[2014]DLCA5196 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0">SOFT SHON CARSON<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: center 3.25in left 280.4pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0"> vs. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0">WILLIAM FUGAR<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/85/2013 10<sup>TH</sup> APRIL, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">MR. MOHAMMED B. SAHNOON FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">MR. EBOW BREW HAMMOND FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">ABBAN (MRS.) J.A. (PRESIDING), KUSI-APPIAH J.A., KWAKU GYAN J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none; padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">KUSI-APPIAH, J.A. :<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">This is an appeal against the judgment of the High Court, (Fast Track Division), Accra, dated 31<sup>st</sup> May, 2012 in which judgment was entered in favour of the Plaintiff/Respondent against the Defendant/Appellant. I will refer to the parties in the manner they appeared at the Court below.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">By his amended writ of summons, the plaintiff claimed against the defendant for:-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> <i>“Recovery of the outstanding rent payment as follows:<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:67.5pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify; text-indent:-31.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">a.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Full payment of rent for the 3<sup>rd</sup> year of the term beginning 1<sup>st</sup> April, 2010 to 31<sup>st</sup> 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></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:67.5pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify; text-indent:-31.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">b.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Damages for breach of contract.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:67.5pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify; text-indent:-31.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">c.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Interest on the said amount from 1<sup>st</sup> of April, 2010 until date of final payment.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The brief facts of this case are as follows<i>:- <o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">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. 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></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">It is the case of the plaintiff that on or about 29<sup>th</sup> day of February, 2008, he entered into a tenancy agreement (Exhibit A) with the defendant for a term of three years from 1<sup>st</sup> April, 2008 to 31<sup>st</sup> March, 2011. 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></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">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></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Accordin