SAMUEL KWASI NTIAMOAH vs. KWAKU AYESU OPARE ADDO [2008]DLCA6957

Date	2008-05-15
Suit No.	CASE NO. H3/135/08
Citation No.	[2008]DLCA6957

HENRIETTA ABBAN (MRS.) [PRESIDING]

YAW APPAU J.A.

VICTOR OFOE J.A.

MR. DWAMENA AKENTENG FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

MR. E. N. POKU FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

[2008]DLCA6957
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SAMUEL KWASI NTIAMOAH<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWAKU AYESU OPARE ADDO<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CASE
NO. H3/135/08&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 15TH MAY, 2008<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:
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">COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;<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">MR.
DWAMENA AKENTENG FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<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;<o:p></o:p>HENRIETTA
ABBAN (MRS.) [PRESIDING], YAW APPAU J.A., VICTOR OFOE 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;
text-align:center;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>YAW
APPAU, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The application before this Court is one
praying for an extension of time within which to file notice of appeal against
a default judgment entered against the applicant by the High Court, Mampong.
The applicant was the defendant in the court below and a Senior Police Officer.
What gave rise to this case was that the applicant purchased a vehicle from the
respondent who was the plaintiff in the court below. He made part-payment and
promised to pay the remaining amount within a certain period. When he was unable
to pay, the respondent dragged him to the court below for recovery of the
remaining sum, which was then thirteen million cedis (¢13,000,000.00). When the
applicant was served with the writ of summons on 17/10/06, he posted it back to
the Registrar of the High Court from which it emanated with an accompanying
letter that read as follows: — <o:p></o:p>“Dear Registrar, I received your Writ
which was in actual fact fraught with many mistakes. Kindly rectify the
mistakes.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The letter was signed by the applicant and dated
19/10/06.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;After returning the writ of summons to the
Registry of the Court, the defendant sat back and refused to enter appearance
and defence to the writ of summons that was served on him. The court below,
upon an ex-parte application filed by the respondent on 11/12/06, entered
‘final’ judgment in favour of the respondent in the said sum on 13/12/06, in
default of appearance. The motion was headed; “MOTION EX - PARTE FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AND THE COSTS IN DEFAULT OF
APPEARANCE AND DEFENCE.” <o:p></o:p>The
applicant was served with the ‘Entry of Judgment’ on 1/2/07, about six (6)
weeks after the entry of the default judgment. According to the applicant, he
instructed his lawyers to file an application in the court below to set aside
the default judgment. Though the applicant did not attach a copy of this
application to set aside the default judgment, records before the Court,
particularly Exhibit ‘1’ that was attached to the respondent’s affidavit in
opposition filed on 9/1/2008, indicate that the Court below refused to set
aside the said default judgment. This prompted the applicant to file an
application in the court below praying for leave to file an appeal against the
default judgment out of time. This application was filed on 31/5/2007. The
court below refused the application on 28/11/07. The applicant has now come
before us in this application filed on 24/12/2007; i.e. 26 days after the
dismissal of the application in the Court below, praying this Court to extend
the time for appealing to enable him file a notice of appeal against the
default judgment entered against him on 13/12/2006.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;What the applicant, in effect is telling this
Court is that he could not file his appeal within the statutory period required
under the rules so this Court should extend the time for him to do so since the
court below refused to extend the time for him. To the applicant, the statutory
period allowed for appeals is three (3) months and he has come for an extension
within the next three months as the rules of Court provide. <o:p></o:p>Though
the respondent opposed the application in an affidavit in opposition filed on
9/1/08 on the ground that there was inordinate delay on the part of the
applicant in bringing the application, when it came to the hearing of the
application, the applicant’s counsel told the Court that they were not opposed
to the application for extension of time to appeal subject to the payment of
costs by the applicant. The question however is; can this Court, under the
circumstances of this case, extend the time for the applicant to fil</main>