ASHIE NEEQUAYE vs. ADEE KOTEY [2010]DLSC2526

Date	2010-02-10
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/26/2009
Citation No.	[2010]DLSC2526

AKUFFO (MS) JSC (PRESIDING)

ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

ARYEETEY JSC

BRIGHT AKWETEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

DR. EKOW DANIELS FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT

[2010]DLSC2526
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ASHIE NEEQUAYE<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ADEE KOTEY<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/26/2009&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 10TH FEBRUARY, 2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>BRIGHT AKWETEY FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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DR.
EKOW DANIELS FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT <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;
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AKUFFO (MS) JSC (PRESIDING), ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC,
OWUSU (MS) JSC, BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC, ARYEETEY JSC<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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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>BAFFOE-BONNIE, JSC:-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The PL/RESP/RESP (hereinafter referred to as plaintiff),
originally instituted this action claiming among others: <o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the original house number 160
was allocated to Moses Neequaye which house was later exchanged for plot 218
renumbered F.793a/2 and 801/2 East Christianborg Osu and same formed part of
his estate.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A further declaration that the said house i.e plot
218……was never allocated&nbsp; to Clifford Cudjoe
but that he held the house in trust for the beneficiaries of the estate of
Moses Neequaye (deceased)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The basis of their claim is simply that their
father and predecessor in title Moses Neequaye, was allocated the subject
matter of the suit by the State Housing Corporation when his own house was
wrecked by the earthquake that rocked Accra and its environs in 1939. Subsequent
to the allocation but before the completion of the instalmental payments of the
building, the defendants father, one Clifford Cudjoe, was permitted to live in
the houe on his return from Burma Campaign in&nbsp;
the 2nd World War.&nbsp; He
lived there with another son of Moses Neequaye.&nbsp;
When the installmental payment ended, the family sought to have the documentation
on the building done in the name of Dina Neequaye.&nbsp; It was then that they got to know that
Clifford Tagoe had earlier in 1949 attempted to have the documentation effected
in his name through an affidavit he swore to that effect.<o:p></o:p>The affidavit of Clifford Cudjoe, notwithstanding,
the SHC did the documentation in the name of Dina Neequaye and this has remained
so till today. Clifford Cudjoe died and when the family of Moses Neequaye
wanted to take over the property, the children of Clifford Cudjoe, with the active
support of one Seth Neequaye, another son of Moses Neequaye, resisted this take
over claiming, the property belonged to their father Clifford Cudjoe.&nbsp; The family sued Seth Neequaye who later died
and was substituted by the current defendant. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;At the end
of the trial the trial judge dismissed the plaintiffs claim on the grounds that
the plaintiff lacked capacity to bring the action.&nbsp; This was because at the time of the institution
of the action the plaintiffs &nbsp;had not
applied for L/A to administer Moses Neequaye’s estate and that since they were
suing in a representative capacity it was only the head of family who could
sue. On the basis of the evidence on record he also dismissed the defendant’s
counterclaim.<o:p></o:p>Dismissing the defendant’s counterclaim the trial
judge held;<o:p></o:p>“On
the evidence as a whole I find that preponderance probability(sic) would be in
favour of the plaintiff in respect of the following:-<o:p></o:p>