AGNES OKAIKOR TAGOE (DECEASED), SUBSTITUTED BY NII OKAI TAGOE vs. TRACOAF ESTATES LIMITED & ORS [2014]DLHC12040

AGNES OKAIKOR TAGOE (DECEASED), SUBSTITUTED BY NII OKAI TAGOE vs. TRACOAF ESTAT... [2014]DLHC12040

Date	2014-06-23
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FTRM/163/1
Citation No.	[2014]DLHC12040

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM

PAUL OPOKU FOR PLAINTIFF

KWESI COLEMAN FOR DEFENDANTS

[2014]DLHC12040
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AGNES OKAIKOR
TAGOE (DECEASED), SUBSTITUTED BY NII OKAI TAGOE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>TRACOAF
ESTATES LIMITED &amp; ORS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO. FTRM/163/1&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 23RD&nbsp;JUNE 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>PAUL
OPOKU FOR PLAINTIFF,<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>This case traveled from 2006 and on the 5th
day of March 2009, the plaintiff filed an amendment to the Writ of
Summons.&nbsp; The defendants also, on the 10th
day of November 2011 amended their Statement of Defence and Counter-claim.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The instant case is on land.&nbsp; A declaration of title to land lying and
situate at Kuntunse, Damages, Recovery of possession and injunction.&nbsp; There is a further claim for the Court to
declare a transaction between the 1st defendant as purchaser and
Samuel Augustus K. Quartey and late Leticia Noi as fraud.&nbsp; The 1st defendant counter-claimed
for a declaration of title to the land in dispute in favour of the Quartey
family of Osu.&nbsp; There is a further claim
for injunction restraining the plaintiff and the Tagoe family, from venturing
the disputed land.&nbsp; The authorities are
very clear on issues bordening on the claim for declaration of title to land,
damages, injunction recovery of possession.&nbsp;
Where there is also counterclaim by the defendants.&nbsp; The Courts are also clear on matters on
fraud.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In Yaa Kwesi Vrs Arhin Davis &amp; Ano [2007 –
2008] SCGLR 580, the Supreme Court held in holding 1 thus:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;
line-height:normal;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Since
the plaintiff-applicant sued not only for a declaration of title but also
damages for trespass and an order of perpetual injunction, he assumed the
onerous burden of proof of title to the disputed land by the preponderance of
the probabilities as required by Sections 11 (1) and (4) and (12) of the
Evidence Decree, 1975 (NRCD) 323, or else risk the prospect of losing his
case”.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;
line-height:normal;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">&nbsp;However, where the defendant also files a
counter-claim, he also assumes that onerous burden to prove his case.&nbsp; In Fosuhene
Vrs Atta Wusu [2011] SCGLR 273, the Court said at its holding 3 thus:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
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mso-border-shadow:yes">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “.....
It was settled that a counterclaim was in law a separate and independent action
tried together with the original claim of the plaintiff.&nbsp; Consequently, where in the cause of an action
in which there was a counterclaim, the plaintiff’s claim was struck out,
dismissed, discontinued or stayed, the defendant could proceed to prosecute his
counterclaim as it was independent of the original claim even though a
counterclaim had no separate suit number different from the original suit”.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;
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