T. N. HOSPITALITY LTD vs. SAMUEL AMARTEY MASOPERH AND YAHYA FATTAL DAKMAK [2015]DLCA6593

Date	2015-04-23
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/202/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA6593

KANYOKE J.A. (PRESIDING)

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) J.A.

SOWAH (MRS.) J.A.

MR. A. AKRASI FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

R. ROBERT K. TAY FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS

[2015]DLCA6593
																																						<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" >T. N.
HOSPITALITY LTD<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SAMUEL
AMARTEY MASOPERH AND YAHYA FATTAL DAKMAK<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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;
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">CIVIL
APPEAL NO: H1/202/2014&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 23RD APRIL, 2015<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MR. ROBERT K. TAY FOR
DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS <o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">KANYOKE, J.A. (PRESIDING)
LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.), J.A. AND SOWAH (MRS.), J.A.<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div>KANYOKE,
J.A. <o:p></o:p>This
is an interlocutory appeal against the refusal of the Fast Track Division of
the High Court, Accra to grant leave to the plaintiff/appellant (hereinafter
called the plaintiff) to further amend an amended writ of summons and the
statement of claim to seek reliefs against the co-defendant (described in the
Record of Appeal (ROA) as the 2nd defendant) and to expand the statement of
claim by adding further averments therein. The plaintiff feeling dissatisfied
with the ruling of the trial judge filed an appeal against same on two grounds
of appeal as follows: <o:p></o:p>"(i) The ruling is against the
weight of evidence <o:p></o:p>(iii) The court erred by holding that
the application to amend was an afterthought, in dismissing the same." <o:p></o:p>Even
though the notice of appeal had stated that further grounds of appeal would be
filed upon the receipt of a certified copy of the ruling, no such further
grounds of appeal were filed. <o:p></o:p>The
brief facts of this case culminating in the appeal are as follows: <o:p></o:p>On
the 10th day of April 2006, the defendnant acting through his lawful attorney -
Gottfried Akwei Masoperh granted a Lease of the property H/No. F688/1A situate
at Osu, Kuku Hill, Accra to one Yahya Fattal Dakmak the co-defendant herein for
a term of twenty (20) years certain with an option to renew for a further term
of ten (10) years. Pursuant to clause 7(g) of the said Lease Agreement, the
co-defendant subletted or assigned the residue of his interest in the
subject-property to the plaintiff commencing on 1st August 2008 for five (5)
years certain with further proposals, to enable the plaintiff operate the
business of lodging therein. It is the case of the plaintiff that the
defendant's said lawful attorney was aware of the proposal to assign and the
actual assignment of the residue of the co-defendant's interest in the property
to the plaintiff. It is the further case of the plaintiff that the defendant's
said lawful attorney even accompanied the plaintiff's chief executive officer
to the property for inspection of same and the adjoining land thereto and went
further to hold discussions with the said chief executive officer on the
possibility of granting a separate lease to the plaintiff in respect thereof to
develop the said adjoining land into hospitality apartments and a restaurant.
The plaintiff pleaded that pursuant to the sub Lease Agreement it incurred
financial expenses to make the property habitable to the admiration of the
defendant's lawful attorney. The plaintiff further averred that without any
notice to the plaintiff, the defendant on the 18th day of December 2008 locked
out two foreign lodgers put into occupation of the subject property by the
plaintiff. The defendant again acting through his lawful attorney on 25th July,
2009, sent about ten thugs to the property and attempted to eject the plaintiff
from the premises and also prevented some guests from entering the property.
The defendant per his lawful attorney also caused destruction of some items in
the subject-property. It was on the basis of these alleged act of trespass that
the plaintiff on 29-7-2009, filed a writ of summons at the Fast Track Division
of the High Court, Accra, seeking against the defendant only, inter alia
general and special damages against the defendant for denying the plaintiff
access to and the peaceful enjoyment of the subject-property and an order for
perpetual injunction to restrain the defendant from interfering with the
interest of the plaintiff in the subject-property. Subsequently, the plaintiff
successfully applied to the court and joined Yahya Fattal Dakmak to the suit as
co-defendant (2nd defendant). <o:p></o:p>Quite
significantly, even though the trial judge ordered the plaintiff to amend the
writ of summons and serve same together with the statement of claim and other
processes in the case on the co-defendant within seven (7) days from the 25th
of January 2010 and also as required under Order 4 rule </main>