NII OKELEFIO ANUM FAMILY AND 4 ORS vs. RICHARD MENSAH AND JONATHAN KOFI [2021]DLCA10057

Date	2021-02-25
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/49/2019
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA10057

JUSTICE LAWRENCE L. MENSAH JA (PRESIDING)

JUSTICE MERLEY A. WOOD (MRS) JA

JUSTICE ERIC BAAH JA

NAA DJAMAH AYIKOI-OTOO FOR THE 1ST AND 2ND DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

KOBINA FOSU FOR 3RD AND 4TH DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

COSMOS ANPENGNUO FOR PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS

[2021]DLCA10057
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NII OKELEFIO ANUM FAMILY AND 4 ORS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>RICHARD MENSAH AND JONATHAN KOFI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/49/2019&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;DATE:
25TH FEBRUARY, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>NAA DJAMAH AYIKOI-OTOO FOR THE 1ST
AND 2ND DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p>KOBINA FOSU FOR 3RD AND 4TH
DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS<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" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">COSMOS ANPENGNUO FOR
PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>JUSTICE LAWRENCE L. MENSAH JA (PRESIDING),
JUSTICE MERLEY A. WOOD (MRS) JA, JUSTICE ERIC BAAH JA<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;
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;LAWRENCE
L. MENSAH JA:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This is an appeal launched by the
Defendants/Appellants who will be referred to as the Defendants against the
judgment of the High Court (Land Division) Accra dated 30th January,
2018 in favour of the Plaintiffs/Respondents who will be referred to as the
Plaintiffs. The subject matter of this appeal is in respect of a piece or
parcel of land situate at Baatsona and or Okpoigonno in the Greater Region as
each of the parties respectively refer to same.<o:p></o:p>Facts
<o:p></o:p>To appreciate the conflict engendered by this
appeal it is necessary to unravel the facts of the case to put each of the
parties appeal in its proper perspective. It is also necessary to state that
the 1st and 2nd Defendants have a joint defence, while
the 3rd and 4th also have a common defence with the 5th
Defendant Lands Commission not showing in the case at all as a contestant,
except a banal statement of defence they filed at the court below.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Case
of the plaintiffs:<o:p></o:p>It is the case of the plaintiffs as amended,
that in or about the 16th of November 1975, 2nd plaintiff
together with one Samuel O. Laryea (Deceased) whose customary successor is the
1st plaintiff, acquired the disputed land from Nii Klu Tsuru
Nmashie, the Mankralo of Teshie. An indenture Exh C was executed to evidence
the transaction. The disputed land which covered an area of 11.48 acres was
bounded by stool lands and lying North East of Teshie.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;It is the further case of the plaintiffs that
upon acquiring the said parcel of land from the then Makralo of Teshie
aforesaid, the plaintiffs immediately went into possession by planting economic
trees on the said land. They made grants to various persons after having the
land registered at the 5th Defendant Lands Commission with
Registration Number 2428/78 at the Deeds Registry. Plaintiffs said it had come
to their attention that the 1st and 2nd Defendants had
fraudulently made various grants to other persons, including the mother of the
3rd and 4th Defendants who encroached on the disputed
land. The plaintiffs particularized the alleged fraud of the Defendants because
1st and 2nd Defendants have acquired a provisional
certificate from the 5th Defendant though the 1st and 2nd
Defendants knew that they had no interest in the disputed land.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiffs said after the 3rd
and 4th Defendants had trespassed onto the land and started a fence
wall, the plaintiffs warned them to keep off the land. When the 3rd
and 4th Defendants refused to abate their trespass the plaintiffs
instituted action in the Registry of the Land Court, Accra aforesaid and
claimed the following reliefs as amended from the Defendants:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" 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:-18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration of title to ALL THAT
PIECE&nbsp; or parcel of land containing an
approximate area of 11.48 acres and bounded on the North by stool land
measuring 500 feet more or less, on the South by stool land measuring 500 feet
more or less, on the East by stool land measuring 1000 feet more or less and on
the West by stool land m</main>