MARGARET AGOE OWUSU vs. IBIS STYLES HOTELS AND MR. KHALID SILBOUHALI [2020]DLCA8857

Date	2020-03-11
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/98/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA8857

LOVELACE-JOHNSON JSC. (PRESIDING)

TORKORNOO JSC.

SOWAH J.A

MR. OPOKU BOATENG FOR PLAINTIFF/DEFENDANT

MR. KWAME A. TANOR FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

[2020]DLCA8857
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MARGARET AGOE OWUSU<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>IBIS STYLES HOTELS AND MR. KHALID
SILBOUHALI<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/98/2019&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: 11TH MARCH, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
OPOKU BOATENG FOR PLAINTIFF/DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR. KWAME A. TANOR FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>LOVELACE-JOHNSON JSC. (PRESIDING), TORKORNOO
JSC., SOWAH J.A<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
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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>SOWAH, J.A.:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Introduction<o:p></o:p>This
appeal is by the defendants/appellants against the judgment of the trial High
Court (Commercial Division) dated 5th July 2018 which upheld all the
claims of the plaintiff/respondent. <o:p></o:p>In this
judgment the descriptions of the parties at the trial court will be maintained.
<o:p></o:p>Background Facts<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff
is a lawyer and was engaged by the 1st defendant company acting
through the 2nd defendant [who is said to be the General Manager] to
perform legal services for the company. A Legal Services Retainer Agreement exhibit
‘F’ [hereinafter called ‘the Agreement’] was executed to commence on 1st
November 2016. In the agreement, a monthly fee of GHc2, 000.00 was to be paid
upon an invoice issued and paid quarterly in advance. Pursuant to this
agreement, the plaintiff started providing services and issued the invoice for
the first quarter i.e. 1st November 2016 – 31st January
2017 [exhibit ‘G’] which went unpaid. On 3rd January 2017, the plaintiff
notified the defendants of her intention to terminate the agreement if payment
was not made within one week. [See exhibit ‘K’ at page 109 of the ROA]<o:p></o:p>The
second quarters invoice was issued on 23rd January 2017 for the
period 1st February 2017 – 30th April 2017 [exhibit ‘M’].
When payment was not made for either invoice, Plaintiff issued a writ on 14th
March 2017 claiming as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:
justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration
that the agreement executed between the parties effective November, 1, 2016 is
valid and binding on the 1st defendant and its owners.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:
justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;