<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation" hidden>[2014]DLHC7087</p> <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" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">ADWOA A. TWUMWAH<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><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"; 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;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">KWABENA ANOKYE<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<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" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">SUIT NO. BMISC 216/2000 </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> DATE: 28<sup>TH</sup> FEBRUARY, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL:<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;line-height: 115%;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"">FRANK SAGOE FOR PLAINTIFF <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%;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"">SAMUEL OWUSU ANSAH FOR DEFENDANT<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM:<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;line-height: 115%;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"">HIS LORDSHIP KENNETH A. OKWABI<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><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" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The plaintiffs claim is for a (1) declaration that the material asset namely H/No 117 lane 8 Onyinase Awoshie Accra is the joint property of the parties <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">2. A declaration that the Sale and Purchase agreement entered into by the Defendant and Madam Anna Meinzalen Kwofie of Accra is null and void. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">3. An order for the valuation of the land together with the property thereon with an option for a buyout by the plaintiff <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">4. An order for interlocutory injunction to restrain the Defendant from disposing of the property until the determination of the suit <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The parties until recently were married under customary law for 17 years. During that period the parties had six children. It is the case of the plaintiff that during the course of the marriage they saw the need to acquire a piece of land to build a house of their own which would became the matrimonial home. In this regard the parties identified a piece of land at Onyinase, Awoshie Accra in which they expressed interest and together pooled resources and jointly acquired same from the Gbawe Kwartei family for 1 million old cedis or Gh¢100.00. The parties pooled their resources together and put up a house comprising of two set of 2 bedroom self contained including toilet, bath and kitchen and three single room detached on the acquired land No 117 8th Onyinase Awoshie Accra. The plaintiff stated in paragraph 6 of the statement of claim that there were instances when debts incurred by the Defendant with the property as security were paid off by the plaintiff to save the property from being sold. Plaintiff stated in paragraph 7 of the statement of claim that the Defendant in total disregard of her interest in the property purported to have sold the property to one Madam Anna Meinzalen Kwofie of Accra for Gh¢45,000. The plaintiff contended in the statement of claim that throughout her marriage with the Defendant she contributed substantially through her business to put up the building. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The defendant filed a statement of defence to the claim and stated that he solely acquired the land in dispute in 1996 and footed all the bills for the construction of the 2 bedroom toilet, bath, kitchen and three single rooms detached in the house in dispute. The defendant further said he is the sole owner of the land in dispute and the house built on it. The defendant stated that the plaintiff did not contribute financially towards the acquisition of the land nor the construction of the two bed room situate on it. Defendant admitted that he contracted a loan of Gh¢132,000 for which he defaulted and the property was attached by the to offset the debt. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The plaintiff gave evidence and called one witness. The plaintiff testified that the defendant was his husband and that they were married for 17 years. The plaintiff said on oath that when she first came to Accra she lived at an area called Dansoman Control Market. The defendant was out of Accra and she went and brought the defendant then her husband to come and put up with her. At the time that the defendant came to live with her he was unemployed and she looked after the defendant with sales from her kiosk which was sited on the land on which they put up the house in dispute. The owner of the land where the kiosk was then decided to sell the land to her and tendered Exhibit A dated 15th September 1993 it bore the name of Mr & Mrs Adwoa Twumwah and Kwabena Appawu P.W.1. The receipt was for full payment of the one plot of land. The plaintiff testified that the receipt is not with defendant because she paid for the land. The defendants name found it way to the receipt because she took the defendant to the Chief's Palace for the land and she also added the name of her first born child with the Defendant with the explanation that the son was to represent her interest in her absence. The plaintiff further stated on Oath that the sister's husband then owned a tipper truck and anytime she had money up to ¢20.00 she gave it to him to supply sand for the building construction. Plaintiff stated that she bought cement from her savings to continue building. Plaintiff also took a loan of ¢800,000.00 to complete the building. Plaintiff tendered Exhibit B as the document evidencing the loan. Plaintiff explained that defendant's name appears as borrower because her sister Joyce who gave out the loan insisted plaintiff brought her husband along to be a witness. Plaintiff concluded her evidence by insisting that she contributed towards the building whilst married to the defendant and that she was the customary lawfull wife of the defendant for 17 years and that the defendant presented drinks as custom demanded before they married. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Under cross examination the plaintiff maintained she was married to defendant until they divorced recently. The plaintiff mentioned the name of some of the defendant relatives who witnessed the marriage ceremony as Yaw Asare Defendant's mother Abena Nyamekye and his unc</main>
