OKONTI BORLEY & ANOTHER vs. HAUSBAUER LIMITED [2011]DLCA5128

Date	2011-07-21
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/21/2011
Citation No.	[2011]DLCA5128

QUAYE J.A. (PRESIDING)

KUSI-APPIAH J.A.

GYAESAYOR J.A.

MR. MOHAMMED SAHNOON FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

MR. GABRIEL PWAMANG FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

[2011]DLCA5128
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OKONTI BORLEY &amp; ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>HAUSBAUER LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:center;
text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CIVIL APPEAL NO.
H1/21/2011&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;DATE: &nbsp;21ST JULY, 2011<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
MOHAMMED SAHNOON FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR. GABRIEL
PWAMANG FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
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QUAYE J.A. (PRESIDING), KUSI-APPIAH J.A., GYAESAYOR 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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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>KUSI-APPIAH,
J.A.&nbsp; The respondents to this appeal, Okonti Borley
and Okonti Bortey (hereinafter called the plaintiffs) brought an action at the
High Court, Accra against the Appellant herein, Hausbauer Limited (hereinafter
called the Defendant) for declaration of title to a piece or parcel of land
lying and being at South Nmai Dzorn in the Greater Accra Region covering an
approximate area of 132.25 acres.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In their statement of claim, the
plaintiffs pleaded that they were bringing the action as Principal Elders of
the Okonti Bortey and Okonti Borley Family of Nungua.&nbsp; Apart from the declaration, they also sought
recovery of possession of the said land, general damages for trespass and an
order for perpetual injunction against the defendant and its privies.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The facts which gave rise to the
case are as follows:&nbsp; The plaintiffs who
describe themselves as principal elders of Okonti Borley and Okonti Bortey
family of Nungua claimed that their great-grandfather, one Borquaye, the Okonti
of Nungua originally acquired the land and took possession thereof until his
death in 1920.&nbsp; Thereafter, the family
has remained in possession and occupation of the land from time immemorial with
their father, Okonti Borketey in occupation until his death in 1986 followed by the plaintiffs sometime in
1990. &nbsp;The plaintiff claimed that
their ancestors and thereafter themselves have been in lawful and continuous,
undisturbed and uninterrupted possession and control of all that piece of land
claimed in the endorsement.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is the case of the plaintiffs
that, by a lease dated 9th May, 1993, the Nungua stool confirmed
their title in the said land. But when they (plaintiffs) presented
their document to the Lands Commission for registration, they discovered that
the entire parcel has been registered in the name of the defendant who has sold
and transferred portions of the land to developers.&nbsp; Hence, they issued the writ of summons herein
against them. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On their part, the defendant, a
limited liability company registered under the laws of this country, filed a 13
paragraph defence in which they denied the very existence of plaintiffs family
and their capacity as heads of that family. They vehemently denied plaintiffs
claim to ownership of the land, the alleged possession of their
great-grandfather and that of themselves.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The defendant averred that they have
been in lawful possession of their land since 1994 after a grant from the
Nungua Stool which grant has been plotted and registered both at the Lands
Commission and Land Title Registry.&nbsp; They
contended that for all the years of their possession, they never met plaintiffs
on the land.&nbsp; Defendant further averred
that plaintiffs document from the Nungua Stool was never in existence at the
time defendant’s document was executed in 1994.&nbsp;
They maintained that at the time the land was conveyed to the defendant
by the Nungua Stool there had not been any earlier conveyance of that land but
plaintiffs have gone to back date some documents and are now making fraudulent
claim to the land.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>After a full trial, the learned &nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>rial Judge on 30/10/09 gave judgment
for the plaintiffs and granted all the reliefs sought by them.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is against this judgment that the
instant appeal is lodged by the defendant on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p>