KATE OPUNI TIWAAH (FOR HERSELF AND ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN OF THE LATE SAMUEL KWAME OPUNI) AND ABENA ADAMU vs. KOFI DARKO [2015]DLCA8032

KATE OPUNI TIWAAH (FOR HERSELF AND ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN OF THE LATE SAMUEL... [2015]DLCA8032

Date	2015-04-15
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/06/2013
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA8032

E. K. AYEBI (PRESIDING) JA

IRENE C. LARBI (MRS.) JA

I. O. TANKO AMADU JA

SARFO GYAMFI FOR APPELLANT: ABSENT

AUGUSTINA ANANE QUEBAH WITH KWAKU YEBOAH APPIAH & PRECIOUS

AIDOO FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS: PRESENT

[2015]DLCA8032
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KATE OPUNI TIWAAH (FOR HERSELF AND ON BEHALF OF
THE CHILDREN OF THE LATE SAMUEL KWAME OPUNI) AND ABENA ADAMU<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>KOFI DARKO<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CIVIL APPEAL NO.:
H1/06/2013&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 15TH APRIL, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>SARFO
GYAMFI FOR APPELLANT: ABSENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

AUGUSTINA
ANANE QUEBAH WITH KWAKU YEBOAH APPIAH &amp; PRECIOUS AIDOO FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS:
PRESENT<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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

E.
K. AYEBI (PRESIDING) JA, IRENE C. LARBI (MRS.) JA, I. O. TANKO AMADU JA<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

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

</div>AYEBI
J.A.<o:p></o:p>The
judgment in this appeal should have been delivered on&nbsp;&nbsp; Thursday, 31st July 2014 but for
the death of the original plaintiff/respondent, Felix Opuni Agyei. Now that he
had been substituted by the new head of family Daniel Opuni Duh, we proceed to
deliver the judgment.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
This
is an appeal against the judgment of the High Court, Kumasi dated 17th
December 2009.&nbsp; The subject-matter of the
suit is &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; H/No. Plot 7 Block 3,
New Amakom-Kumasi.&nbsp; The house was owned
by the late Samuel Kwame Opuni in his lifetime as his self-acquired property.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
late plaintiff Felix Opuni Agyei described himself as the head of the immediate
matrilineal family of Nyinampinase and sued in that representative
capacity.&nbsp; The late Samuel Kwame Opuni
hailed from that family.&nbsp; The first
defendant is one of the daughters of the late Samuel Kwame Opuni while the
second defendant is his wife.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
late Samuel Kwame Opuni lived in the disputed house as his matrimonial home
with his wife, children as well as some family members until he passed
away.&nbsp; He also let out portions of the
house to tenants and enjoyed the rent himself.&nbsp;
The defendants, the plaintiff alleged, ejected family members from the
house and took control of it after the death of Samuel Kwame Opuni.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">4.&n</main>