GLADYS OBENEWA AFARI vs. NANA DONKOR MANIANOR II & 3 ORS [2021]DLCA16198

Date	2021-04-15
Suit No.	SUIT NO: H1/108/2020
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA16198

KWOFIE JA (PRESIDING)

OBENG-MANU JNR JA

KOOMSON JA

VICTOR LASSEY FOR APPELLANT

MRS. M. Y. N. ACHEAMPONG FOR RESPONDENTS (1ST2ND & 3RD)

[2021]DLCA16198
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GLADYS OBENEWA AFARI <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NANA DONKOR MANIANOR II &amp; 3 ORS<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(DEFENDANTS/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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

SUIT NO: H1/108/2020&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; DATE:
15TH APRIL, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>VICTOR LASSEY FOR APPELLANT<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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MRS. M. Y. N.
ACHEAMPONG FOR RESPONDENTS (1ST2ND &amp; 3RD)&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;
<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p>KWOFIE JA (PRESIDING), OBENG-MANU JNR JA,
KOOMSON JA&nbsp;&nbsp;&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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;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:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;KOOMSON,
JA<o:p></o:p>The facts that occasioned this appeal
are that, the Plaintiff/Appellant (hereafter called ‘‘the Appellant’’), claims
to be the lawful owner of a piece of land situate at Obosomase in the Akwapim
South District of the Eastern Region. That she became the owner of the land
after her father, James Winfred Afari, a native of Obosomase, gifted the land
to her because she was the only daughter to have married from his hometown of
Obosomase. According to the Appellant, her father purchased the land in dispute
for eighty pounds (£80) from Kwasi Danso (the then Mankrado of Obosomase). It
was contended further by the Appellant that after her father purchased the land,
its boundaries were physically marked with ntome trees. In exercising acts of
possession over the land, James Winfred Afari gave out portions of the land to
his brother Opanyin Kwame Armah, Opanyin Kofi Amoah, one Mr. Mensah and family,
Mr. Ametepe and his family and a native of Nungua called Aprodoku, for purposes
of farming.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Appellant claims that when she
became the owner of the land, she also permitted certain persons to cultivate
on the land and these tenant farmers paid a token to her as appreciation and
acknowledgement that she was the owner of the lands. Subsequently, she discovered
that the 1st to 3rd Defendants (herein after called the Respondents) were
selling portions of her land to third parties without her consent. The
Appellant claimed that in one such unlawful sale, the Respondents attempted to
alienate portions of her land to Comet properties but her timely intervention
prevented the sale from materializing. The Appellant caused to be registered at
the Lands Commission, Koforidua, a statutory declaration confirming her
ownership of the land on the basis of the transaction between her father, James
Winfred Afari and Kwasi Danso. The Respondents objected to the said
registration of the land being claimed by the Appellant on grounds that, the
Appellant is attempting to register a larger portion of land than was granted
to her father. As far as the Respondents are concerned, the father of the
Appellant purchased about 17 acres of land and not 441.98 acres as it was being
claimed by the Appellant. The Appellant resorted to the law courts in an
attempt to vindicate her ownership of the 441.98 acres. By a writ of summons
and statement of claim issued against the Respondents and the Lands Commission,
the Appellant claimed the following reliefs;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;
mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:baseline">1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Declaration
of title to a parcel of land measuring 441.98 acres;<o:p></o:p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;
mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:baseline">2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Perpetual
injunction to restrain 1st, 2nd and 3rd
Defendants, their agents assigns and representatives from trespassing on
Plaintiff’s land or alienating same to third parties;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;
mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:baseline">3.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An
order to eject all trespassers on Plaintiff’s land subject matter of this case;
and<o:p></o:p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:.5in;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;
tab-stops:list .5in;vertical-align:baseline">4.