[2019]DLCA8698 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><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">ALHAJI IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR ALHERI AND P. D. PAG ENTERPRISE LIMITED<o:p></o:p></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;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;line-height:115%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(2<sup>ND</sup> DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;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">ISSAKA ABDULAI AND UMAR MOHAMMED<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;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;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<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: H1/31/2019<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: 26</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-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">JUNE, 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;line-height: 115%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">DENNIS KUMA KWAKYE FOR 2<sup>ND</sup> DEFENDANT/APPELALNT.<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" 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">JEPHTAH APPAU FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;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">OWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING), DZAMEFE J.A., WELBOURNE J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">MARIAMA OWUSU, J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">On 28<sup>th</sup> March, 2017, the Circuit Court, Kumasi gave judgment for the plaintiff on his reliefs (a), (b) and (c) and dismissed 2<sup>nd</sup> defendants counterclaim on relief (a).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="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 judgment, the trial court held among other things as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">“I hereby declare the plaintiffs have legal and equitable interest in two flats (all rooms and utilities on both the ground and 1<sup>st </sup>floors) in residential Plot No. 4 Block J, Dichemso Extension, Kumasi are exclusively and absolutely per Exhibit ‘A’ to ‘D’.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The reliefs ‘b’ is granted only to the extent that the transaction of the said two flats to 2<sup>nd</sup> defendant were void.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The relief ‘c’ is granted only in respect of two flats plaintiffs are adjudged entitled.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The 2<sup>nd</sup> defendant’s relief ‘a’ fails.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>However, he may be granted portion in the disputed house because there was unchallenged evidence that there is an uncompleted 3<sup>rd</sup> floor as well as an outhouse (boys’ quarters) sitting on the plot in dispute.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So if 2<sup>nd</sup> 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 3<sup>rd</sup> 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 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> defendants contract was made relief ‘a’ and ‘c’ are implied in the above only to the extent of the portion 2<sup>nd</sup> defendant has been declared owner.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Safe this, the 2<sup>nd</sup> defendant counterclaim fails.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Dissatisfied with the decision of the Circuit Court, the 2<sup>nd</sup> defendant appealed to this court on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:49.5pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-31.5pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:49.5pt"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span