KWAKU ADUNA & 5 OTHERS vs. OPANIN YAW DONKOR [2011]DLCA3205

Date	2011-07-29
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/42/2011
Citation No.	[2011]DLCA3205

MARIAMA OWUSU (MISS) J.A. (PRESIDING)

F.G. KORBIEH J.A.

IRENE C. DANQUAH (MS.) J.A.

[2011]DLCA3205
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KWAKU ADUNA &amp; 5
OTHERS<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>OPANIN YAW DONKOR<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. H1/42/2011&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 29TH
JULY, 2011<o:p></o:p>

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

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

MARIAMA
OWUSU (MISS) J.A. (PRESIDING), F.G. KORBIEH J.A., IRENE C. DANQUAH (MS.) 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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>IRENE C DANQUAH JA<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the
Circuit Court, Kumasi dated May 13, 2010.&nbsp;
In the said judgment title to the undeveloped land surrounding Plot
No:41 Blk C situate at Fankyenebra on Nana Baworohene’s Stool Lands was granted
to the Plaintiff.&nbsp; In addition the
Defendants workmen, servants agents and whoever claims through them were
perpetually restrained from having anything to do with the disputed plot.<o:p></o:p>The brief facts of the
case are these;<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff, suing in a
representative capacity as the head of the Ekuona Clan of Fankyenebra, issued a
Writ of Summons against the Defendants jointly and severally for the reliefs
which were granted in the judgment supra.&nbsp;
The Defendants are the children of the Plaintiff’s late Uncle called
Opanin Kofi Asamyinaa who during his lifetime was the head of the Plaintiff’s family.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>In the Statement of Claim,
the Plaintiff averred that the land in dispute was acquired by the family by
virtue of the demarcation of lands in Fankyenebra by the Baworohene.&nbsp; Opanin Kofi Asamyinaa gave one Plot No.54 Blk
C to the Defendants and Plot 41 Blk C to the family.&nbsp; After the death of Opanin Asemyinaa four
rooms in the house on Plot No. 41 Blk C was allocated to the Defendants in
addition to Plot No.54 Blk C.&nbsp; Plaintiff
further averred that the undeveloped land around Plot No.41 Blk C can never be
added to all that the family had already given to the Defendants as it is a
family property.&nbsp; Hence the issue of the
writ.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>In their defence, the
Defendants denied the claims of the Plaintiff.&nbsp;
They averred that the four rooms in the house situate on Plot 41 Blk C
Fankyenebra including the vacant portion of land thereof which is the subject
matter in dispute became vested in them by virtue of a devise under the last
Will and Testament of their late father who died testate in or about 1970.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The Defendants averred
further that their late father personally acquired house No.41 Blk C and 54 Blk
C.&nbsp; The Defendants contended that the
Plaintiff accepted the devise made under the Will and benefitted from it for
the past 33 years prior to the institution of the action without raising
objection to the validity of the Will.&nbsp;
The Defendants further contended that the Plaintiff is estopped by
laches and acquiescence from disputing the right of the Defendants to their
proportionate portion of the disputed plot.&nbsp;
The Defendant pleaded that the plaintiff’s action is statute barred and
cannot be sustained in law.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>At the Application for Direction,
stage &nbsp;the following were the issues that
were set down for the trial;<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whether
or not the late Opanin Kofi Asemyinaa bequeathed the vacant portion thereof
which is the subject matter of the present dispute to the Defendants in his
Will.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whether
or not the Plaintiff and his family have for a long time after the death of the
late Asemyinaa been in possession of the said disputed portion.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <!--</main>