AFUA SERWAA vs. AMMA MANSAH AND AFUA POMAA [2009]DLCA6222

Date	2009-04-02
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/105/06
Citation No.	[2009]DLCA6222

AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS.) J.A. [PRESIDING]

KANYOKE J.A.

HONYENUGA J.A

MR. KWAME YENKYERE FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MR. OUT-ESSEL FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2009]DLCA6222
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AFUA SERWAA<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>AMMA MANSAH
AND AFUA POMAA<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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APPEAL NO: H1/105/06&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 2ND
APRIL, 2009<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MR. OUT-ESSEL FOR THE
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT <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">AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS.) J.A.
[PRESIDING], KANYOKE J.A., HONYENUGA J.A<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</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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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>KANYOKE,
J.A. <o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal against the judgment of the High Court, Sunyani, dated the 26th
day of July 2005 in which the plaintiff/appellants action for a declaration of
title to certain properties as family properties was dismissed with costs. The
facts of the case are as follows: <o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff/appellant (hereinafter referred to as the appellant) is the uterine
sister of one Kwabena Kyeremeh (deceased). The appellant, late Kwabena Kyeremeh
and another woman called Kwaa (deceased) had one and the same mother — Adwoa
Esie alias Acheama. The defendants/respondents (hereinafter also called the
Respondents) are the widow and child respectively of Kwabena Kyeremeh
(deceased). The appellant, late Kwabena Kyeremeh and late Kwaa had a maternal
uncle called Kwame Baah (deceased). The appellant alleges that before his
death, late Kwame Baah acquired some farmlands at places called Kwatwoma and
Dupri respectively on Susuanso stool land. It is the case of the appellant that
Kwame Baah (deceased) parcelled out portions of the two farmlands to his two
sisters — Adwoa Esie and Afia Adu (both deceased). Madam Adwoa Esie cultivated
cocoa on her portions of the farms at Kwatwoma and Dupri respectively. <o:p></o:p>It
is the case of the appellant that her late brother, Kwabena Kyeremeh, being the
only male child of their mother was entrusted with their mother’s two cocoa
farms at Kwatwoma and Dupri respectively and some gold nuggets to look after,
supervise, superintend and massage for the common benefit of himself and his
two uterine sisters including the appellant and their children. The appellant
also asserted that late Kwabena Kyeremeh used the proceeds of the two cocoa
farms and the gold nuggets to acquire more properties, namely (1) H/No. S.O.56,
Susuanso, Sunyani, (2) H/No. P.45/F Penkwase-Sunyani, and a building plot at a
place called Ankaase Nkwanta on Susuanso stool land. According to the appellant
despite the fact that all these properties are their immediate maternal family
properties, late Kwabena Kyeremeh purported to gift or devise them during his
life time to his wife (1st respondent) and his children including the 2nd
respondent. <o:p></o:p>It
was on these facts that on the 20th day of August 2002 the appellant, the only
surviving child of Adwoa Esie “for herself and on behalf of her immediate maternal
family" took out a writ of summons against the Respondents jointly and
severally seeking a declaration of: <o:p></o:p>"1
title to H/No. S.O.56 Susuanso, Sunyani… <o:p></o:p>2
title to H/No. P.45/F Penkwaase Sunyani… <o:p></o:p>3
"all that piece and parcel of farmland lying situate and being at
Kwatwoma" on Susuanso stool land… <o:p></o:p>4
"all that piece and parcel of building plot, situate and being at Ankase
Nkwnata on Susuanso stool land… <o:p></o:p>5
"all that piece and parcel of farmland lying, situate and being at 'Dupri'
on Susuanso stool land… <o:p></o:p>6
recovery of possession of all these properties with the inclusion of gold
nuggets and <o:p></o:p>7
an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants their agents,
servants, assigns, etc. from dealing and interfering with the said
properties." <o:p></o:p>The
Respondents resisted the action by filing a statement of defence which was
subsequently amended with the leave of the court. In their joint amended
statement of defence the Respondents denied the claims of the appellant. They
averred that all the properties claimed by the appellant except the gold
nuggets which were neve</main>