ABENA DONKOR vs. KHAFFUI ESSE [2020]DLCA8575

Date	2020-01-30
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/18/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA8575

OWUSU JSC (PRESIDING)

DZAMEFE J.A.

WELBOURNE J.A.

SOPHIA ARABA OKYERE FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT.

DENNIS BOAMA OKYERE FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT.

[2020]DLCA8575
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ABENA DONKOR<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">vs.<o:p></o:p>KHAFFUI ESSE<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL,
KUMASI]<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">

CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/18/2019&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: 30TH JAN, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>SOPHIA ARABA OKYERE FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT.<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">

DENNIS BOAMA OKYERE
FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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OWUSU JSC (PRESIDING),
DZAMEFE J.A., WELBOURNE J.A.<o:p></o:p>

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

</div>MARIAMA
OWUSU, JSC:<o:p></o:p>On 26/4/2018, the Circuit Court, Bekwai, dismissed
plaintiff’s claim and awarded cost of Gh¢6,000.00 to the defendant against plaintiff.<o:p></o:p>In his judgment, the trial court concluded that:<o:p></o:p>“On
the totality of the evidence before me, I find that the plaintiff lacks
capacity to institute and maintain this action as the land in dispute was the
personal property of the late Kofi Krah.&nbsp;
I also find on the balance of probabilities that the land in dispute has
over time been in the defendant’s possession as beneficial owner.&nbsp; The plaintiff consequently fails on all her
reliefs claimed.”<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied with the decision of the trial court, the
plaintiff appeal to the Court of Appeal on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:18.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The judgment of the
honourable trial court is against the weight of evidence on record.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:18.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The honourable trial court
erred when it placed the burden of proof of the defendant/respondent’s
purported purchase of the subject land on the plaintiff/appellant contrary to
clear mandatory statutory provision.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:18.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The honourable trial court
erred when it held that the building of permanent structures on the land by a
licensee amounts to ownership of same.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:18.0pt;margin-left:54.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
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