SOFT SHEEN CARSON vs. WILLIAM FUGAR [2014]DLCA2803

Date	2014-02-10
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/158/2013
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA2803

ABBAN (MRS.) J.A. (PRESIDING)

KUSI-APPIAH J.A.

KWAKU GYAN J.A.

MR. MOHAMMED B. SAHNOON FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

MR. EBOW BREW HAMMOND FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2014]DLCA2803
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SOFT SHEEN CARSON<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>WILLIAM FUGAR<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[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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CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/158/2013&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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: 10TH
APRIL, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MR. MOHAMMED B. SAHNOON FOR
THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT,<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

MR.
EBOW BREW HAMMOND FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>ABBAN (MRS.) J.A. (PRESIDING), KUSI-APPIAH J.A.,
KWAKU GYAN J.A.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>KUSI-APPIAH,
J.A. :<o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal against the judgment of the High Court, (Fast Track Division),
Accra, dated 31st May, 2012 in which judgment was entered in favour
of the Plaintiff/Respondent against the Defendant /Appellant.&nbsp; I will refer to the parties in the manner
they appeared at the Court below.<o:p></o:p>By his
amended writ of summons, the plaintiff claimed against the defendant for:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Recovery
of the outstanding rent payment as follows:<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Full
payment of rent for the 3rd year of the term beginning 1st
April, 2010 to 31st of March, 2011 being thirty-nine thousand, six
hundred United States Dollars (USD$39,600.00) or its cedi equivalent at the
prevailing interbank selling rates for the United States Dollar.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Damages
for breach of contract.<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Interest
on the said amount from 1st of April, 2010 until date of final
payment.”<o:p></o:p>The
brief facts of this case are as follows:-
<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff is the owner of a three bedroom unfurnished apartment flat, No. 9 in
the complex known as Hansen Court situated at No. 58 Switchback Road,
Cantonments Residential Area, Accra.&nbsp; The
defendant is a Free Zone Company Incorporated in the Republic of Ghana and
operating under the provision of the Free Zone Act 1994 among other laws.<o:p></o:p>It
is the case of the plaintiff that on or about 29th day of February,
2008, he entered into a tenancy agreement (Exhibit A) with the defendant for a
term of three years from 1st April, 2008 to 31st March,
2011.&nbsp; Under the lease agreement, the
defendant will rent the plaintiff’s property (above mentioned) against a
monthly rent including a service charge of Three Thousand, Three Hundred US
Dollars (USD$3,300.00) payable in advance for two years.<o:p></o:p>Advance
payment of two years rent was made by the defendant to the plaintiff after
which the former was given possession of plaintiff’s property.<o:p></o:p>According
to the plaintiff clause 5 of Exhibit A provided for the mode of termination and
was explicit on service of notices by parties in such events.&nbsp; He alleged that the defendant left the
premises without any notice to the plaintiff and thus breached the terms of the
tenancy agreement (Exhibit A).<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff averred that all attempts at getting a tenant to occupy the premises
after the departure of the defendant have been unsuccessful.&nbsp; He contended that a demand notice for the
payment of outstanding rent of US$3,300.00 per month for the third year of the
term beginning 1st April, 2010 to 31st March, 2011
amounting to US$39,600.00 was ignored by the defendant, hence this action.<o:p></o:p>The
defendant resisted the claim of the plaintiff.&nbsp;
It alleged that it gave the requisite notice of intention to vacate the
premises to the l</main>