WILLIAM OPPONG vs. STANLEY OGOE [2020]DLCA10074

Date	2020-12-03
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/17/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA10074

ADJEI J.A. (PRESIDING)

BAFFOUR J.A.

ARYENE (MRS.) J.

DAVID BONDORIN FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

EYRAM ASEM FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2020]DLCA10074
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >WILLIAM OPPONG<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>STANLEY
OGOE<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, 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:<o:p></o:p>DAVID
BONDORIN FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<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;">

EYRAM
ASEM FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p>ADJEI
J.A. (PRESIDING), BAFFOUR J.A., ARYENE (MRS.) J.<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="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
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;ARYENE,
JA<o:p></o:p>Plaintiff
(hereinafter referred to as Respondent) acquired a piece and parcel of land
situate at Ashiaman, from one Kuwornu and developed a two-bedroom uncompleted
house on it. Sometime in 2005, he sold the property to Defendant (hereinafter
referred to as the Appellant) for the sum of Ghȼ18,000.
Appellant made part payment of Ghȼ5,000,
leaving a balance of Ghȼ13,000
to be paid upon transfer of title into his name.<o:p></o:p>Per
the terms of the agreement, Appellant was given right of entry to the property
pending transfer of title into his name. He took possession and expended an
amount of Ghȼ9,000 renovating the
property and rented same out to for three years. Respondent however failed to
transfer title into Appellants name and after persistent demands by the Respondent
for the outstanding balance, Appellant informed Respondent that he was no longer
interested in the property and demanded refund, whereupon the parties agreed to
put the property up for sale. Subsequently, Appellant wrote a final demand
letter to Respondent demanding payment of the sum of Ghȼ40,000 being expenses incurred on the property
including refund of the initial deposit of Ghȼ5,000.<o:p></o:p>Meanwhile
the house remained unsold two years after same was put up for sale. Respondent
decided to refund the money expended on the property plus the initial deposit
to Appellant, but the latter refused to take it, and instead laid claim to the
property. The battle was thus pitched between the parties leading to Respondent
taking out a writ of summons against Appellant for the reliefs endorsed thereon
including an order to allow Respondent to refund the monies due to Appellant.<o:p></o:p>At
the end of a full trial, the trial judge dismissed as unmeritorious Appellant’s
counterclaim for declaration of title to the disputed property, recovery of possession
and the alternative relief of an order for specific performance. The trial court
entered judgment in favour of Respondent for all the reliefs endorsed on the
writ of summons, and ordered Respondent to pay Appellant the sum of Ghȼ40,000 and also awarded Ghȼ5,000 as costs against the Appellant.<o:p></o:p>Aggrieved
by the judgment delivered on 29th January 2018, Appellant is in this
court praying for an order directed at the Respondent to pay interest on the
sum of forty thousand Ghana cedis (Ghȼ40,000.00),
from April 2012 till date of final payment and for costs awarded to be set
aside. <o:p></o:p>Grounds
of appeal filed with leave of court on 5th of March 2019, are:<o:p></o:p>