[2019]DLCA8676 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">BELINDA NELSON<o:p></o:p></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">GRACE BAFFOUR AWUAH (SUING PER ROBERT AWUAH)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">CIVIL APPEAL:NO:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>H1/66/2019<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">DATE: 25</span><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">TH</span></sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">JULY, 2019</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">KUSI-APPIAH J.A. – PRESIDING, KWOFIE J.A., GAISIE (MRS.) J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:normal; mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">JUDGMENT</span></b><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">KUSI-APPIAH, (J.A.):<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The respondent to this appeal, Grace Baffour Awuah (hereinafter called the plaintiff) brought an action at the High Court, (Land Division), Accra against two defendants including the 2<sup>nd</sup> defendant/appellant herein, Belinda Nelson (hereinafter called the defendant) for declaration of title to pieces or parcels of land lying and being at Nmai Dzorm in the Greater Accra Region covering on approximate area of 0.261 acres.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The action was discontinued against the 1<sup>st</sup> defendant, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Cordelia Arthur, </b>leaving the 2<sup>nd</sup> defendant/appellant alone as the defendant in the action.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">In her statement of claim, the plaintiff pleaded that she was bringing <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>the action per <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Her lawful Attorney, Robert Baffour Awuah </b>who is her husband and a retired public servant of Ghana Telecom Limited, now Vodafone Ghana Limited.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Apart from the declaration, she also sought recovery of possession of the said pieces of land, general damages for trespass and cost including solicitor’s fees and an order for perpetual injunction against the defendant and her privies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The case of the plaintiff as gathered from her pleadings and evidence at the trial was that she bought two separate parcels of land from the Numo Sowah Djin Okpelor family of Nmai Dzorn, Teshie-Nungua and the said family was represented by Nii Okpelor Jacob Ablorh Mensah in the said transaction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">It is also the case of the plaintiff that after she was issued with indentures, she presented same for registration at the Land Title Registry.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She claims she was then given certificates with numbers TD 12337 and TD 10089.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">According to the plaintiff, she has been in undisturbed possession of the land and started building thereon until the defendant trespassed onto the land with thugs and landguards who violently tried to take possession under the pretext that the land belonged to one Yakubu Abdullah, who in turn has sold same to the defendant herein with the assistance of the Okpelor Sowah Djin family of Nmai Dzorn.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She further pleaded that all attempts to have the trespassers vacate the land proved futile, hence the present action.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">For her part, the defendant resisted the claim of the plaintiff, she vehemently den