NANA YAW OWUSU AND 2 OTHERS vs. HYDRAFORM ESTATES LTD [2014]DLSC5474

Date	2014-03-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL No. J4/62/2013
Citation No.	[2014]DLSC5474

OWUSU (MS.) JSC (PRESIDING)

DOTSE JSC

ANIN YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

HON. J. AYIKOI OTOO WITH HIM DR. ARISTOTLE KOTEY FOR THE PLAINTIFFS /APPELLANTS/ RESPONDENTS.

EDWARD SAM CRABBE ESQ. WITH HIM NATASHA LAMPTEY FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT

[2014]DLSC5474
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NANA YAW OWUSU AND 2 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>HYDRAFORM ESTATES LTD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CIVIL
APPEAL No. J4/62/2013&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;26TH MARCH, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>HON. J. AYIKOI OTOO WITH HIM DR. ARISTOTLE KOTEY
FOR THE PLAINTIFFS /APPELLANTS/ RESPONDENTS.<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">

EDWARD SAM
CRABBE ESQ. WITH HIM NATASHA LAMPTEY FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<o:p></o:p>OWUSU
(MS.) JSC (PRESIDING), DOTSE JSC, ANIN YEBOAH JSC, BAFFOE BONNIE JSC, GBADEGBE
JSC<o:p></o: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;
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<p class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ANIN
YEBOAH, JSC:<o:p></o:p>The plaintiffs/appellants/respondents herein who
(shall be referred to in this judgment as the respondents) instituted an action
against the defendant/respondent/appellant herein who (shall be referred to in
this judgment as the appellant). By their writ of summons sealed on the 7th
of October 2008, the respondents claimed against the appellant only one relief
as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“Perpetual
injunction restraining the defendant company, its agents, assigns, servants,
privies and workmen or otherwise howsoever be from interfering with the
plaintiffs peaceful and quiet enjoyment and possession of their land”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It must be pointed out that the indorsement was
not for any substantive relief known in law. No objection was taken by
defendant on the recent authority of ROCKSON V ILIOS SHIPPING CO. SA and WILTEX
LTD [2010] SCGLR 341 which affirmed this court’s previous decision in R v High
Court, Tema; Ex PARTE OWNERS OF MV ESSO SPIRIT (DARYA SHIPPING S.A INTERESTED
PARTY) [2003-2004] 2 SCGLR 689 that such a claim is void in law. In this case
however, upon reading the writ together with the accompanying Statement of
Claim the defect in the writ was cured by the Statement of Claim filed together
with the writ. This is the current position of the law as ably expounded by our
worthy brother Gbadegbe, JSC in the more recent case of OPOKU [№ 2] v AXES CO.
LTD [№ 2] [2012] 2 SCGLR 1214 in which our able brother said as follows:<o:p></o:p>“The
writ of summons ought to be read together with the statement of claim in order
to determine if there was any cause of action before the court. This is so
because a statement of claim may, in appropriate cases as provided for in rule
15 (2) of Order II of the High Court Civil (Procedure) Rules, 2004 (CI 47),
amplify or diminish the scope of the writ on which it is founded”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The defect on the writ was in our view cured by
the accompanying statement of claim which was filed together with the writ. The
cause of action of the plaintiff was amply pleaded in the Statement of Claim.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>THE FACTS<o:p></o:p>The respondents pleaded among other things, that
the first respondent on 27/05/2004 purchased four plots of land measuring 100 *
100 per plot each from one Ranas Odoi Freeman for GH¢40,000.00. Prior to the
purchase the first respondent said his vendor showed him a copy of a judgment
of a High Court dated the 5/12/2002 declaring ownership in his vendor. His
vendor later gave him a copy of an indenture covering the land which had been
prepared by the allodial owners being the Nungua Stool. The first respondent
later sold portions to the second and third respondents who pursuant to the transaction
developed their respective lands. According to the second respondent he even
contacted Ayikoi Otoo Esq, a lawyer, to ascertain the validity of the judgment
out of which the first respondent derived his title and the response was in the
affirmative. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></main>