui Dzokoto (hereinafter
called the plaintiff) is the owner of house No F 353/4, La. The
defendant-appellant (hereinafter called the defendant) is the tenant of the
respondent’s said house No F 353/4, La.<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff issued against the defendant a write indorsed
claiming an order for ejectment of the defendant from the said house and
recovery of possession on the ground that the plaintiff needed it for
occupation as a dwelling house by members of her family. To the writ was
attached a statement of claim. In her statement of claim the plaintiff averred,
inter alia, 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">“(2) By a lease agreement dated 1 July 1988 the plaintiff demised
the said house to the defendant for a period of two years with no option to renew...
<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) The plaintiff says that after the expiration of the said two
years she gave three additional months to the defendant to quit the said
premises but the defendant refused to quit after repeated demands.”<o:p></o:p>The defendant resisted the claim and counterclaimed for payment by
the plaintiff of the sum of ¢6 million being the cost of improvements he had
made to the premises.<o:p></o:p>On 25 February 1992 Mrs Vida Akoto-Bamfo J presiding over the High
Court, Accra gave judgment for the plaintiff. It is from that judgment that the
defendant now appeals to the Court of Appeal.<o:p></o:p>The evidence shows that the defendant has been a tenant of the
plaintiff’s premises—house No F 353/4, La since 1972. The tenancy agreement was
for two years and was renewed successively until 1988. The last tenancy
agreement (exhibit A) was for a two-year period from 1988 and “on the
expiration of the two years the lessor does not intend to renew the said lease
since she has given the said premises to her son who wishes to occupy it
himself as a dwelling house.”<o:p></o:p>When the lease expired the plaintiff served notice on the
defendant giving him three months to quit the premises. The defendant failed or
refused to quit. Hence the present action by the plaintiff.<o:p></o:p>It is contended that the defendant therefore became a statutory
tenant, which is, as defined by Jenkins LJ in American Economic Laundry Ltd v
Little [1951] 1 KB 400 at 406, CA:<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 compendious expression to describe the right of a tenant of
protected premises to remain in possession of those premises, notwithstanding
the determination of his contractual interest until such time as either he
voluntarily gives up possession, or the court, on cause shown, makes an order
against him to deliver up possession.” <o:p></o:p>“A protected tenant” under the corresponding English law which was
in issue before that court includes a statutory tenant. The issues that were
before the trial court in the instant case and which must be resolved in this
appeal are whether:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.25in;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).
the premises were constructed
as a dwelling house; and <o:p></o:p>