DR. EMMANUEL HARRYN TAWIAH vs. KWAME APPIAH KUBI & 5 ORS [2016]DLCA8557

Date	2016-11-22
Suit No.	SUIT NO. A1/38/2013
Citation No.	[2016]DLCA8557

AYEBI J.A. (PRESIDING)

TORKORNOO (MRS) J. A.

DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J. A.

KWAKU YEBOAH APPIAH FOR APPELLANT

NANA AKWASI OSEI BONSU FOR RESPONDENTS

[2016]DLCA8557
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DR. EMMANUEL HARRYN TAWIAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" 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>KWAME APPIAH KUBI &amp; 5 ORS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KWAKU YEBOAH APPIAH FOR APPELLANT<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">

NANA AKWASI OSEI
BONSU FOR RESPONDENTS<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">

AYEBI J.A.
(PRESIDING), TORKORNOO (MRS) J. A., DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J. A.<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;
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<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><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">TORKORNOO
(MRS), J.A.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff/Appellant contends in his
amended Statement of Claim that ‘sometime
between 1994’, he negotiated with and purchased two plots of land from one
F.D Nsiah Asare (FD), now deceased, when the latter was living in Cote
D’Ivoire. In his evidence in chief found on page 23 of the Record of Appeal
(ROA), Appellant put the date of the transaction in ‘the early nineties’. On page 53 of the ROA, he changed his averment
about 1994 and testified that the transaction was ‘…in the early part of 1992 and during the pulmugation (sic) of the 1992
constitution’. <o:p></o:p>According to the Appellant, he attended
Mfantsipim School with his lawyer friend K A Nsiah Asare (PW1) who is the son
of the said late FD. It is PW1 who told him about the availability of the land
for purchase and who took him to his father in Cote D’Ivoire. <o:p></o:p>Appellant alleges in his pleadings that
he agreed to buy the two plots of ‘industrial’ but ‘waterlogged’ land for 20
million cedis (now 2000 Ghana Cedis) a plot and paid 40 million cedis (4,000
Ghana Cedis) for the two plots. He paid 20 million cedis upfront.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>Thereafter, he returned to Ghana and
paid the remaining 20 million cedis in some 6 instalments. According to the Appellant
and PW1, FD issued a number of receipts for the moneys paid by the Appellant.
They testified that all these receipts remained in the custody of PW1. It is
noteworthy that according to PW1, the receipts for the 20 million cedis paid in
instalments were written in the name of PW1 and not the Appellant who paid for
the land. <o:p></o:p>Appellant also said that he took
possession of the said land by making the caretaker on the land farm it and
give him the benefit of the farm produce. <o:p></o:p>Appellant’s case is that FD returned to
Ghana in 1995, became ill and died in 1999. He gave the Appellant no Site Plan nor
title documentation on the land over the entire period commencing 1992 to 1999
when he died.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>After FD’s death in 1999, Appellant
averred in his Statement of Claim that PW1 informed the 1st Respondent
who was the customary successor of FD and co-administrator of his estate, to
give the Appellant title to the land. The 1st Respondent gave
excuses for not preparing the title documents which excuses included lack of
finances and the non-application of letters of administration. Eventually when
the 1st and 3rd to 5th Respondents took the
letters of administration, they refused to transfer title in the claimed
property to Appellant. This is what sparked this dispute and Appellant’s claims
for:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;