REBECCA NAADU NARTEY (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. SOLOMON J. A. NARTEY & 4 OTHERS [2003]DLCA7477

Date	2003-05-08
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. 34/2002
Citation No.	[2003]DLCA7477

TWUMASI J.A. (PRESIDING)

ANSAH J.A.

ASARE KORANG J.A.

G. K. QUAYE ESQ. FOR APPELLANTS

C. OSAFO-OSEI FOR RESPONDENT

[2003]DLCA7477
																																						<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" >REBECCA NAADU NARTEY<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SOLOMON J. A. NARTEY &amp; 4 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CIVIL
APPEAL NO. 34/2002&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 8TH MAY, 2003<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">G.
K. QUAYE, ESQ., FOR APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">C.
OSAFO-OSEI FOR RESPONDENT<o:p></o: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="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;mso-border-between:1.5pt solid windowtext;
mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-bottom:1.0pt;mso-padding-bottom-alt:1.0pt;
border-bottom:1.5pt solid windowtext;mso-border-bottom-alt:1.5pt solid windowtext">CORAM:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;TWUMASI
J.A. (PRESIDING), ANSAH J.A., ASARE KORANG J.A.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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;mso-border-between:1.5pt solid windowtext;
mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-top:1.0pt;mso-padding-top-alt:0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ASARE
KORANG, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;8th October, 1996, the Plaintiff/Respondent
(hereinafter referred to as the Respondent) filed a writ of summons in the High
Court claiming the following reliefs against the Defendants/Appellants
hereinafter referred to as the appellants)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"1. An Order that the distribution of the
estate of her deceased father by the administrator/administratrices be done in
accordance with the existing law on intestate succession i.e. PNDCL 111.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;2. An order for accounts for rents from
storerooms and space surrounding her father's South Odorkor house.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;3. An order for accounts for the proceeds from
the sale of a Car and an uncompleted house at Bubuashie belonging to her late
father. <o:p></o:p>4. An order for the
cancellation of any title purported to have been granted to the purchaser(s) by
the administrator/administratrices of the uncompleted house mentioned in (3)
above.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;5. An order on the 3rd, 4th and 5th
Defendants/Appellants to remove the storerooms they constructed, in front of
Plaintiff's apartment at Accra New Town". <o:p></o:p>The
first four appellants are the administrators and administratrices of the estate
of the late Moses Tetteh Afutu Nartey who was a practising barrister in Accra.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The 1st and 2nd Appellants are also the nephew
and sister respectively of the deceased Moses Tetteh Afutu Nartey while the
3rd, 4th and 5th Appellants and the respondent are the children of the
deceased. The respondent was the daughter of the deceased by his second wife. <o:p></o:p>After
the respondent had sued out her writ of summons on 8th October, 1996 the
appellants filed a belated Statement of Defence on 26th May, 1997. <o:p></o:p>This
statement of Defence was not on the docket when default judgment was entered
against the appellants on 24th July, 1997. <o:p></o:p>The
default judgment was vacated on 20th July, 1998 when the court drew the
attention of the appellant's Solicitor to the fact that the statement of
Defence filed by the appellants did not disclose any defence at all. Prior to
the vacation of the default judgment, the solicitor for the appellants had
filed a motion on notice for leave to amend the appellants Statement of
Defence.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;There is nothing in the record to show that
the motion for leave to amend was moved by the appellants but notwithstanding
that omission, the respondent's solicitor on 12th January, 1999, filed a Reply
to the proposed amended Statement of Defence together with a Summons for
Directions. The court below took the Summons for Directions on 8th February,
1999. Subsequently, the appellants as Defendants filed what was labelled as
"DEFENDANTS REPLY TO AMENDED STATEMENT OF DEFENCE FILED BY PLAINTIFF ON
12-1-99",<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;With respect it makes no sense why the
appellants as Defendants purported to file a Reply to an amended Statement of
Defence filed by plaintiff since the rules of the High Court surely require a
plaintiff to file a Statement of Claim and Reply to a Statement of Defence
while the parameters of a defendants' pleading are confined to a Statement of
Defence and a Counterclaim and a set-off. <o:p></o:p>How
the plaintiff could be said to have filed an amended Statement of Defence and
the Defendants a Reply thereto boggles the mind a little.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In spite of this error, the record sho</main>