ERIC ABROKWAH & ORS. vs. WEST PALM INVESTMENT LIMITED AND PROSPER BENNOAH [2015]DLHC3535

Date	2015-02-18
Suit No.	SUIT NO.INTS/3/14
Citation No.	[2015]DLHC3535

HER LADYSHIP ANGELINA MENSAH-HOMIAH (MRS.) JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT

BILL GRAHAM OSEI AKOMEA FOR THE PLAINTIFF

KAREN WOBIL FOR THE DEFENDANTS

[2015]DLHC3535
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="OLE_LINK1">ERIC
ABROKWAH &amp; ORS.<o:p></o:p></a>vs.<o:p></o:p>WEST PALM INVESTMENT LIMITED AND PROSPER BENNOAH<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT(COMMERCIAL DIVISION), KUMASI]<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">

SUIT
NO.INTS/3/14&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: 18TH
FEBRUARY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>BILL
GRAHAM OSEI AKOMEA FOR THE PLAINTIFF <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">

KAREN WOBIL FOR THE DEFENDANTS<o:p></o:p>

HER LADYSHIP ANGELINA MENSAH-HOMIAH (MRS.) JUSTICE
OF THE HIGH COURT<o:p></o:p>

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">The subject-matter of this interpleader suit is
vehicle with registration number AW 5089- 12. The parties to this suit are the
execution creditors in an earlier suit against West Palm Investment and the
claimant to whom the vehicle in contention was issued by West Palm on “Work and
Pay” basis. The claimant was made the Plaintiff, and the execution creditors,
the Defendants, for the determination of the issues before this court.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">The issues for determination are:(i) Whether or not
oral evidence can be admitted to contradict documentary evidence; <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">(ii) Whether or not the vehicle in issue belongs to
West Palm Investment Ltd; and iii) Whether the said vehicle can be attached in
satisfaction of a debt owed by West Palm Investment Ltd. The evidential burden
as well as the burden of persuasion of the 1st issue first rests on
the Plaintiff. This is because it is the Plaintiff who seeks to rely on terms
contrary to what is contained in the written agreement between him and West
Palm Investment Ltd. He also assumes the same burden since he asserts ownership
of the vehicle which has been attached. The Defendants will bear the burden of
proof on the third for determination in view of the fact that the vehicle was
attached at their instance. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">A summary of the Plaintiff’s case as gleaned from his
evidence in court is that he applied for and was given the above mentioned vehicle
by West Palm Investment under an agreement. Per that agreement, he paid 10% of
the cost of the vehicle and was required to make weekly payments of at least GH¢167.00.
According to him, the price of the vehicle he applied for was GH¢25,000.00, but
what was eventually assigned to him had a faulty engine and so the price was <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">reduced to GH¢19,000.00. He replaced the engine at a
cost of GH¢3,100.00. &nbsp;Thus, the cost of
the engine was added to the price of the vehicle and he made a down payment of
GH¢ 3,000.00. He told the court that the weekly payments were fixed at GH¢167,000.00
but sometimes he paid more. He continued that West Palm failed to carry out
repairs on the vehicle as agreed and that whenever he pre-financed repairs,
West Palm would issue him with a receipt confirming that such repairs had been
done. In all, the Plaintiff said he made payments totaling GH¢12,012.00 and was
issued with receipts. In cross-examination, the witness admitted that when the
amount spent on repairing the vehicle is deducted, the cash payments he made
totaled GH¢9,000.00. However, he stopped making payments when the vehicle was
attached in execution of the judgment against West Palm. The agreement with
West Palm, the receipts of payment and weekly sales receipts were tendered in
evidence as exhibits A, B and C series.<o:p></o:p>