JOSEPH TEYE AGOR (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. J. N. K. ANSAH & OTHERS [2016]DLCA5002

Date	2016-12-20
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H2/25/2016
Citation No.	[2016]DLCA5002

ADJEI J.A. (PRESIDING)

SOWAH J.A.

MENSAH J.A.

EVELYN OFOSU-FRIMPONG FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

FRANK DONKOR FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2016]DLCA5002
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JOSEPH TEYE AGOR<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>J. N. K. ANSAH &amp; OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KOFORIDUA]<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. H2/25/2016&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 20TH DECEMBER, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>EVELYN
OFOSU-FRIMPONG FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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FRANK DONKOR FOR 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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ADJEI J.A. (PRESIDING), SOWAH J.A., MENSAH
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;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><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:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">SOWAH<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:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">,&nbsp; J.A.:<o:p></o:p><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:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Facts:<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">This is an appeal against
the judgment of the High Court, Koforidua delivered on<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> 11th April 2014
in favour of the plaintiff against all 17 defendants. The appeal was lodged on
2nd June 2014 by the 14th, 15th and 16th
defendants who are hereafter referred to as the appellants.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">A précis of the facts of this case are as follows:, Joseph Teye Agor,
purporting to be the head of the Agor family of Okper Wekpeiti of Somanya
issued a writ against sixteen defendants on 1st December 2004. He
sought declaration of title to land duly described, declaration that the said
land is plaintiffs’ family land, an order setting aside purported sales by the
14th, 15th and 16th defendants/appellants,
recovery of possession and perpetual injunction. The statement of claim as
amended on 29th November 2005 averred that the system of inheritance
of plaintiff's family is patrilineal. That although the mother of the 14th
defendant had been a member of the family, the 14th defendant and her children,
the 15th and 16th defendant were not members of plaintiff's family. The family
had permitted them to farm on portions of the family land but they had
fraudulently conveyed portions of the land to the 1st to 13th
defendants without the family’s consent. <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">With the exception of the 5th defendant who filed a separate
statement of defence, and the 7th defendant who did not enter
appearance or contest the suit, all the other 14 defendants filed a common
statement of defence which was amended on 10th June 2009. They
denied that plaintiff’s family owned all the land described in the writ of
summons. The case of the 14th to 16th
defendants/appellants was that the Agor family has three divisions, namely the
Odjer (Odze), Ofori Teye and Kornnya. That by virtue of Krobo custom they
remained full members of the Odjer branch of the Agor family and were farming
on portions of the land in dispute as of right as members of the family. The
defendants stated that portions of the land sold to the 1st to 4th
defendants and 8th to 13th defendants was made with the
consent and authority of Akuffo Agor who was head of the Agor (Odjer) family at
the time. That the said alienations were made in order to contribute
financially to fight litigations over the land. The defendants also pleaded
that the plaintiff was estopped from denying the 14th defendants
membership of the family because of an arbitration held by Abokobi Asafoatse
into her membership of the family. <o:p></o:p>