JEANETTE HAYFRON-BENJAMIN AND PRIME INSURANCE COMPANY LTD. vs. LANDS COMMISSION [2022]DLSC16121

Date	2022-12-14
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/61/2022
Citation No.	[2022]DLSC16121

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

AMEGATCHER JSC

PROF. KOTEY JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

KULENDI JSC

ALI GOMDAH ABDUL-SAMAD ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT.

ANDREW DANIELS ESQ. FOR THE APPLICANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.

[2022]DLSC16121
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JEANETTE
HAYFRON-BENJAMIN<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>PRIME
INSURANCE COMPANY LTD.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>LANDS COMMISSION<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<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; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 16.9pt;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO.
J4/61/2022&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 14TH DECEMBER 2022&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL <o:p></o:p>ALI GOMDAH ABDUL-SAMAD ESQ. FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/<o:p></o:p>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;">

ANDREW DANIELS ESQ.
FOR THE APPLICANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING), AMEGATCHER
JSC, PROF. KOTEY JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC, KULENDI JSC <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"><o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AMEGATCHER JSC:-<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>On 14th December 2022, this court
dismissed the appeal filed by the appellant against the judgment of the Court
of Appeal dated 20th May 2021 which affirmed a ruling of the High
Court dated 31st July 2017, and reserved its reasons to be assigned
not later than 25th January 2023. We, now, proceed with the reasons
for our judgment. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;BACKGROUND<o:p></o:p>The interesting facts of this case are as follows;
on the 8th of June 2015, the plaintiff/respondent/respondent
(hereafter referred to as the respondent) applied to the defendant for a parcel
of land in any prime business district in Accra to put up its headquarters.
After a series of meetings, the defendant issued an allocation letter which
also contained an offer to the respondent. The respondent was allocated a
parcel of land at North Ridge covering an area of 1.38 acres with a site plan
attached to it. <o:p></o:p>By a letter dated 29th July 2015, the respondent
accepted the offer and paid certain amounts as consideration in fulfillment of
the requirements of the offer. When the Greater Accra Regional Lands Commission
held its 38th regular meeting on 19th August 2015, it
confirmed the allocation to the respondent and subsequently, issued a second
offer to the respondent. This land allocated to the respondent is the subject
matter of this dispute. <o:p></o:p>The twists following the allocation to the
respondent then started. By a letter dated 7th December 2015, the
Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing claiming to have a structure on
the said land wrote to the respondent and demanded the payment of a replacement
value of its bungalow assessed at GHC500,000.00. It appears because of the
seriousness the respondent attached to the allocation of the plot, it paid this
amount to the Ministry without any hesitation. <o:p></o:p>On 5th January 2016, the respondent
applied for an official search at the Lands Commission. It confirmed that the
land had indeed been allocated to the respondent. However, the defendant refused
to execute a lease in favour of the respondent so the respondent commenced an
action in the High Court for the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>a.<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-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An
order requiring the Defendants to issue a lease in respect of the land covered
by the allocation letter dated 23rd day of July 2015 to the
Plaintiff the beneficial owner of the land;<o:p></o:p>