ELIZABETH SARPONG AND PRINCE PERBY vs. MOSES BORTIER , JOHN BORKWEI AND SHASHA BORLABIE [2019]DLHC8780

ELIZABETH SARPONG AND PRINCE PERBY vs. MOSES BORTIER , JOHN BORKWEI AND SHASHA... [2019]DLHC8780

Date	2019-02-06
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FAL/321/15
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC8780

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ANTHONY OPPONG

MR. JUSTIN AMENUVOR ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFFS

MR. VINCENT GARR ESQ. FOR DEFENDANTS

[2019]DLHC8780
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ELIZABETH
SARPONG (PLAINTIFFS) AND PRINCE PERBY<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MOSES BORTIER (DEFENDANTS), JOHN
BORKWEI AND SHASHA BORLABIE<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT NO. FAL/321/15 &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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE:
6TH FEBRUARY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
JUSTIN AMENUVOR ESQ., FOR PLAINTIFFS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
VINCENT GARR ESQ., FOR DEFENDANTS<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ANTHONY OPPONG&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;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><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>According to the Statement of Claim filed together with the
Writ of Summons on 5th February 2015, Plaintiffs acquired two plots
of land, the size of which was stated as 0.36 acre from Tete Pa Ogya Agona
family of Adamorobe sometime in 2007 and went into immediate possession by
clearing the said land and also putting up a five-bedroom foundation as well as
a single room with water tank on the land.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiffs averred that they plotted their interest in
the land at the Lands Commission and have remained in undisturbed possession
from that time until Defendants trespassed on the land in 2014. The trespass
took the form of demolishing Plaintiffs’ five-bedroom foundation but left one
room structure and other building structures on the land untouched amid
protests which culminated in a complaint to the police.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Finding themselves in this circumstance, Plaintiffs were constrained
to cause the Writ of Summons to issue wherein by way of reliefs Plaintiffs sought
declaration of title to the 0.36-acre land; damages for trespass; recovery of
possession; an order for injunction and costs including legal fees.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Defendants denied the material averments of Plaintiffs. 1st
Defendant claimed that his great grandfather, Borquaye Maye Awui who was a
farmer and a hunter was the first to have settled on the land in its virgin
state through conquest and so he ascribed allodial ownership of the land
covering about 55.77 acres at Oyibi in the said great grandfather.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>1st Defendant averred that when the great
grandfather died the land devolved on his children and the children granted
portions of the land to individual developers including 3rd Defendant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Nevertheless, Defendants did aver that Plaintiffs’ grantor,
that is, Tete Pa Ogya family of Adamorobe, headed by Opanyin Edward Kofi
Agyarkwa owned land and that the said family even vindicated their title to
their family land by obtaining judgment in a suit instituted in Koforidua.
However, the said family came to register the land in Accra and in registering the
land over which judgment was obtained, the family took undue advantage and
included other peoples land and that a Court of competent jurisdiction
specifically found that plaintiffs’ grantor extended the boundaries of their
land and thus trespassed on other peoples’ land including Defendants’ land.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Defendants averred further that consequent upon the finding
by the Court, an order directed at the Land Title Registrar to recall Plaintiffs’
grantor’s land Title Certificate No. TD 2406 for the acreage to be amended was
made and even when the Plaintiffs’ grantor failed to submit the certificate for
the amendment, they were hauled before the Court for contempt.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Defendants contended that the land granted to Plaintiffs formed
part of the portion of the land that Plaintiffs’ grantor unilaterally appropriated
and that Plaintiffs land do not belong to their grantors.<o:p></o:p>