FRANCIS FOBI vs. KOFI BOATENG [2013]DLCA8084

Date	2013-07-18
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/57/13
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA8084

M. OWUSU JA (PRESIDING)

K. N. ADUAMA OSEI JA

S. DZAMEFE JA

MR. RICHARD DUA-ANSA FOR APPELLANT

FREDRICK NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE FOR RESPONDENTS

[2013]DLCA8084
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FRANCIS FOBI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KOFI BOATENG<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT)<o:p></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">

CIVIL
APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/57/13&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 18TH JULY, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL.<o:p></o:p>MR. RICHARD DUA-ANSA FOR
APPELLANT<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">

FREDRICK
NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE FOR RESPONDENTS <o:p></o:p>

</div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-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;">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">

M.
OWUSU JA (PRESIDING), K. N. ADUAMA OSEI JA, S. DZAMEFE JA<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: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>DZAMEFE,
JA<o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal from the judgment of the High Court Accra dated 16th
December 2010. The defendant/appellant hereinafter referred to as the appellant
dissatisfied with the judgment in favour of the plaintiff/respondent, referred
to as the respondent filed this appeal. <o:p></o:p>FACTS<o:p></o:p>The
facts as seen from the judgment are that the 1st appellant and respondent
are first cousins.&nbsp; In 1984 the 1st
appellant introduced the respondent to one Madam Ramatu Futa who was selling
her house No. C50/12 renumbered as No.C473/11, Accra New Town. The respondent
showed interest and purchased the said house.&nbsp;
He gave the receipts, indenture and all other documents on the house to
the 1st appellant to process for him at the Lands Commission.&nbsp; He ejected tenants living in the house,
renovated same and moved in with his wife and children in 1990. He rented part
of the house out and paid all his property rates.<o:p></o:p>The
1st appellant failed or refused to return those documents to the
respondent and rather laid adverse claim to the house and this ended up at the Community
Tribunal, Community Centre Accra where the court gave judgment in favour of the
1st appellant.&nbsp; Dissatisfied
with that judgment respondent appealed to the High Court Accra, that overturned
that decision in December 2002.&nbsp; Despite
the High Courts decision all efforts by the respondent to repossess the house
in dispute failed since the appellant ejected the respondent based upon the
Community Tribunal’s decision in 2000.<o:p></o:p>The
1st appellant rather put the other appellants in the house as tenants
who failed to recognize the respondent as the landlord.&nbsp; The respondent avers that the appellant
travelled to Libya and while there he wrote him a letter and acknowledged in it
the house in issue belongs to him, the respondent.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant in his case said he purchased the house in dispute from Ramatu Futu
in 1984 for Gh¢30.00. The transaction was evidenced by a statutory declaration
dated 11th December 1984 by the said vendor Ramatu Futa, who also
issued him with a receipt same day 11th December 1984.<o:p></o:p>It
is his case that after the purchase he took possession and ejected all tenants
therein replacing them with his own tenants, the other appellants, and made the
respondent himself as the caretaker of the house.&nbsp; He denied ever collecting documents from
respondent to register the house for him but rather registered the house in his
own name after he purchased same and the registration number is GA0780.<o:p></o:p>He
states that his claim of ownership of the house in dispute is as of right in so
far as he is a bona fide purchaser and that he has an indefeasible title to the
property and that the respondent is not entitled to his claims.&nbsp; The respondent states that the appellant recovered
possession of the house in dispute through an error of the Community Tribunal and
that said judgment and order has been set aside by the High court.&nbsp; The occupation of the appellants in the house
is unlawful and invalid and that the land title certificate was unlawfully
obtained by the 1st appellant. He denied ever been the caretaker of
the house but rather at all material times, he acted as the owner of the house.<o:p></o:p>ISSUES<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-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;">a.