HANNA OKYERE ALIAS, JIM OKYERE ALIAS YAW YEBOAH vs. JAMES OKYERE, FLORENCE DARKO OKYERE [2024]DLSC17404

HANNA OKYERE ALIAS, JIM OKYERE ALIAS YAW YEBOAH vs. JAMES OKYERE, FLORENCE DARKO... [2024]DLSC17404

Date	2024-02-28
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/34/2023
Citation No.	[2024]DLSC17404

SACKEY TORKORNOO (MRS.) CJ (PRESIDING)

AMADU JSC.

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

KULENDI JSC.

ASIEDU JSC.

KWADWO ADDEAH-SAFO ESQ.

AKOSUA DOWA KARIKARI

[2024]DLSC17404
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:.5pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none">HANNA OKYERE ALIAS, JIM OKYERE ALIAS YAW YEBOAH<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:.5pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none">(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:.5pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:.5pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none">JAMES OKYERE, FLORENCE DARKO OKYERE<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:.5pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none">(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:.5pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none">[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;
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mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:168.75pt 278.15pt;text-autospace:none">&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;&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 style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 0.5pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/34/2023&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: 28TH FEBRUARY 2024<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">KWADWO ADDEAH-SAFO ESQ.
WITH AKOSUA DOWA KARIKARI FOR 2ND DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>SACKEY TORKORNOO (MRS.) CJ (PRESIDING), AMADU
JSC., PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC., KULENDI JSC., ASIEDU JSC.<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 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 0.5pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>PROF. MENSA-BONSU
JSC:<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from judgment of Court of Appeal dated
10th June 2020 which set aside orders made by the High Court in Koforidua.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Facts and background<o:p></o:p>This case has arisen because a man who gifted landed
property to his wife and children by her, purported to gift that property again
to one of the children a decade later. The new donee (1st defendant) then
registered the property in his name only, raised a loan by way of mortgage on
it, and purported to settle it on his ex-wife as part of a divorce settlement.<o:p></o:p>The other siblings have mounted a protest, contending
that their late father, Opanyin Kwaku Okyere, customarily gifted the
subject-matter of dispute to his children (the plaintiffs and 1st defendant)
and their mother. This, the father did on 26th January 1975, at a large meeting
called for the purpose. The plaintiffs have since been in possession of the
property. In consequence of the plaintiffs and defendants switching roles in
the 1st and 2nd appellate courts the original designations of plaintiffs and
1st and 2nd defendants will be maintained as appropriate, to avoid confusion.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiffs complain that the 1st defendant made an
adverse claim to the outhouse of the property, by insisting that their father
granted the said outhouse solely to him. Although the 1st defendant admitted
the customary gift made by their father in January 1975 was to them all, he
denied that the subject matter of the dispute was part of that gift. He claimed
that the outhouse and adjoining land was gifted to him solely by their late
father by custom sometime in 1975, and same documented by way of Deed of Gift
in 1986. Further that he transacted on the said property without any form of
protest from the plaintiffs. The 2nd defendant his now ex-wife, developed a
portion of the property, while they were still married, into a restaurant, on
his admission, with the consent of his other siblings, the plaintiffs herein.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The 1st defendant admitted that he made a gift of the
said o</main>