ROBERT ODAMTTEN vs. RAPHAEL WUTA-OFFEI AND OTHERS [2014]DLCA2911

Date	2014-11-06
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/85/2009
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA2911

MARIAMA OWUSU (PRESIDING) J.A

ACQUAYE J.A.

DZAMEFEJ.A.

MR. PETER ATUPARE FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MISS IRIS AGGREY OLEANS FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS

MR. ADDO ATUAH FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

[2014]DLCA2911
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ROBERT ODAMTTEN<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>RAPHAEL WUTA-OFFEI AND OTHERS<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. H1/85/2009&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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: 6TH
NOVEMBER, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MR. PETER ATUPARE FOR
PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT,<o:p></o:p>MISS IRIS AGGREY OLEANS FOR
PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS,<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.
ADDO ATUAH 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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

MARIAMA OWUSU (PRESIDING) J.A , ACQUAYE
J.A. ,DZAMEFEJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT <o:p></o:p>MARIAMA OWUSU, J.A:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On 8-8-2008, the High Court,
Accra, dismissed the claims of the plaintiffs in the consolidated suits. In its
judgment, the trial court held among other things as follows;<o:p></o:p>“On the whole I find that plaintiffs in
both suits lack the requisite capacity to sustain the action filed in this
court. I shall accordingly dismiss both suits filed by the plaintiffs in both
cases. The property has actually been sold to the 2nd defendant who
has paid for it in full. <o:p></o:p>I find nothing to detract from the
validity of the sale of the property to 2nd defendant for me to set
the said sale aside and I decline to do so.<o:p></o:p>The court however has decided not to
award costs to the 1st defendant. However, the 2nd
defendant who is not a member of the 1st defendant family and who
has successfully defended the action against him is awarded cost of GH¢1,000.00
against the plaintiff in suit No. 96/2002 and a further cost of another
GH¢1,000.00 against plaintiffs in suit No. 105/2007”.<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied with the
decision of the trial court, the plaintiffs appealed to the Court of Appeal on
the following grounds:<o:p></o:p>[1]
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That the trial judge erred in law
in refusing to set aside the purported sale of the property in dispute
otherwise known as KOALA SHOPPING MALL as same was unlawful.<o:p></o:p>[2]
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The trial judge erred in law in not
fully addressing the import of the Intestate Succession Law, 1985, [PNDCL 111]
in his judgment.<o:p></o:p>[3]
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Additional grounds of appeal may be
filed upon receipt of the Record of Proceedings.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>RELEIFS
SOUGHT FROM THIS COURT:<o:p></o:p>The judgment of the Fast
Tract High Court in this suit dated 1-8-2008 be set aside.<o:p></o:p>Before dealing with the
arguments advanced in support and against this appeal, I would like to give a
brief background of this case.<o:p></o:p>To begin with this is a
consolidated suit. The suits that were consolidated are suit No. AP 96/ 2007,
titled Robert Odamtten vs. Raphael Wuta-Offei, 2. Mohammed Wolley filed on
29-5-2007 and suit No. AL 105/07 titled George Odamtten and 4 Others vs. Raphael
Wuta-Offei &amp; Mohammed Wolley.<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff in suit No. AP
96/2007 claims against the defendants jointly and severally the following:<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order setting aside the purported sale of
the property known as Essie Lodge/Cedar House otherwise known as House No. F
889/ 2 Cantonments Road, Accra or Koala Shopping Centre.<o:p></o:p>