GLORIA KABUTEY QUARSHIE & 2 ORS vs. SAMUEL KANOR KABUTEY [2017]DLHC16536

Date	2017-11-16
Suit No.	SUIT NO. BFA/7/2012
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC16536

HIS LORDSHIP K. A. GYIMAH

GEORGE AGBEKO FOR PLAINTIFFS

ROSENBORG OWUSU ADOKOH WITH ADWOA OTI-DUAH AND FRANKLIN NANA ADDAI FOR DEFENDANT

[2017]DLHC16536
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GLORIA KABUTEY QUARSHIE &amp;
2 ORS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SAMUEL KANOR KABUTEY <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO. BFA/7/2012&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:
16TH&nbsp;NOVEMBER 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>GEORGE
AGBEKO FOR PLAINTIFFS<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Introduction<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">&nbsp;<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">This is a matter in which one of the properties (House
No. F466/2, Osudoku, Osu, Accra) comprised in the last Will and Testament of
Samuel Kabu Kabutey (deceased) dated 24th May 2001 is in issue.&nbsp; Probate of the Will was granted to the
defendant and Joseph Tettey Kabutey on 15th May 2010. It is
important to state at this point that none of the parties is challenging the
validity of the said will. The main issue however is the scope and extent of
clause 4 of the said Will. <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">&nbsp;<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Whilst the plaintiffs contend that the said clause
gave the property in dispute to the children of the late Samuel Kabu Kabutey by
Mrs. Deborah Hedwig Quist Kabutey absolutely as tenants in common, the
defendant asserts that the said clause excluded a portion of the said property
which had been gifted to him by his late father from the said devise.&nbsp; The 1st plaintiff also asserts
that by the express permission and consent of her late father, she constructed
the top floor of the main building on the property in dispute with help from
the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs with the understanding that
she and the other plaintiffs would be the beneficial owners of the said top
floor to the exclusion of the other siblings.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">&nbsp;<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Plaintiffs’
Case <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">&nbsp;<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">It is the plaintiffs’ case that they are beneficiaries
of the estate of the late Samuel Kabu Kabutey but the defendant has virtually
taken over the property in dispute, has been harassing the plaintiffs and their
privies from enjoying the property, is organizing church activities on the
property without the consent of the plaintiffs, has packed his church’s musical
instruments in some of the rooms belonging to the plaintiffs, has forcibly
ejected the plaintiffs’ caretaker who was subsequently reinstated by the
District Magistrate Court, Osu, has broken the doors of the plaintiffs’ rooms
that were being occupied by the wives of the 2nd and 3rd
plaintiffs and thrown their belongings out. <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">&nbsp;<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">It is the plaintiffs’ case that their late father
allowed the 1st plaintiff with the assistance of the 2nd
and 3rd plaintiffs, to build two apartments on the top floor of the
building for their beneficial enjoyment and those apartments therefore do not
form part of the estate of the deceased. The plaintiffs’ also allege that the
plaintiff is an intermeddler who has also illegally withdrawn monies from their
deceased’s father’s account with Ghana Commercial Bank to the detriment of the
other beneficiaries. It is the plaintiffs’ further case that the defendant has
sold most of the cattle comprised in the livestock farm their father had at
Somanya in total disregard for the wishes of their father who bequeathed the
said farm to the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs.&nbsp; The plaintiffs, by an amended writ of summons
filed on 9th April 2014, claim the following reliefs against the
defendant:<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">&nbsp;</sp</main>