KWABENA APPIAH vs. SARAH ODONKOR HESSE. [2023]DLCA17150

Date	2023-04-20
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/208/2018
Citation No.	[2023]DLCA17150

CECILIA H. SOWAH JA (PRESIDING)

ANTHONY OPPONG JA

KWEKU T. ACKAAH BOAFO JA

EVA ANGELINA DANIELS KLU WITH ABIGAIL WILLIAMS FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT

KOFI SOMUAH WITH DAVID KOKO FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2023]DLCA17150
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk152849823">KWABENA APPIAH.<o:p></o:p></a>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SARAH ODONKOR HESSE.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO.
H1/208/2018&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: 20TH&nbsp;APRIL&nbsp;
2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>EVA
ANGELINA DANIELS KLU WITH ABIGAIL WILLIAMS FOR PLAINTIFF/ 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;">

KOFI
SOMUAH WITH DAVID KOKO FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>CECILIA H.
SOWAH, JA (PRESIDING), ANTHONY OPPONG, JA, KWEKU T. ACKAAH BOAFO, JA<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="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>&nbsp;ANTHONY OPPONG JA:<o:p></o:p>Plaintiﬀ/Respondent to be referred to simply
as Respondent claimed to have obtained a lease of land from one Madam Doreen
Boatemah Bitihene by way of assignment dated 25th July
1995. Respondent claimed further that when he acquired the land he took
immediate possession by erecting pillars and constructing concrete foundation
for a house.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Respondent pleaded that defendant/appellant to be
referred to simply as appellant trespassed unto his (respondent’s) land and
started constructing a house on the plot of land.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Consequently, respondent sued appellant at the court
below and claimed declaration of the
0.44 acre land situate and being at Dome Village, Accra; recovery of possession
of the said land; perpetual injunction and general damages for trespass.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The appellant denied the claim of respondent. She claimed
to have acquired 0.24 acre land
situate and being at North-Dome, Accra in 1990 from the Onamrokor Adain Family
but was not issued with any document as she was informed of a litigation that existed between
the Onamrokor Adain
family and another
family with the understanding that when the litigation was over, she would be given proprietary documents covering the land.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The appellant averred further that when the litigation
was over, her grantors, Onamrokor Adain family, per the head thereof and the
elders gave her documents over the land.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The appellant claiming to have been in possession of the
land since 1990 when she started constructing her house counterclaimed for
declaration of the 0.24 acre land situate and being at North-Dome, Accra;
damages for trespass; recovery of possession and perpetual injunction<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;After the parties have joined issues and the court below
heard and considered the evidence of the parties as well as the evidence of
appellant’s witnesses, respondent having called no witness, and not forgetting the evidence of court expert
witness, the surveyor, the court below entered
judgment in favour of the respondent. Interestingly, the court below rather
inadvertently did not speciﬁcally dismiss the counterclaim of the appellant.
This omission on the part of the trial judge will be addressed in due course.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Nevertheless, dissatisﬁed with the judgment of the court
below, the appellant pursuant to leave of the court ﬁled notice of appeal on
the following grounds:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;