MICHAEL KWASHIE AND ADELAIDE KWASHIE vs. PETER CHARLES AND NOI JOHN KORLEY [2004]DLCA6515

Date	2004-06-11
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL H1/6 2004
Citation No.	[2004]DLCA6515

ARYEETEY J.A. (PRESIDING)

ANINAKWAH J.A.

QUAYE J.A

AGYABENG GYAM AKRASI FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANTS

WILLIE AMARFIO FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS

[2004]DLCA6515
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MICHAEL
KWASHIE AND ADELAIDE KWASHIE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/ APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>PETER
CHARLES AND NOI JOHN KORLEY<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/
RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CIVIL
APPEAL H1/6 2004&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;DATE: 11TH
JUNE 2004<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">WILLIE AMARFIO FOR
DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">ARYEETEY J.A. (PRESIDING),
ANINAKWAH J.A., QUAYE J.A.<o:p></o:p>

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

</div>ARYEETEY,
J.A. <o:p></o:p>A
brief background to this appeal is as follows: Until his death on 25th February
1997 the late Emmanuel Kotei Kwashie carried out a business as dressmakers and
tailors with his son and daughter, the appellants herein. It is the contention
of the appellants that even though their late father on his own acquired the
land on which besic built the house where they jointly carried out the
dressmakers and tailoring business with him they gave monetary assistance to
him for the construction of the house. They did that from the United Kingdom
where they studied. On their return from the United Kingdom to Accra, they
brought with them industrial and domestic machines as well as other tools to
reactivate the business, of which they became partners with their late father.
In acknow- ledgement of the contributions made by the appellants in various
forms the late Emmanuel Kotei Kwashie executed a conveyance, exhibit B
transferring the property, House No F390/1, Osu from himself as a Donor to the
plaintiffs and himself as donee being tenants in common. That took place on
13th September 1984. However, upon his death it was discovered that the late
Emmanuel Kotei Kwashie devised the said house in his Will to his second wife
Emma Telfah and her children. <o:p></o:p>The
appellants contend that because of the execution of exhibit B of which they are
beneficiaries their late father lacked the capacity to devise in his Will,
exhibit A, House No. 390/1, Osu in favour of Emma Telfah and her children,
which adversely affects their interest in the said house. Therefore by their
writ of summons in the court below, the plaintiffs/appellants sued the
executors of their father’s will, the defendants/respondents herein claiming
the following reliefs: <o:p></o:p>(a)
Declaration of title of all that parcel of land situate at Osu, Accra with
building thereon which land is particularly described in the schedule
hereinafter referred and commonly known as House No. F390/1 Osu, Accra. <o:p></o:p>(b)
Perpetual Injunction against the defendants, their agents and assigns
restraining them from interfering with the interest of the plaintiffs in House
No. F390/1, Osu Accra. <o:p></o:p>(c)
An order declaring the devise of House No. F390/1 Osu Accra to Emma Telfah and
children as contained in the Last Will and Testament of Emmanuel Kotei Kwashie
as void and of no effect. <o:p></o:p>The
defendants counterclaimed for: <o:p></o:p>(a)
Account of all rents and proceeds from House No. F390/1, Osu Gorsee, Accra and
payment over to the defendant/executors. <o:p></o:p>(b)
Account of all proceeds, from the Testator’s tailoring business, Kwashie
Tailors and payment to the defendant/executors. <o:p></o:p>(c)
An order nullifying the incorporation and/or conversion of the Testator’s sole
proprietorship into a limited liability company—namely Kwashie Tailors Limited.
<o:p></o:p>The
High Court dismissed the appellants' claim as well as the respondents'
counterclaim. <o:p></o:p>The
appellants appealed to this Court and filed the following four grounds of
appeal: <o:p></o:p>(i)