SERWAH JONAH vs. AMA MENSAH BOTWE [2013]DLCA5130

Date	2013-11-07
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/119/2011
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA5130

KUSI-APPIAH J.A. (PRESIDING)

APALOO J.A.

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) J.A.

MR. PETER ZWENNES FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

MR. JAMES AHENKORAH FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2013]DLCA5130
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SERWAH JONAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>AMA MENSAH BOTWE<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. H1/119/2011&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;DATE: 7TH
NOVEMBER, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. PETER ZWENNES FOR
DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
JAMES AHENKORAH FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<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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KUSI-APPIAH
J.A. (PRESIDING), APALOO J.A., LOVELACE-JOHNSON (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;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>KUSI-APPIAH, J.A.:&nbsp;
This is an appeal from a judgment of the Circuit Court,
Accra, dated the 31st day of October 2002, in which the trial court
entered judgment for the plaintiff/respondent (hereinafter called the Plaintiff)
against the defendant/appellant (hereinafter called the Defendant). <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
basic facts are not in dispute.&nbsp; On or
about 5th day of June, 1998, &nbsp;the
plaintiff instituted this action on her own behalf and on behalf of her brother
Albert Bonsu Owusu-Ansah against the defendant, claiming recovery of possession
of the outhouse to House No. 156, New Town Road, Kotobabi, Accra.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
case of the plaintiff as gathered from her pleadings and especially evidence at
the trial is that, she and Albert Bonsu Owusu-Ansah are children by one woman
of the late Albert Owusu-Ansah who died intestate on 17th October,
1963, leaving other children by five other women.&nbsp; One of the other women is the defendant with
whom he had two issues, namely; Joseph Owusu-Ansah and Alberta Owusu-Ansah.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>According
to the plaintiff, the late Albert Owusu-Ansah was succeeded under customary law
by his younger brother, Dominic Owusu-Ansah to whom letters of administration of
the intestate estate were granted on 28th November, 1963.&nbsp; She averred that Dominic Owusu-Ansah died on
11th June, 1973 without having completed administration of the late
Albert Owusu-Ansah’s estate.&nbsp; So on 31st
July, 1978 letters of administration de
bonis non of that estate were granted to Madam Philomena Boatin who had
become the customary successor of the two deceased brothers.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It
is the case of the plaintiff that the late Albert Owusu-Ansah died leaving a
number of houses in Accra and Kumasi including the disputed property, i.e.
House No. 156, situated on the New Road, Kotobabi, Accra, which consists of a
main building and an outhouse.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiff further averred that by a vesting assent dated 22nd
January, 1977, Madam Philomena Boatin, the administrator of the late Albert
Owusu-Ansah’s estate conveyed the said House No. 156, New Town Road, Kotobabi,
Accra to the plaintiff and her brother Albert Bonsu Owusu-Ansah, forever as
their share of their father’s estate while giving other houses in the estate to
the other children of the late Albert Owusu-Ansah.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It
was also averred that the two children of defendant whom she had with the late
Albert Owusu-Ansah were also given one complete house at Mendskrom in Accra as
their due share of their father’s estate which they have rented out to tenants.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>