ANGELA NEEQUAYE (MRS) vs. UNIVERSAL MOTORS LIMITED. [2019]DLHC10551

Date	2019-07-26
Suit No.	SUIT NO: GJ/159/2015
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC10551

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO

MR. S.K. AMOAH WITH MAAME AMA PAYIN AMOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF -PRESENT

MR. IGNATIUS KUTU ACHEAMPONG FOR THE DEFENDANT-PRESENT

[2019]DLHC10551
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ANGELA NEEQUAYE (MRS)<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>UNIVERSAL MOTORS LIMITED.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MR. S.K. AMOAH WITH MAAME AMA PAYIN
AMOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF -PRESENT<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">MR.
IGNATIUS KUTU ACHEAMPONG FOR THE DEFENDANT-PRESENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T.
ACKAAH-BOAFO<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduction/Overview<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">:<o:p></o:p>[1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Plaintiff, Mrs. Angela Neequaye, purchased a brand new VW
Touareg vehicle from the Defendant Company in 2011 at the price of $68,000.00.
According to Mrs. Neequaye the vehicle was in a very good condition since it
was regularly maintained at the Defendant’s shop. It is the case of the
Plaintiff that on or about 10th June 2015, her husband, Robinson Oko Neequaye
on her instruction took the vehicle to the Defendant’s workshop in Accra for
its regular servicing and a check on a rattling noise in the exhaust. The
Plaintiff contends that when the husband went back to collect the vehicle he
was informed that the vehicle could not be started and as a result the engine
had to be dropped. The Plaintiff contends that the Defendant made a demand of Twenty
Three Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty One Ghana Cedis (GH₵23,321) and Twelve
Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH₵12,000) was paid for the purchase of parts to
fix the engine. According to the Plaintiff the said amount of GH₵12,000 was reluctantly
paid to the Defendant but the problem could not be fixed but rather a further
demand of GH₵38,657.55 for further repairs was made by the Defendant. In this
suit the Plaintiff says the Defendant was negligent in the manner it handled
the vehicle. Mrs. Neequaye is claiming damages for negligence and recovery of
the replacement value of the vehicle and for loss of use.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Universal Motors Limited takes the position that it was not
negligent. According to the Defendant the problem for which the Plaintiff
brought her vehicle to the workshop was rather rattling noise in the engine
which was giving difficulties to the Plaintiff in starting the vehicle every
morning and not rattling noise in the exhaust. The Defendant takes the position
that as per the job card signed by Mr. Oko Neequaye, the Plaintiff agreed to
the nature of the repair the Defendant was asked to undertake and same was
expressly stated as “check and rectify rattling noise in the engine when
starting in the morning”. According to the Defendant it informed the Plaintiff
that to be able to check what the problem with the engine was, they had to pull
down the engine to assess the problem and estimate the cost of fixing same. To
the Defendant therefore it sought the Plaintiff’s consent to pull the engine
down and she agreed but the Plaintiff failed to make full payment for fixing
the engine but is rather blaming the Defendant for negligently making the
engine inoperable. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Defendant Company counterclaimed for the amount of GH₵11,321.83