MADAM COMFORT OFORI vs. KWAME APPENTENG [2017]DLSC2092

Date	2017-12-06
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/17/2017
Citation No.	[2017]DLSC2092

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

BENIN JSC

APPAU JSC

PROSPER XORLA NYAHE FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT

KWEKU PAINTSIL FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT

[2017]DLSC2092
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">MADAM COMFORT
OFORI<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 216pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -216pt; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">KWAME APPENTENG<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/17/2017&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:&nbsp;6TH&nbsp;DECEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>PROSPER
XORLA NYAHE FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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KWEKU
PAINTSIL FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING), BAFFOE-BONNIE
JSC, GBADEGBE JSC, BENIN JSC&nbsp;AND APPAU JSC<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</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;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">BENIN, JSC:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">This is an appeal from the decision
of the Court of Appeal, which had reversed a decision of the Circuit Court,
Accra. The parties herein are disputing over a piece and parcel of land situate
at a place in Accra called Bawaleshie. Both parties claim from the same
grantor. &nbsp;Both parties claim to have registered their respective tract of
land. Thus from the pleadings, the issue boiled down to the identity of the
land and whether from their respective site plans contained in their indenture
that they claim to have registered, either party has encroached on the other
party’s land. This was the ultimate issue, which from the brief narration could
have been resolved with a properly drawn up composite plan.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The trial judge took the right step
by appointing a surveyor to draw up a composite plan with the aid of the
documents, especially the site plans presented by the parties. The surveyor who
did the assignment testified as CW1. Indeed his testimony leaves much to be
desired; he made a mess of himself, and we wonder if he is truly a professional
surveyor. In one breath, he said the plaintiff’s land lay some 100 feet away
from the disputed land. In the next moment he said the distance was about 45
feet approximately. Yet in another breath he said the two parties showed the
same piece of land. As if there was not much confusion already, he said the
defendant had also exceeded his land, so only a part of the land in dispute
falls within the defendant’s land.&nbsp; Indeed the defendant’s land overlaps
the disputed area, according to the witness. He was specifically asked by
counsel for the defendant this question:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“You admit that the areas covered
by the site plan for Mr. Appenteng, the defendant which is marked yellow
virtually covers the land in dispute.” And his answer was:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“No, there was an overlap”<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">It is clear the surveyor created
more confusion than he was called upon to resolve. It is no wonder that at the
end he could not tell the court exactly the position of the plaintiff’s land,
as he himself had depicted on the composite plan. The following extract from
his cross examination by counsel for the plaintiff is instructive:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“Q. So given the outcome of what you did and in accordance with
the composite plan, could you confirm to the court where the plaintiff’s land
is located?<o:p></o:p>