ANGELA NEEQUAYE (MRS) vs. UNIVERSAL MOTORS LIMITED. [2019]DLHC6861

Date	2019-07-26
Suit No.	SUIT NO: GJ/159/2015
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC6861

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO

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

MR. IGNATIUS KUTU ACHEAMPONG FOR THE DEFENDANT

[2019]DLHC6861
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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 (GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT
NO: GJ/159/2015&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: 26TH JULY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>MR. S.K. AMOAH WITH MAAME
AMA PAYIN AMOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
IGNATIUS KUTU ACHEAMPONG FOR THE DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
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:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
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><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[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>[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Defendant Company counterclaimed for the amount of GH₵11,321.83 being the balance from the initial estimate</main>