MARY TWUMASIWAA vs. ASAMOAH BOA AMPONSEM [2018]DLCA6189

Date	2018-12-21
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/19/2013
Citation No.	[2018]DLCA6189

MARIAMA OWUSU J.A (PRESIDING)

HENRY A. KWOFIE J.A

AMMA GAISIE J.A

MOSES KOFI OBAH FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

WILLIAM ORLEANS ODURO FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.

[2018]DLCA6189
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MARY TWUMASIWAA<o:p></o:p>[PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT]<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ASAMOAH BOA AMPONSEM<o:p></o:p>[DEFENDANT/APPELLANT]<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<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">

SUIT NO. H1/19/2013&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: 21ST
DEC. 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MOSES
KOFI OBAH FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<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">

WILLIAM
ORLEANS ODURO FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MARIAMA
OWUSU J.A (PRESIDING), HENRY A. KWOFIE J.A, AMMA GAISIE J.A<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="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGM E N T<o:p></o:p>

</div>HENRY
KWOFIE J.A:<o:p></o:p>The
present appeal has been launched by the defendant/appellant against the
judgment of the High Court, Sunyani delivered on 5th March 2012.<o:p></o:p>The
trial High Court in that judgment entered judgment in favour of the plaintiff
and dismissed the defendant’s counterclaim.&nbsp;
Dissatisfied with the said judgment, the defendant/appellant
(hereinafter referred to as the defendant) launched the instant appeal on
09/03/2012 on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The decision/judgment delivered by the
Court was against the weight of evidence adduced in Court by the parties;<o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The petitioner’s action is/was caught
by laches, acquiescence, and the Limitation Decree&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The petitioner/respondent was estopped
in law from initiating the present action<o:p></o:p>d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The petitioner having divorced the
respondent long ago cannot in law institute this action <o:p></o:p>e)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Additional grounds of appeal shall be
filed on receipt of the record of proceedings.<o:p></o:p>It
is noted for the record that no additional grounds of appeal were filed.&nbsp; The reliefs sought from the Court of Appeal
is an order or reverse set aside the judgment of the honourable Court dated
05/03/2012 and all the consequential orders thereof.&nbsp; The notice of appeal is at pages 183 to 184
of the record of appeal whilst the judgment appealed from is at pages 171 to
182 of the record of appeal.&nbsp; Before
dealing with the arguments advanced in support and against this appeal, I will
give a brief background of the case.<o:p></o:p>By
a writ of Summons filed on 02/08/2010, the plaintiff/respondent claimed against
the defendant the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that all that building
plot at La-Bawaleshi, East Legon, Accra measuring 0.32 acres and plot No. 65
Block A Sector 21, Airport Residential Area, Sunyani and the building thereon
are the joint properties of the plaintiff and the defendant who were a married
couple until about 10 years ago when the said marriage was dissolved <o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that the plaintiff is
entitled to one-half (1/2) share of the two (2) properties described in
(a)supra or in the alternative, an order that one each of the two (2) properties
be settled on the plaintiff and the defendant respectively <o:p></o:p>c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order of perpetual injunction
restraining the defendant, his agents, workmen, relations, assigns or anybody
claiming through them from interfering with the plaintiff’s share of the said
properties. <o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff Mary Twumasiwaa also known as Mary Boa-Amponsem and the defendant
were married under customary law in or about 1980 in Sunyani.&nbsp; The marriage was then subsequently celebrated
under the Marriage Ordinance (Cap 127) on March 17, 1980.&nbsp; The couple then moved to England and lived
there together as man and wife until the marriage was dissolved at the
Wandsworth County Court in the London Borough of Lambeth sometime in 1999.&nbsp; It was the case of the plaintiff that during
the pendency of the marriage she and the appellant jointly acquired two
immovable properties one in Sunyani and the other in Accra.&nbsp; The plaintiff contends that she made
financial contributions towards the acquisition of the two (2) properties and
is therefore asking for her share of those properties.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On
the other hand, the defendant denied the plaintiff’s claim and contended that
it was agreed during the pendency of the marriage that each party should
acquire his/her property se</main>