MICHELETTI & CO vs. DANIEL OFORI [2017]DLCA5548

Date	2017-07-20
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL N0. H1/154/2015
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA5548

SAMUEL MARFUL-SAU J.A. (PRESIDING)

A.DORDZIE J.A

G. S. SUURBAAREH JA

KWAME AMINANO TANDOH DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

NICOLE-MARIE POKU FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2017]DLCA5548
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MICHELETTI &amp; CO<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT / APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>DANIEL OFORI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF / RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION), ACCRA]<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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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APPEAL N0. H1/154/2015&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
20th JULY 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KWAME AMINANO
TANDOH DEFENDANT/APPELLANT <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" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">NICOLE-MARIE
POKU FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>SAMUEL MARFUL-SAU J.A. (PRESIDING), A.DORDZIE J.A,
G. S. SUURBAAREH JA<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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</div>DORDZIE, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>The action
leading to this appeal was commenced in the High Court (Commercial Division)
Accra by Daniel Ofori the respondent herein. By the averments in his statement
of claim, he owns a piece of land at Shiashi, a suburb of Accra which he
intended to develop into a three storey building.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The appellant, Micheletti &amp; Co is a civil
engineering and building company, he therefore approached the said company and
one Ernesto Taricone for their services. The appellant and Taricone advised him
to construct a nine storey instead of three because a nine storey would be more
profitable. He expressed his inability to accept their advice because he did
not have adequate resources for a nine storey building. The appellant and
Taricone then proposed to partner with him to build the nine storey facility; which
proposal he accepted.<o:p></o:p>As a commitment to the proposed joint project, he, in
September 2008advanced a sum of USD265,000.00 to the appellant subject to
agreement on the specific details of the contract; but before a formal contract
could be signed Taricone pulled out of the partnership.<o:p></o:p>Subsequently the appellant presented a draft
contract which he approved, and they were ready to execute same in about March
2011; however in April 2011 the appellant wrote to him raising the contract
price in the proposed agreement fromUSD4,490,000.00 to USD5, 060,848.84. <o:p></o:p>The parties failed to agree on the change in the
contract price therefore the agreement was never executed and the project was
abandoned.<o:p></o:p>The respondent further averred that he demanded a refund
of the initial deposit of USD265, 000.00 he made. The appellant then sent him a
bill of USD496,000.00 claiming he spent the said amount on the project and
demanded payment from the respondent. It is the respondent’s contention that
though the parties agreed in principle to execute the project, they had not
executed any formal contract, their discussions were subject to the execution
of a formal contract.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In the
action in the High Court therefore, the respondent was claiming a refund of the
USD265, 000 he paid to the appellant plus interest from 3rd October
2011 till the day of final payment. <o:p></o:p>The appellant herein who was the defendant in the
High Court entered appearance but failed to file a statement of defence within
the statutory period. On 5th December 2012 the court below gave
judgment in default of defence in favour of the respondent on his claims as
endorsed on the writ of summons.<o:p></o:p>On the 24th of December the appellant
filed a motion to set aside the default judgment. The court below heard the
application on the 5th of February 2013 and gave a ruling the same
day dismissing the application.<o:p></o:p>On the 11th of February 2013 the
appellant applied to the court below for a review of its ruling dated 5th
February 2013.<o:p></o:p>The review application was heard on the 8th
of April 2013 and by a ruling on the same day the application was dismissed. By
the record, the appellant filed a notice of appeal on the 10th of
April <o:p></o:p>