EQUITY ASSURANCE vs. PALMERS GREEN INTERNATIONAL LTD. [2018]DLCA4716

Date	2018-10-25
Suit No.	SUIT NO.H1/190/2018
Citation No.	[2018]DLCA4716

KUSI-APPIAH J.A

HONYENUGA J.A

ADJEI J.A

KWASI BLAY WITH HIM KWAKU ADU MINTAH ESQ

EMMANUEL KUMI ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT

PAUL OPOKU ESQ. WITH HIM DANIEL OSEI ESQ. FOR DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT

[2018]DLCA4716
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EQUITY ASSURANCE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>PALMERS GREEN INTERNATIONAL LTD.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT NO.H1/190/2018&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;&nbsp;DATE: 25TH OCTOBER, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>KWASI BLAY WITH HIM KWAKU
ADU MINTAH ESQ. AND EMMANUEL KUMI ESQ.&nbsp;
FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT<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">

PAUL
OPOKU ESQ. WITH HIM DANIEL OSEI ESQ. FOR DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<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">

KUSI-APPIAH J.A, HONYENUGA J.A , ADJEI J.A<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:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ADJEI, J.A.<o:p></o:p>This Defendant/Appellant
dissatisfied with the judgment of the High Court, Accra delivered on 24th
March, 2016 filed an appeal against same to this Court on 17th May,
2016.For the purposes of this appeal, the Defendant/Appellant shall be referred
to as Defendant and the Plaintiff/Respondent as Plaintiff.<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff sued the Defendant
to recover&nbsp;&nbsp; the sum of USD 64,309.68 and
7,508.56 Euro being premium due on&nbsp; six
different insurance policies&nbsp;
underwritten&nbsp; by the Plaintiff for
the Defendant which the Defendant&nbsp; has
refused to pay despite&nbsp; repeated demands.
The trial High Court Judge in her judgment delivered on 24th March, 2016
entered judgment for the Plaintiff on the endorsement on the writ. The basis
for the&nbsp; Plaintiff’s claim was that by
the&nbsp; practice between it and the&nbsp; Defendant, it automatically renewed the
insurance policies for its private comprehensive Motor Policy and the Defendant
&nbsp;was required to honour its part by
paying&nbsp; for the policies&nbsp; renewed for its benefit. The Defendant’s position
is that insurance policy &nbsp;has its
own&nbsp; practice and regulation&nbsp; and where an insurance policy expires
and&nbsp; renewed, the cost of&nbsp; the policy shall be paid within ninety days
from the date of&nbsp; renewal else it shall
lapse. <o:p></o:p>The trial High Court Judge
believed the version of the Plaintiff on the balance of preponderance of
probabilities and entered judgment&nbsp; &nbsp;for the Plaintiff.<o:p></o:p>The following were the
grounds of appeal filed by the Defendant against the judgment:<o:p></o:p>“a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The whole judgment is against the weight
of&nbsp; evidence.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The judge erred&nbsp; when she&nbsp;
concluded and&nbsp; indeed same
informed&nbsp; her decision, that the Defendant
did not deny paragraph 4 of the Statement of Claim in his Defence when
indeed&nbsp; and in fat paragraph 1 of the
Defence has expressly&nbsp; stated that unless
admitted, any fact contained in the Statement of Defence is denied seriatim.<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The court erred when it concluded that
the Appellants’ request&nbsp; for a bid bond
is conclusive of the fact that the parties transacted&nbsp; business beyond 2011 and hence the Appellant
is liable to the claim of the Respondent.<o:p></o:p>d.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Judge erred when she held that the
Appellant is liable to the claim of UDS$ 64,309.68 and for&nbsp; 7,508.56 when same was never proven&nbsp; by the Respondent.<o:p></o:p>e.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The learned Judge erred when she&nbsp; held that goodwill amongst&nbsp; the parties varied the&nbsp; express&nbsp;
terms in </main>