DALIKE DZATA AND JOHN DOE GADRI vs. KOFI AGBENYO [2021]DLCA11023

Date	2021-11-26
Suit No.	SUIT NO. HI/03/2020
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA11023

OFOE J.A

BARTELS-KODWO J.A

BERNASKO ESSAH J.A

PAUL OPOKU FOR DEFENDANT /RESPONDENT

ALFRED TUAH YEBOAH FOR PLAINTFF/APPELLANT

[2021]DLCA11023
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DALIKE
DZATA AND JOHN DOE GADRI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RES/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KOFI
AGBENYO<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPL/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, HO-VOLTA]<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. HI/03/2020&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; DATE: 26TH NOVEMBER, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>PAUL OPOKU FOR DEFENDANT /RESPONDENT<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:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">ALFRED TUAH YEBOAH FOR
PLAINTFF/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>OFOE
J.A, BARTELS-KODWO J.A, BERNASKO ESSAH J.A&nbsp; <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;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 318.0pt;
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;OFOE, J.A:<o:p></o:p>This
appeal traces its origins from the District Court, Ave Dakpa, in the Volta
Region. It is a case which was wholly home brewed in the sense that the parties
prepared the court processes themselves and conducted their respective cases
without legal assistance. When the court ordered pleadings to be filed, again these
were filed by the parties without any legal assistance. At the conclusion of
trial the plaintiff had judgment. This judgment was set aside by the High Court.
It is this High Court judgment which is on further appeal to this court. <o:p></o:p>We
will describe plaintiff and co-plaintiff as plaintiffs for sake of convenience
and defendant as defendant as he was in the trial District Court. <o:p></o:p>A
brief back ground to the case through the pleadings should make our opinion
clearer. We can then record the brief of the evidence of the parties and their
witnesses placed before the court for our analysis whether the appeal has any
merit after conducting a review, which in fact is a rehearing on principles
churned out in cases we shall mention presently.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff sued the defendant in the District Court for:<o:p></o:p>“1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
A declaration of title and recovery of possession to a piece and parcel of land
situate at Ave Kpedome (boundaries supplied)<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Perpetual
injunction against the appellant, his agents, assigns, privies and workmen.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
An Order directed at the appellant to account for 100 palm trees or its
equivalent value of GHC2000 being trees that were uprooted without respondent’s
consent.<o:p></o:p>4.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Damages for trespass and <o:p></o:p>5.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Punitive Cost”.<o:p></o:p>He
was joined in the course of proceedings by the co-plaintiff who we shall refer
to, loosely as 2nd plaintiff. By their pleadings they sought
declaration of title to land which they described as follows:<o:p></o:p>“On one side by Gbetsi’s land<o:p></o:p>On another side by Tokonyo’s land<o:p></o:p>On other side by Anyedu’s land<o:p></o:p>And on the last side by Donyo’s land”.<o:p></o:p>From
the pleadings it is their case that this land known as Kpeta lands was founded
by their great grandfather Tokoni. The defendant had trespassed </main>