FELIX PENEPAH vs. AYINDENABA AZOR, AYUOBI AZOR AND AKALBILLA AZOR [2022]DLSC11689

Date	2022-07-27
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/155/2022
Citation No.	[2022]DLSC11689

DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC (PRESIDING)

PROF. KOTEY JSC

OWUSU (MS.) JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

MOHAMMED ALHASSAN ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.

JAMES MARSHALL BELIEB ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS.

[2022]DLSC11689
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FELIX PENEPAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>AYINDENABA AZOR, AYUOBI AZOR AND AKALBILLA
AZOR<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL
APPEAL NO. J4/155/2022&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:
27TH JULY, 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>MOHAMMED ALHASSAN ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JAMES MARSHALL BELIEB ESQ. FOR THE
DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>DORDZIE (MRS.)
JSC (PRESIDING), PROF. KOTEY JSC, OWUSU (MS.) JSC, LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC,
PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC<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;
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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;DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC:-<o:p></o:p>BACKGROUND<o:p></o:p>In1997, the father of the defendants in this case,
Azor Akaliga sued the &nbsp;plaintiff herein
Felix Penepah in the High Court Tamale, claiming declaration of title to a
piece of land described as Plot Number 35A Dagmew Residential Area Bolgatanga. An
order for perpetual injunction, restraining the defendant Felix Penepah, his
agents assigns successors or servants from interfering with plaintiff’s possession
and use of plot number 35A; and General damages for trespass. The High Court in
its judgment dated 10 February 1998 gave judgment in favour of the plaintiff,
declared him the owner of plot number 35A Dagmew Residential Area Bolgatanga.
The court declared the defendant a trespasser and granted the restraining order
but limited it to the unoccupied portion of plot 35A. It was the court’s view
that the defendant had already built on a portion of the land and was living
there with his family. It would be unfair and unequitable to restrict him in
respect of the entire plot of land. However, peace never prevailed between the
parties; the defendant eventually built another house and moved out from No 35A
Dagmew Residential Area. In 2011, the plaintiff Azor Akaliga passed. Several
years after the High Court judgment, 18 years precisely, the defendant, in a
writ filed on 9 August 2016, commenced a suit against the personal
representatives of Akaliga Azor in the High Court Bolgatanga in respect of the
same subject matter, 35A Dagmew Residential Area Bolgatanga.<o:p></o:p>Facts<o:p></o:p>I would reproduce the claims as endorsed on the
writ of summons and the facts of the case as unfolded in the pleadings of the
parties.<o:p></o:p>The claims<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff's claim against the Defendants
jointly and severally is for-<o:p></o:p>1. A declaration that, save that they have a
common boundary, the plots of land numbered 35A and 35C Dagmew Residential
Area, Bolgatanga are two separate and distinct plots of land one from the
other.<o:p></o:p>2. A declaration that the storey building put up
by the Defendants' predecessor (the late Azor Akaliga) is located on plot No.
35 A.<o:p></o:p>3. Declaration of title to plot, No. 35C which
plot is bounded to the North by the Bolgatanga-Bawku Highway to the South by
Plot No. 35A to the East by an unnamed road and to the West by Plot No. 35B and
measuring in the aggregate 0.20 acre.<o:p></o:p>4. A declaration that the Plaintiff's residential
building vandalized by the Defendants' predecessor (the late Azor Akaliga) is
located on Plot No. 35C and not on Plot No. 35A or any part thereof.<o:p></o:p>5. An order of perpetual injunction restraining
the Defendants whether they act by themselves or by their agents, workmen,
heirs, successors, personal representatives, assigns, relatives and associates
from trespassing upon Plot No. 35A Dagmew Residential Area, Bolgatanga or in
any way howsoever described interfering with the Plaintiff's interest or
interests therein.<o:p></o:p>6. Recovery of possession.<o:p></o:p>7. General damages for trespass<o:p></o:p>The averment of facts supporting the above claims
as contained in the accompanying statement of claim are as follows:<o:p></o:p>