PROF. STEPHEN ADEI AND MRS. GEORGINA ADEI, vs. GRACE ROBERTSON AND THE SEMPE STOOL [2013]DLCA8131

PROF. STEPHEN ADEI AND MRS. GEORGINA ADEI, vs. GRACE ROBERTSON AND THE SEMPE ST... [2013]DLCA8131

Date	2013-07-18
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/41/13
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA8131

ASARE-KORANG JA (PRESIDING)

ACQUAYE JA

DZAMEFE JA

PRINCE NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE FOR 1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

OWUSU-BANAH FOR PLAINITFFS/RESPONDENTS

[2013]DLCA8131
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >PROF. STEPHEN ADEI AND MRS. GEORGINA ADEI,<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>GRACE ROBERTSON AND THE
SEMPE STOOL<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/
APPELLANTS)<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: H1/41/13&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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>PRINCE
NII ASHIE NEEQUAYE FOR 1ST DEFENDANT/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">

OWUSU-BANAH
FOR PLAINITFFS/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">

ASARE-KORANG
JA (PRESIDING), ACQUAYE JA, 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>The
plaintiff/respondents are a married couple living and working at Legon-Accra. &nbsp;They aver in 1979 they purchased the property
in dispute at Sowutuom Accra from the Abola Piam (Tunma We) family of Accra
acting per its joint heads of family and lawful representatives.&nbsp; The land was covered by deed of conveyance
which was duly registered at the land Registry as No 2447/1985.<o:p></o:p>In
1985 they once again negotiated and purchased from one Madam Abena Asi, a
grantee of Abola Piam (Tunma We) who are the allodial owners of Sowutuom lands,
two different parcels of land adjoining their earlier grant. These two
different grants are covered respectively by two deeds of conveyance stamped
and registered as Registry No 507/1986 and 508/1986.<o:p></o:p>They
went into immediate possession of these three different parcels of land by
fixing corner pillars on the lands and subsequently constructed a two bedroom
house on it and put in a caretaker.&nbsp; In
all they purchased eight plots of land.&nbsp;
In or about 1990/91 they had to stop encroachers including the appellant
from trespassing onto the land particularly plot number 8 covered by deed of
conveyance with Land Registry No 508/1986.<o:p></o:p>It
is the respondents case that the appellant started making adverse claims to
portions of the land covered by land document with Land Registry No 508/1986.
The appellant in pursuance of her adverse claims organized and caused the destruction
of 100 feet of the walled land which separates plots 6 and 8.&nbsp; The respondents claim for specific damages for
the concrete fence pulled down at the instance of the appellant, claiming
GH¢320.10 as pecuniary damages.&nbsp; It is
their case that unless the&nbsp; appellant is
restrained by the High Court she will persist in her acts of trespass and
nuisance as she threatens further&nbsp;
destruction, hence this suit and the claims and reliefs endorsed on the
writ of summons.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant in her defence and counter-claim averred the respondent rather
trespassed onto her land.&nbsp; She counter-claimed
for damages for trespass at the rate of Gh¢500.00 per anum beginning 1st
January 1979 to date of judgment.&nbsp; Further
and other reliefs including general damages and legal cost and also for
declaration of title to land described in the plan attached.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant in her amended statement of defence and counter-claim averred her
mother acquired the land in dispute from the Abola Piam Stool in 1950 by a customary
grant. She occupied and took possession of same immediately after the acquisition
and erected corner pillars on the four corners. The mother hails from Abola Piam
of Accra.&nbsp; In 1961, she built two
structures on the land and put in a caretaker and a tenant farmer. <o:p></o:p>Later
the land was surrendered by her to the daughter who is the appellant in the
instant appeal to develop. The appellant averred the Sempe Stool interfered
with the land claiming same and other lands in the neighbourhood as Sempe Stool
Lands.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant by conduct of prudence negotiated with the Sempe Stool in 1990 and
had a lease from the Stool on the land in dispute dated 16th may
1990 and stamped No.LVB 12861A/97.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant therefore claims root of title from both Abola Piam and the Sempe
Stools.&</main>