GILBERT OWUSU-YIANOMA (PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT) vs. AMOA KORANGTEN & 2 ORS. (DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS) [2005]DLCA7112

GILBERT OWUSU-YIANOMA (PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT) vs. AMOA KORANGTEN & 2 ORS. (DEFENDA... [2005]DLCA7112

Date	2005-06-10
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H 1 /216/2004
Citation No.	[2005]DLCA7112

OWUSU J.A. [PRESIDING]

ANIM J.A.

APALOO J.A

H. D. OWUSU-YIANOMA FOR APPELLANT

FRANK DONKOR FOR RESPONDENTS

[2005]DLCA7112
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GILBERT OWUSU-YIANOMA<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>AMOA KORANGTEN &amp; 2 ORS.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CIVIL
APPEAL NO.: H 1 /216/2004 &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;DATE: 10TH JUNE, 2005<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;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:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">&nbsp;H. D. OWUSU-YIANOMA FOR APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;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:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">&nbsp;FRANK DONKOR FOR RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>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;&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;
<o:p></o:p>OWUSU
J.A. [PRESIDING], ANIM J.A., APALOO J.A.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>APALOO,
J.A.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This
is an appeal from the decision of the Circuit Court Asamankese dated 26th April
2000.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The parties to this suit are closely related
and hail from Mamfe in the Akwapim District of the Eastern Region. The
Plaintiff/Appellant alleged that his father acquired a piece of land, the
subject matter of this suit and put the first tenant Kwadwo Afum to cultivate
it and after his death, one Madam Manko was appointed caretaker who in turn
appointed Kofi Ayigbe as the tenant farmer. The evidence is that Kofi Ayigbe
remained on the land until about 1982 when he departed to Wassa in the Western
Region to cultivate his own farm.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Co-defendant who claims the land for
herself and some other women pleaded the same facts as to the persons who acted
for and on behalf of the parties, to wit, Kwadwo Afum, Madam Manko and Kofi
Ayigbe. She claims these named persons acted for and on behalf of her
predecessors through whom the land came into her possession and the possession
of the other two women. Kofi Ayigbe was referred to variously as Kofi Robert,
or Asinyo. He lived on the land for well over 40 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The trial Circuit Court dismissed the
plaintiff's action. There being no counter-claim for consideration of the Court
the status quo ante which disclosed that possession was in the hands of the
Co-defendant remained where it was.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The main ground of appeal was that the
judgment is against the weight of evidence. There was indication that
additional grounds will be filed on receipt of the record. The additional
grounds which were filed on 22/7/2004 consisted of nine different narration's
of errors on the part of the trial Court. These narrations pointed, to findings
of fact on the part of the trial judge which in my view are inconsistent with
the provisions contained in Rule 8 of C.I.19, the Court of Appeal Rules. I shall
accordingly ignore them and handle this appeal as one formulated under the
omnibus clause that the judgment is against the weight of evidence. <o:p></o:p>When
directions were taken, out of the ten issues set down for trial, I believe the
first issue is germane to the trial and I shall concentrate on that issue. The
issue being whether or not the disputed land is the property of late Owusu
Yianoma or the joint property of Abena Oye and Ama Afi [Owusu-Yianoma's mother]
I have taken this position because the whole of the evidence led in the Court
below was geared towards the establishment of this issue; <o:p></o:p>This
suit is for a declaration of title to land whose boundaries have been endorsed
in the writ of summons, to wit on one side by the property of Ohene Kwabena on one
side by the property of Ankobea Ofei. On one side by the property of Kwabena
Owusu and on the other side by the Ensu Stream. The reliefs for general damages
and perpetual injunction are ancillary to the main claim for a declaration of
title. The law with respect to a declaration of title to land is well settled.
The plaintiff can only succeed if he is able to and succeeds in establishing
the identity of the land satisfactorily according to law so as to entitle him
to a declaration and other reliefs sought. In Anane vrs. Donkor [1965] GLR.188
at p.192 the then Supreme Court per Ollenu, J.S.C. as he then was, stated the
law as follows; <o:p></o:p>"Where a court grants declaration
of title to land or makes an order for injunction in respect of land, the land
the subject of that declaration should be clearly identified so that an order
for possession can be executed without difficulty, and also if the order for
injunction is violated, the person in contempt can be punished. If the
boundaries of such land are not clearly established, a judgment or order of the
Court will be in vain. Again a judgment for declaration of title to land should
operate as res judicata to prevent the parties relitigating the same issues in
respect of the identical subject-matter but it cannot so operate unless the
subject matter thereof is clearly identified. For these reasons a</main>