[2017]DLHC9180 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;color:#00B0F0">MRS. GYAMPOH& 3 OTHERS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">(PLAINTIFFS/APPLICANTS)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;color:#00B0F0">UNION SAVINGS AND LOAN CO. LTD.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">SUIT NO.:CM/OCC/0742/16 DATE: 29<sup>TH</sup> JUNE, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">THEOPHILUS KPORVIE, ESQ., OF POUZING & ASSOCIATES, ACCRA, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS/ APPLICANTS<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">NANA AKWASI AWUAH, ESQ., OF AB LEXMALL & ASSOCIATES, ACCRA, COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER ABENA DADZIE<o:p></o:p></span></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 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%; border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The Plaintiffs/Applicants (hereinafter, the “Plaintiffs”) bring this application under <b><i>Order 11 Rule 18(1) (a)</i></b> of the <b><i>High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I 47)</i></b> praying for an order to strike out the Statement of Defence and Counterclaim filed on behalf of the Defendant/Respondent (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) for failing to disclose a reasonable defence to the claim of the Plaintiffs and any reasonable cause of action in its counterclaim. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The procedural background to this case in brief is as follows. On November 3, 2016, the Plaintiffs took out a Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim against the Defendant seeking the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -9.0pt;line-height:150%;tab-stops:49.5pt"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">“a. An order to set aside the mortgage of the property.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:36.0pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:49.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">b.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Damages of trespass<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:36.0pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:49.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">c.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Mesne profit of GH¢10,000.00 a month from July 2016 until the date that the property is discharged and possession given back to the Plaintiffs.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:36.0pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:49.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">d.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">General damages<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:36.0pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:49.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">e.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Costs including solicitors fees.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">While the Defendant was yet to file its Statement of Defence, the Plaintiffs filed, on January 7, 2017, a motion on notice praying this Court to grant it an order of interim preservation of the property in issue. Before this motion could be moved, the Defendant by an application filed on notice before this Honorable court on February 2, 2017 sought to set aside the Writ of Summons and the accompanying Statement of Claim. This Court in its ruling delivered on February 8, 2017 dismissed that application with cost and went ahead to hear the motion for interim preservation and granted same by its ruling dated February 21, 2017. The Defendant then filed its Statement of Defence and Counterclaim on the February 24, 2017. It is this process that Plaintiffs seek to strike out by the present application.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">According to counsel for Plaintiffs in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Statement of Claim, Plaintiffs stated that one Mathias Titus Glover who was the owner of the property passed away on February 24, 1996 and that by a will dated January 9, 1990, the late Mathias Titus Glover willed the property to the Plaintiffs. He stated further that in paragraph 12 of the Statement of Claim, the Plaintiffs argued that the late Mathias Gl