MADAM MERCY KWAKU (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. GABRIEL MENSAH AHIABLE (DEFENDANT/APPELLANT) ALHAJI SHAFIU IBRAHIM (CO-DEFENDANT/APPELLANT) [2010]DLCA7856

MADAM MERCY KWAKU (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. GABRIEL MENSAH AHIABLE (DEFENDANT/A... [2010]DLCA7856

Date	2010-02-11
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. HI/77/09
Citation No.	[2010]DLCA7856

MR. R. K. APALOO J.A. (PRESIDING)

MRS. IRISMAY BROWN J.A.

MR. E. K. AYEBI J.A.

MR. THOMAS HUGHES FOR DEFT’/APPLT’

MR. DAN AGGEY FOR THE PLT’/RESPT’

[2010]DLCA7856
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MADAM MERCY KWAKU<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>GABRIEL MENSAH AHIABLE<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>ALHAJI SHAFIU IBRAHIM<o:p></o:p>(CO-DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. HI/77/09&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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 FEBRUARY, 2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
THOMAS HUGHES FOR DEFT’/APPLT’<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MR.
DAN AGGEY FOR THE PLT’/RESPT’<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MR.
R. K. APALOO J.A. (PRESIDING), MRS. IRISMAY BROWN J.A., MR. E. K. AYEBI 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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</div>AYEBI J.A.<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the decision of the Ho High
Court dated 14th June 2007.&nbsp;
The plaintiff/respondent is the tenant of defendant/appellant whiles the
co-defendant/appellant is the alleged purchaser of the subject-matter of the
tenancy between the plaintiff and defendant.&nbsp;
For ease of reference in this judgment I will refer to
plaintiff/respondent simply as plaintiff, defendant/appellant as defendant and
co-defendant/appellant as co-defendant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The subject-matter of the suit is H/No. ASI-B357
with land situate and lying at Gbedekope, Teshie-Aflao in the Ketu South District.&nbsp; It is owned by the defendant who himself
resides at Dzelukope-Lormnavakope in the Keta District.&nbsp; Plaintiff trades in mainly foam mattresses
and such products.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In early 1997, the plaintiff saw an uncompleted
building consisting of a store and a single room.&nbsp; She desired it for her business.&nbsp; She traced the defendant whom she got to know
as the owner to his place of residence.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Defendant agreed to let the structure to the
plaintiff if she was ready to complete it herself and the cost of completion is
used to off set the monthly rent.&nbsp;
Plaintiff agreed to the proposal and there and then defendant took an
advance of ¢400,000.00 from her.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On completion, the parties entered into a tenancy
agreement executed on 1st April 1997 – Exhibit A.&nbsp; They agreed on a monthly rent of ¢20,000.00
(GH¢2.00) for a term of ten (10) years.&nbsp;
In clause 6 of Exhibit A, it was agreed that plaintiff shall not erect
any structure or make any alteration to the store and the single room.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In the fifth year of the tenancy, the defendant
petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ),
Keta District for recovery of possession on the grounds that plaintiff had
breached clause 6 of the tenancy agreement.&nbsp;
That apart, she had not paid rent for the past five years (letter
attached to Exhibit C refers).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At the hearing of defendant’s petition, the parties
agreed to a mediation.&nbsp; At the end of the
day, the defendant secured a variation of the monthly rent from ¢20,000.00
(GH¢2.00) to ¢40,000.00 (GH¢4.00) as from June to 1st May 2007, Exhibit
F, refers.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>