OPANIN WILLIAM ANU QUAYE & 1 OR. vs MRS. MERCY GAISIE & ANOTHER [2019]DLCA6367

Date	2019-04-30
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/21/19
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA6367

JUSTICE IRENE C. LARBI (MRS) J.A. (PRESIDING)

JUSTICE LAWRENCE L. MENSAH J.A.

JUSTICE ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J.A

RAY APPIAH-AMPONSAH FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS

A. K. GAISIE FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS

[2019]DLCA6367
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OPANIN WILLIAM ANU QUAYE &amp; 1 OR.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>MRS. MERCY GAISIE &amp; ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, CAPE COAST]<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. H1/21/19&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 30TH APRIL,
2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>RAY APPIAH-AMPONSAH FOR
PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS<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;margin-left:.25in;margin-right:0in">

<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4;tab-stops:107.0pt;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">A.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
K. GAISIE FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>JUSTICE
IRENE C. LARBI (MRS) J.A. (PRESIDING), JUSTICE LAWRENCE L. MENSAH J.A., JUSTICE
ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J.A.<o:p></o: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 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>LAWRENCE L. MENSAH, J.A.<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiffs/Appellants who will be referred to as Plaintiffs are members of the
immediate family of the wider Efrisem Anona Kusibentsir family of Apam.&nbsp; The Defendants/Respondents who will be
referred as Defendants are the children of Alphonso Owiah Kwakye Bondzie
(deceased) who hailed from Apam in the Central Region of Ghana and a member of
the Plaintiffs’ immediate family and a grandfather of the Plaintiffs.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Before his death in 1970 the said
Alphonso Owiah Kwakye Bondzie the deceased put up two houses.&nbsp; The first house is situate at Apam called
“Panpashie”. This house became a family house.&nbsp;
The second house Number MB 35/2, Agona Swedru christened “Cannan Lodge” is the
subject-matter of this appeal.&nbsp; The
deceased also had cocoa farms at Makrong and Nkutunase.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Upon the death of Alphonso Owiah
Bondzie in 1970 intestate, the immediate family, now fronted by the two Plaintiffs
in this appeal, took over the ownership, possession and control over the said
properties. The disputed house was a large tenement rented to several tenants
who paid the rents to the Plaintiffs and the immediate family.&nbsp; Upon the death of the said Alphonso Owiah
Bondzie, he was customarily succeeded to by Clement Kobina Ahinsah Bondzie and
he was also the head of the immediate family of the Efisan Anona Kusubentsir
family.&nbsp; After his death in 1985, he was
succeeded by one Lawyer SOB Quaye.&nbsp; The
reality is that the Plaintiffs continue to exercise ownership, possession and
control over the disputed Cannan
Lodge aforesaid to the total exclusion of anybody since the death of Alphonso
Owiah Bondzie in 1970.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In an undated letter to the
tenant-caretaker of the Cannan Lodge, followed by two other letters dated the
13th of November 2012, and 12th December 2012, to the
instant Plaintiffs’ lawyer, the learned counsel for the Defendants wrote that
the children of Alphonso Owiah Bondzie had taken over control of the Cannan
Lodge rented premises.&nbsp; The Defendants’
counsel ordered the tenants to attorn tenant to the Defendants and their
siblings “starting from the end of November, 2012”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; According to the Defendants’ counsel
the reason for helping the Defendants and their siblings to take over the
disputed property is that he had in his “possession a copy of the WILL of the
late Alphonso Owia Kyakye Bondzie dated 30th June 1965”, and he
appointed executors for the said will.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After the instant counsel for the parties
could not find a way of resolving the hassle through exchange of letters between
the two lawyers over the disputed house and will, the Plaintiffs instituted
action at the Circuit Court below with the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>