<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation" hidden>[1998]DLSC9291</p> <div class="restriction-wrapper"> <div class="container-lg"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12 restricted-content"> <div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper"> <div class="lock-icon bounce-7"> <img class="" src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png" alt="Subscription based content"> </div> </div> <a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> Login to Read Full Case </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><div class="WordSection1"> <div class="WordSection1"> <p class="MsoTitle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.1pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0"> MENSAH<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoTitle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.1pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> <span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">v<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt">s.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoTitle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.1pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> <span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">MENSAH<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:4.1pt;text-align:center; tab-stops:159.3pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">[SUPREME COURT,<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:4.1pt;text-align:center; tab-stops:159.3pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-right:4.1pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;tab-stops:159.3pt; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">[1997-1998] 2 GLR<span style="letter-spacing:-.45pt"> </span>193 <b>DATE:</b>24 JUNE<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt"> </span>1998<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:7.8pt;tab-stops:159.3pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.1pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">CARSON FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.55pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">NO REPRESENTATION FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:7.8pt;margin-right:-2.95pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:101%;tab-stops:159.3pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 101%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-right:3.85pt"> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:7.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:101%;tab-stops:159.3pt; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 101%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">BAMFORD-ADDDO J.SC, CHARLES<span style="letter-spacing:-1.75pt"> </span>HAYFRON-BENJAMIN J.S.C, ACQUAH J.S.C, ATUGUBA J.S.C, AKUFFO<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>J.S.C<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:7.8pt;margin-right:3.85pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:101%;tab-stops:159.3pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 101%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Bamford-Addo JSC. </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:101%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.95pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This is an appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal dated 25 March 1993 in respect of a divorce petition which was filed by the husband for the dissolution of his marriage to the wife, custody of the children of the marriage and for a declaration that he is the owner of house No M9, South Effiakuma Estate, Takoradi. The wife cross-petitioned for dissolution of the marriage, custody of the children and a declaration that she is the owner of house No M9 South Effikuma Estate, Takoradi among other<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt"> </span>reliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.25pt;margin-right:3.85pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">On 22 December 1986, Amuah J (as he then was) who heard the case, found that the marriage had broken down beyond repair; he consequently dissolved the marriage and adjourned the case for hearing of the ancillary reliefs. Essilfie-Bonzie J (as he then was) tried the ancillary relief issues and after hearing evidence gave judgment on 18 June 1990 for the wife, holding that she was the sole owner of house No M9 South Effiakuma Estate, Takoradi and declared: “I therefore make a declaration of ownership of the said house in her favour. The petitioner’s claim is dismissed and judgment is given in favour of the respondent on her counterclaim in the cross-petition.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.35pt;margin-right:3.85pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Dissatisfied with this decision, the husband appealed to the Court of Appeal, which court heard the appeal and gave judgment on 25 March 1993, allowing the appeal in part and setting aside part of the judgment of the court below. The Court of Appeal, having found that “this house belonged jointly to the petitioner and the respondent,” went on to decide how the house was to be shared and held that the extension was funded solely by the respondent and declared her the sole owner of the extensions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:6.15pt;margin-right:5.9pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 103%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:103%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The husband appealed against this particular decision of the Court of Appeal on the following grounds, namely:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.25pt;margin-right:5.85pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:61.65pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -28.4pt;line-height:105%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">“(1) The Court of Appeal, having rightly held that the ‘intention to own the house jointly, coupled with whatever contributions the petitioner had made towards the acquisition of the house made the parties joint owners of the property,’ erred when it held that the extensions are separable and identifiable from the main<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>house.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-top:8.7pt;margin-right:5.9pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:61.65pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-28.4pt; line-height:105%;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1;tab-stops:61.65pt"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:105%">(2)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">That the Court of Appeal similarly erred when it held that ‘it would in </main>
