DR. TONY ANTWI MENSAH vs. ATHENA FOODS COMPANY LTD AND AGRICULTURAL DEV. BANK [2015]DLCA4418

Date	2015-03-12
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/190/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA4418

MARFUL- SAU JA (PRESIDING)

ACQUAYE JA

TORKORNOO JA

MAXWELL KOFI AMOAKOHENE FOR THE CLAIMANT/ APPELLANT

MATHEW OBENG FOR THE PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT

[2015]DLCA4418
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DR. TONY ANTWI MENSAH<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATHENA FOODS COMPANY LTD
AND AGRICULTURAL DEV. BANK&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/CLAIMANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO:&nbsp;
H1/190/2014&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: 12TH MARCH, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MAXWELL KOFI AMOAKOHENE
FOR THE CLAIMANT/ APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MATHEW
OBENG FOR THE PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT<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;
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MARFUL-
SAU JA (PRESIDING), ACQUAYE JA, TORKORNOO JA<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MARFUL-SAU, JA: -
This appeal relates to an interpleader action that was commenced in the High
Court by the claimant/ appellant Bank, the Agricultural Development Bank, which
will be referred to in this appeal simply as the appellant. The respondent, Dr.
Tony Antwi Mensah had obtained judgment against his former employer Athena
Foods Company Ltd and in enforcing the said judgment levied execution against a
landed property of the company; which property the company had been mortgaged
to the appellant herein. This mortgage was not registered. The case was set
down for legal argument since from the affidavits filed in the proceedings one
fundamental issue was raised. The issue related to the legal effect, if any, of
an unregistered deed of mortgage. The case of the respondent against the
claimant was simply that the non-registration of the mortgage deed made it
unenforceable. In other words since the mortgage was not registered the
claimant had no interest in the property so mortgaged.<o:p></o:p>At
the end of the trial the court dismissed appellant’s claim and held that since the
mortgage deed was not registered no interest was acquired in the property by
the appellant. It is against this ruling that this appeal was lodged. In the
Notice of Appeal, appellant formulated four main grounds of appeal and no
additional ground was filed. I have carefully read the record of appeal and the
written submissions of both counsel and I find that the appeal raises two
central issues that ought to be addressed. These are:- (1) what is the legal
effect of an unregistered deed of mortgage in an interpleader action such as in
this case? and (2) what is the effect of the charge created as a result of
registering the mortgage with the Registrar of Companies?<o:p></o:p>Now,
it is provided by section 3(2) of the Mortgages Act, 1972 (NRCD 96) as
follows:- <o:p></o:p>‘’Every writing evidencing a mortgage shall be deemed
to be an instrument, which may be registered in accordance with the Land
Registry Act, 1962, (Act 122)’’<o:p></o:p>And
section 24 of the Land Registry Act, provides that:-<o:p></o:p>‘’ (1) Subject to subsection (2), of this section, an
instrument other than,<o:p></o:p>(a) A Will, or<o:p></o:p>(b) A judge’s certificate,<o:p></o:p>First executed after the commencement of this Act shall
be of no effect until it is registered.’’<o:p></o:p>Then
section 36 of the Land Registry Act which is the interpretation section defines
instrument as follows:-<o:p></o:p>‘’any writing affecting land situate in Ghana,
including a Judge’s certificate and a memorandum of deposit of title deeds.’’<o:p></o:p>