ALHAJI IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR ALHERI & ANOTHER vs . ISSAKA ABDULAI & ANOTHER [2019]DLCA6924

Date	2019-06-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/31/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA6924

OWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING)

DZAMEFE J.A.

WELBOURNE J.A.

DENNIS KUMA KWAKYE FOR 2ND DEFENDANT/APPELALNT.

JEPHTAH APPAU FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA6924
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ALHAJI IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR ALHERI &amp; ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs .<o:p></o:p>ISSAKA ABDULAI &amp; ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<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;
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CIVIL
APPEAL NO.:&nbsp;&nbsp; H1/31/2019&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: 26TH
JUNE, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="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;">DENNIS KUMA KWAKYE FOR 2ND
DEFENDANT/APPELALNT.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="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; border: none; padding: 0in;">JEPHTAH APPAU FOR
PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>OWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING), DZAMEFE J.A., WELBOURNE
J.A.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:
115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together;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>MARIAMA
OWUSU, J.A.<o:p></o:p>On
28th March, 2017, the Circuit Court, Kumasi gave judgment for the
plaintiff on his reliefs (a), (b) and (c) and dismissed 2nd
defendants counterclaim on relief (a).<o:p></o:p>In
her judgment, the trial court held among other things as follows:<o:p></o:p>“I hereby declare the plaintiffs have
legal and equitable interest in two flats (all rooms and utilities on both the
ground and 1stfloors) in residential Plot No. 4 Block J, Dichemso
Extension, Kumasi are exclusively and absolutely per Exhibit ‘A’ to ‘D’.<o:p></o:p>The reliefs ‘b’ is granted only to the
extent that the transaction of the said two flats to 2nd defendant
were void.&nbsp; The relief ‘c’ is granted
only in respect of two flats plaintiffs are adjudged entitled.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The 2nd defendant’s relief
‘a’ fails.&nbsp; However, he may be granted
portion in the disputed house because there was unchallenged evidence that
there is an uncompleted 3rd floor as well as an outhouse (boys’
quarters) sitting on the plot in dispute.&nbsp;
So if 2nd defendant is on record to have paid some valuable
consideration for the entire house but it turned out two flats in the house did
not belong to his grantor, but the 3rd floor (uncompleted) and the
outhouse/boys quarters are available and he is desirous of taking possession, I
think it would be in the interest of justice to declare him entitled to the
legal and equitable rights in that portion which his grantor had not alienated
to anyone as at the time 1st and 2nd defendants contract
was made relief ‘a’ and ‘c’ are implied in the above only to the extent of the
portion 2nd defendant has been declared owner.&nbsp; Safe this, the 2nd defendant
counterclaim fails.”<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied
with the decision of the Circuit Court, the 2nd defendant appealed
to this court on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
judgment is against the weight of evidence.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
trial Judge erred when she held that the 1stdefendant had validly
transferred his interest in both the ground and the 1stfloor in plot
No. 4 Block J, Dichemso Extension, Kumasi (the disputed property) to the
plaintiffs.<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;