ALEXANDER KPAKPO ASHONG vs. ACHTECTURAL DESDIGN PARTNERSHIP, MR. BENEZER MARTEI AKITA (MANAGING PARTNER), MR. JULIUS RICHTER (PARTNER), MR. LAYEA AKITA (PARTNER), YAW DUAH OSEI AND KWABENA OSEI [2020]DLHC10736

ALEXANDER KPAKPO ASHONG vs. ACHTECTURAL DESDIGN PARTNERSHIP, MR. BENEZER MARTEI... [2020]DLHC10736

Date	2020-03-05
Suit No.	SUIT NO: GJ 618/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLHC10736

JUSTICE DANIEL MENSAH

ODEI TANCO ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF - PRESENT

G. D. A. LARYEE ESQ. FOR 1ST DEFENDANT – PRESENT

[2020]DLHC10736
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ALEXANDER KPAKPO ASHONG<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ACHTECTURAL DESDIGN PARTNERSHIP, MR. &nbsp;BENEZER MARTEI AKITA (MANAGING PARTNER), MR. &nbsp;JULIUS RICHTER (PARTNER), MR. LAYEA AKITA
(PARTNER), YAW DUAH OSEI AND KWABENA OSEI<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, 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;">

<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">SUIT
NO: GJ 618/2019 &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:
5th MARCH, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>ODEI TANCO ESQ., FOR PLAINTIFF - PRESENT<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;">

G. D. A.&nbsp; LARYEE ESQ., FOR 1ST DEFENDANT –
PRESENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>JUSTICE DANIEL MENSAH<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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;On
the 17/1/2019 the plaintiff Alexander Kpakpo Ashong suing for himself and on
behalf of Estate, siblings and beneficiaries Emmanual &nbsp;N. A. Ashong, Horal Ashong, Gloria Aku Ashong,
Jennifer Kailey Ashong, Constance Adukwei Ashong and others caused a writ to be
issued out of this court against the defendants for certain reliefs in respect
of their (plaintiffs) grandfather’s will made on the 13/10/1974.<o:p></o:p>Thereafter
the plaintiffs on the 22/1/2019 filed a motion on notice invoking the
jurisdiction of the Court to order the 1st defendant and its
partners as lessees of the property they occupy to pay valuable consideration
in view of the 50% reversionary interest held by them by virtue of the will
made by their grandfather Pursuance to he said application the plaintiffs have
submitted a valuation report which has quoted the market value of their 50% reversionary
interest in the property&nbsp; being occupied
by the defendants at GHC1,310.147.00.<o:p></o:p>It
is in response to the said application by the plaintiffs that the 1st
-4th defendants filed a supplementary affidavit on the 24/7/2019
challenging the capacity of the plaintiffs to maintain the action.<o:p></o:p>For
the avoidance of any doubt the sad averment is reproduced here in extenso.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp; That applicants claim is founded on a devise
in the will of their late grandfather and without a vesting accent in their
favour they have no legal capacity to maintain this action.<o:p></o:p>In
his submissions to this Court, counsel for the 1st-4th
defendants submitted that the application is misconceived and ineffective in
law because the applicants (plaintiffs) do not have the requisite capacity or
locus to bring the instant application.&nbsp; &nbsp;This according to him was against the background
that the ap0plicans are basing their claim on a devise on the will of their
deceased grandfather which will has received probate.<o:p></o:p>Counsel
refers to paragraph 13 of the will and relies in the Supreme Court Case of Opanyin
Yaw Kyereh (deceased) Substituted by Yaw Peprah suing as head of Anane K Family
Senangye Asante vrs. Op. Appenteng Civil Appeal J14/17/2008 dated 23/11/2011 to
the effect that in the absence of a vesting assent, a devise cannot sue and be
sued.&nbsp; On that basis counsel submitted
that the applicants are out of Court.<o:p></o:p>In
his reply, counsel for the applicants argued that the plaintiffs had vested
right in the property which cannot be taken away except with the consent of the
owner.<o:p></o:p>In
that regard counsel stated that the said vested right is not contingent upon a
vesting assent.<o:p></o:p>Counsel
referred this Court to Merriam wesbster.com legal dictionary and submitted that
no legislation could take away the said right and invited the Court to reject
the defendants contention.<o:p></o:p>Counsel
further relied on Justice Brobbey’s decision in the case Okyere (deceased) ves.
Appenteng 2011 SCGLR 50 to buttress his argument and invited the Court to
dismiss the preliminary legal point raised by counsel for the defendants.<o:p></o:p>The
main issue for determination in the preliminary legal objection raised by
learned counsel for the 1st – 4th Defendants is whether
the plaintiffs could bring the instant suit or application without a vesting
assent.<o:p></o:p>Before
attempting to answer this question, the unchallenged facts leading to the suit
ought to be stated.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiffs are the grand children and beneficiaries of 50% of certain estate
and will of the late Samuel Kpakpo Ashong (deceased).<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiffs deceased grandfather Samuel Kpakpo Ashong&nbsp; owned a 2 Storey building and adjoining empty
plots of land at Asylum Down Roundabout.<o:p></o:p>On
the 13/10/1974, the deceased devised &nbsp;half of this estate to the plaintiffs vide Paragraphs
1,2 &amp; 13 of his will as well as future interests contingent &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;upon the death of the deceased
widow Regina L. Adadey who died in 2012.<o:p></o:p>The
deceased died in 1974 and on the 22/12/1974 his executors Thomas Allotey (deceased)
and James Allotey Acquaye (deceased) were granted probate </main>