NANA BOAKYE vs KOFI POAKWA & 2 ORS. [2022]DLCA16068

Date	2022-06-29
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/33/2021
Citation No.	[2022]DLCA16068

SOWAH J. A. (PRESIDING)

OPPONG J. A.

MENSAH-HOMIAH J. A.

KWABENA BOYE AGYEKUM ESQ.

[2022]DLCA16068
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NANA BOAKYE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KOFI
POAKWA &amp; 2 ORS.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KOFORIDUA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<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;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/33/2021&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: 29TH JUNE 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>SOWAH
J. A. (PRESIDING), OPPONG J. A., MENSAH-HOMIAH J. A.<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;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>MENSAH-HOMIAH,
JA:<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against the judgment of the
High Court, Nkawkaw dated 23rd December 2019 by which the said court
granted Plaintiff’s claims for declaration of title to land and awarded general
damages for trespass in his favour. In this appeal, the main question for our
determination is the adequacy of the damages so awarded in
Plaintiff/Appellant’s favour. In tackling this question, we will also consider
the legal basis for the award of damages for trespass in the peculiar
circumstances of this case.<o:p></o:p>The designation of the parties at the trial
court will be maintained in this appeal.<o:p></o:p>At the High Court, the Plaintiff had sought
the following reliefs for himself and his siblings at Kwabeng:<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:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">(i)<span style="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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration of title to and (sic) possession of all that
farmland situate at Abodwosu on Kwabeng Stool Land and bounded by the properties
of Op. Kwabena Dede, Opanin Sefah Op. Kune, Yaw Donkor, Maame Krah, Abodwosu
Stream, Bomaa Citizens.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" 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:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">(ii)<span style="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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Damages for Trespass.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" 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:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">(iii)<span style="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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;An
order of Injunction restraining the Defendants, their servants, agents,
workmen, assigns and all those claiming through them from possession and
occupation of the aforesaid property.<o:p></o:p>In
his statement of claim, Plaintiff traced his root of title to the land in
dispute to one Obaapanin Amangu, his maternal grandmother. By a subsequent
partitioning, Plaintiff alleged that the land was given to the children of
Adwoa Sarfoa who was the daughter of Amangu. Plaintiff described himself as a
biological son of Adwoa Sarfoa. Plaintiff further stated that, Defendants have
committed various acts of trespass to this land, and 1st Defendant
has even received compensation from 3rd Defendant, a mining company.<o:p></o:p>The
1st and 3rd Defendants in their respective statements of
Defence essentially denied the claims made by Plaintiff. 1st
Defendant averred that, the land in issue is Aduana family land which has not
been partitioned. And, he received the compensation from 3rd
Defendant as an affected farmer whose crops had been destroyed and not as land
owner. Furthermore, 1st Defendant alleged that he used half of the
compensation to renovate the Aduana family house.<o:p></o:p>3rd
Defendant’s defence was th</main>