ROSINA ARYEE vs. SHELL GHANA LTD AND FRAGA OIL [2015]DLSC3647

Date	2015-10-22
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/3/2015
Citation No.	[2015]DLSC3647

WOOD (MRS) CJ (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

DOTSE JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BENIN JSC

THOMAS HUGHES ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.

MARTIN AGYIN-SAMPONG ESQ. (WITH HIM SENA ABLA KPODO) FOR THE DEFENDANT/ RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT.

CHARLES HAYIBOR ESQ. FOR THE CO-DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2015]DLSC3647</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">ROSINA ARYEE</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">vs.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">SHELL
GHANA LTD AND FRAGA OIL</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">CIVIL APPEAL NO.
J4/3/2015&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:&nbsp;22</span><sup><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">ND</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;OCTOBER,
2015<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">THOMAS HUGHES ESQ. FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">MARTIN AGYIN-SAMPONG ESQ. (WITH
HIM SENA ABLA KPODO) FOR THE DEFENDANT/ RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">CHARLES HAYIBOR ESQ. FOR THE CO-DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">BENIN, JSC</span></u></b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">:-</span></u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;This appeal raises two important principles of law,
namely&nbsp;<i>nemo dat quod non habet</i>&nbsp;and priority of registrable
instrument by a bona fide purchaser, which were relied upon by the plaintiff
and the defendants, respectively. The trial High Court as well as the Court of
Appeal agreed that the prior registration by the co-defendant who they considered
a bona fide purchaser should prevail both on the facts and the law.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The facts of this case are very simple. The State Housing Company,
hereafter called the Company, leased the land in dispute numbered 4A Lami
Dwaahe Street situate at Adentan Housing Estate to the
plaintiff/appellant/appellant, hereafter called the plaintiff. The plaintiff
leased the land to the Defendant/respondent/respondent, hereafter called the
defendant, for a term of fifteen years. Under the terms of the lease agreement
the defendant paid the plaintiff rent advance for ten years, with rent for the
remaining five years to be paid later at an appointed date. When the plaintiff
went to demand payment for the rest of the term, the defendant refused saying
the plaintiff was not the owner of the property and that the land was owned by
the Co-defendant/respondent/respondent, hereafter called the co-defendant. The
plaintiff commenced an action against the defendant claiming, inter alia,
ejectment for denial of title. In their defence the defendant maintained their
position that the land was owned by the co-defendant. The defendant
counterclaimed for a refund of their money inter alia. Subsequently Fraga Oil
was joined to the suit as the co-defendant.&nbsp; The co-defendant pleaded that
they were bona fide purchasers for value and had also duly registered their
title in accordance with law. In response to the co-defendant’s claim, the
plaintiff denied their claim to be bona fide purchasers and pleaded that they
were in possession at the time in that they carried out business on the land.
Apparently in May 2003 the State Housing Company had granted the same land to
the co-defendant. The Company file on this property that was tendered in
evidence as exhibit 1 confirms this, see pages 200, 213, 214 and 221 of the
record of proceedings as well as the pleadings of the parties and the evidence
on record; thus there is no dispute about the identity of the land.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-fam</main>