ROBERT OFORI APPIAH vs. THERESA ARKO [2017]DLCA5097

Date	2017-03-27
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/38/16
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA5097

HONYENUGA J.A. (PRESIDING)

GYAN J.A.

DAPAAH J.

DR. KWAKU NSIAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MR. RICHARD TWUMASI ANKRAH FOR DEFENDANT/ RESPONDENT

[2017]DLCA5097
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ROBERT OFORI APPIAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THERESA ARKO<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/ RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, CAPE
COAST]<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">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO.&nbsp; H1/38/16&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;27TH MARCH, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DR. KWAKU NSIAH FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT<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">

MR.
RICHARD TWUMASI ANKRAH FOR DEFENDANT/ RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HONYENUGA J.A. (PRESIDING), GYAN J.A., DAPAAH J.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:
115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>HONYENUGA, J.A.<o:p></o:p>This is an
appeal by the plaintiff/appellant (hereinafter referred to as the plaintiff)
against the judgment of the High Court, Cape Coast, dated the 31st day
of July, 2015.&nbsp; The said court entered
judgment in favour of the defendant/respondent (hereinafter called the
defendant) on her reliefs claimed.&nbsp; Costs
of GH¢10,000.00 was awarded against the plaintiff.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The facts of
this appeal were that the plaintiff claimed to have acquired a total of
twenty-four (24) plots of land from Nai Odupon Awushie the head of Anona family
and the chief of Odupong Ofankor in July 2001 for a period of ninety-nine (99)
years.&nbsp; He registered the land in 2006
and assigned eighteen (18) plots to others leaving six (6) plots that are in
dispute.&nbsp; He discovered acts of trespass
in 2006 and in 2007 and so he undertook a search which revealed that the
trespasser which later turned out to be the defendant did not acquire the land
in dispute and despite all warnings to her, she persisted.&nbsp; Unable to contain the defendant’s claim to
the land in dispute, he caused a writ of summons to be issued out against the
defendant claiming the following reliefs:-<o:p></o:p>“1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Declaration
of title to six (6) plots of land lying and situate at Odupong Ofankor, near State
Housing Kasoa and known as plot numbers 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39 respectively.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Recovery
of possession of the said land.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damages
for trespass.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Perpetual
injunction.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cost”.<o:p></o:p>The writ of
summons was accompanied by a fifteen (15) paragraph statement of claim.&nbsp; The defendant entered appearance and caused a
statement of defence and a counterclaim which was later amended.&nbsp; The plaintiff then filed a Reply to the
amended statement of defence and defence to counter-claim.&nbsp; An application for directions were taken and
the following issues were agreed and set down for hearing of the case:-<o:p></o:p>“(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whether
the plaintiff acquired the land in dispute from the Nai Odupong Awushi, Head of
the Anona family and Chief of Odupong Ofankor-Kasoa.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whether
the said land was duly registered at the Lands Commission – Cape Coast.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whether
the said registration is fraudulent.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Any
other issue or issues as the court may deem fit to raise”.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff testified but called no witness.&nbsp;
The defendant also testified and called three witnesses, DW1, DW2 and
DW3.&nbsp; After hearing the parties and their
witnesses, the learned trial judge on the 31st July 2015, delivered
his judgment and dismissed the plaintiff’s claim.&nbsp; He entered judgment for the defendant on her
counterclaim.&nbsp; Aggrieved by the judgment
of the trial court, the plaintiff filed the instant appeal based on the
following grounds:-<o:p></o:p>“(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
judge erred in law when he misapplied the principle in the case of Amuzu vrs Oklikah [1998-99] SCGLR 141
to the appellant’s case.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
judge erred in law when he held that the defendant/respondent had proved her
counterclaim when there was no evidence to the effect.<o:p></o:p>