CHARLES AYI ARDAYFIO, EBENEZER AYI ARDAYFIO, ABRAHAM AYI ARDAYFIO, JOHN ARMAH ARDAFIO (DEC.), NATHANIEL ARDU ARDAYFIO AND SOLOMON BAMFO ARDAYFIO vs. BENJAMIN ASHONG TAGOE, ANDREWS KOFI MENSAH AND NII KWEI QUARCOO [2012]DLCA7967

CHARLES AYI ARDAYFIO, EBENEZER AYI ARDAYFIO, ABRAHAM AYI ARDAYFIO, JOHN ARMAH AR... [2012]DLCA7967

Date	2012-07-31
Suit No.	SUIT NO.H1/237/2010
Citation No.	[2012]DLCA7967

HENRIETTA ABBAN JA –PRESIDING

VICTOR OFOE JA

E.K.AYEBI JA

THOMAS HUGHES FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENTS

NII AKWEI BRUCE THOMPSON FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

[2012]DLCA7967
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >CHARLES AYI
ARDAYFIO, EBENEZER AYI ARDAYFIO, ABRAHAM AYI ARDAYFIO, JOHN ARMAH ARDAFIO
(DEC.), NATHANIEL ARDU ARDAYFIO AND SOLOMON BAMFO ARDAYFIO<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/ RESPONDENTS)<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>BENJAMIN ASHONG TAGOE, ANDREWS KOFI MENSAH AND NII KWEI QUARCOO<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"><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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO.H1/237/2010&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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: 31ST
JULY, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>THOMAS
HUGHES FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENTS<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">

NII
AKWEI BRUCE THOMPSON FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS<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">

HENRIETTA
ABBAN JA –PRESIDING, VICTOR OFOE JA, E.K.AYEBI JA<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>OFOE, J.A.: The
main issue between the parties is which of their ancestors owned House No.D434/3,
Derby Avenue Accra. From their pleadings and evidence in chief, the ancestors referred
to are Ardu Ardayfio and Kwankyewaa Coffie. Kwankyewaa Coffie is the niece of
Ardu Ardayfio. Odey Ardayfio is the sister of Ardu Ardayfio(Ardu) and she begat
Kwankyewaa. Is the property in dispute for Ardu Ardeyfio or for Kwankyewaa the sister’s
daughter? Whilst the plaintiffs trace ownership of the property to Ardu
Ardayfio the defendants claim through Kwankyewaa. A summary of the respective
case of the parties on the pleadings will make this judgment clearer. <o:p></o:p>Plaintiffs
claim to be the grandchildren of Ardu. Somewhere around 1937 Ardu distributed
the rooms in this property to his seven sons and gave two to the sister, Odey.
Odey predeceased the brother leaving her two sons in the rooms. The other two
rooms that were left unallocated by Ardu were occupied by some descendants of
Odey. All these descendants and Odey’s children recognized the fact of the
ownership of the house by Ardu. Three other rooms were left by Ardu to be used
as stores for the maintenance of the house. It is the case of the plaintiffs
that after the death of Ardu the sons appointed Paul Tagoe as caretaker from
1962 to 1991. Paul Tagoe died in 1991. The sons of Ardu appointed another
caretaker Tettey Coffie whose appointment was later revoked in 1997 by one of
the children of Ardu. Charles Ayi Ardayfio, one of the grandchildren was
appointed the caretaker. From the pleadings of the plaintiffs these have been
the occupation and supervision scheme on this property. They were therefore
surprised that when there had been such peaceful co-existence of these family
members in the house for years, the defendants in their application for Letters
Of Administration in respect of the properties of Kwaakyewaa Coffie added this
property claiming it for Kwaakyewaa. To break the determination of the
defendants to coveting this property to the descendants of Kwaakyewaa they sued
in the High Court claiming:<o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;
Declaration of title to the
property numbered as D434/3, Derby Avenue at the left hand intersection of
Amunakwa Road, Korle Wokon.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;