LESLIE NARTEY MARBELL AND DUDLEY NARTEY MARBELL vs. SALAMATU MARBELL [2020]DLSC9896

Date	2020-10-28
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/15/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLSC9896

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

APPAU JSC

PWAMANG JSC

DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC

KOTEY JSC

C. AMON-KOTEI FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS

ALI GOMDAH ABDUL-SAMAD FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT

[2020]DLSC9896
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk35510717"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#00B0F0;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">LESLIE
NARTEY MARBELL AND DUDLEY NARTEY MARBELL<o:p></o:p></a>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SALAMATU MARBELL&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[SUPREME 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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/15/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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: 28TH OCTOBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>C. AMON-KOTEI FOR THE
PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS.<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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

ALI GOMDAH ABDUL-SAMAD FOR THE
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>DOTSE, JSC (PRESIDING), APPAU, JSC,
PWAMANG, JSC, DORDZIE (MRS.), JSC, KOTEY, JSC<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:
150%;tab-stops:147.0pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC:-<o:p></o:p>Facts: The appellant Mrs. Salamatu Marbell is the widow
of Victor Adolphus Tsate Marbell. The couple were the joint owners of House Number
29 Mensah Wood Street East Legon. In 1982, the couple migrated to England where
they both acquired citizenship. They never came back to Ghana until Mr. Marbell
died intestate on 7th February 2009. The appellant per an attorney
applied and obtained Letters of Administration to administer the estate of her
late husband here in Ghana. Her position is that the late husband made a deathbed
gift of his interest in N0. 29 Mensah Wood Street to her; therefore, she is the
sole owner of the said property<o:p></o:p>The
respondents are biological sons of Mr. Marbell (deceased) by different women.
They maintain the property, No.29 Mensah Wood Street is family property and
they have interest in the property as well. The appellant therefore has no
right to obtain Letters of Administration without involving the family and
cannot claim sole ownership of the property. They sued the appellant in the
High Court, Accra seeking the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that defendant’s Application for
letters of Administration without any notice to the Plaintiffs nor the Head of
the deceased’s family contravenes the law on the Administration of Estates.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order, revoking the letters of Administration
granted to the Defendant.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that plaintiffs together with the
defendant and her children are beneficiaries of the estate of the late Victor
Adolphus Tsate Marbell.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order of injunction to restrain the defendant
either by herself or her agents, assigns and heirs from dealing with H/NO. 29
Mensah Wood Street, Ambassadorial Enclave in whatsoever manner to the exclusion
of plaintiffs.<o:p></o:p>Counter Claim<o:p></o:p>