WILLINGS DONKOR & ANOR (PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS) vs. EMEFS CONSTRUCTION LTD. (DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT) [2019]DLCA7606

WILLINGS DONKOR & ANOR (PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS) vs. EMEFS CONSTRUCTION LTD. (DEFE... [2019]DLCA7606

Date	2019-12-23
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/165/19
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA7606

OFOE J.A. (PRESIDING)

TORKORNOO J. A

GAISIE J.A.

MATILDA IDUN DONKOR FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

NEIZER FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA7606
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >WILLINGS
DONKOR &amp; ANOR<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>EMEFS
CONSTRUCTION LTD.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. H1/165/19&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;DATE: 23RD OCTOBER,
2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MATILDA
IDUN DONKOR FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

NEIZER
FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

OFOE
J.A. (PRESIDING), TORKORNOO J. A, GAISIE J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>TORKORNOO, J. A:<o:p></o:p>This
appeal was filed against an order of the trial High Court, Accra, dated 6th
June 2018 refusing to grant an application by the Plaintiff/Appellants (Appellants)
for summary judgment against the Defendant Respondent (Respondent). The Respondent
is a property development company and the Appellants are resident outside of
Ghana. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In
the High Court, the pleadings and evidence presented established a
chronological picture of the dealings between the parties. On 15th
June 2011, the Respondent made an offer to the Appellants to build a three bedroom
house at Mataheko on the Tema-Afienya Road. The house was priced at
252,000$ and accepted by the Respondent on 31st July 2011. By the
terms of the agreement, the Appellants were to pay 50% of the contract sum on
signing the contract, 25% when the construction of the house reached lintel
level, and the remaining 25% when the keys were being handed over. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Appellant
averred that it duly paid 130,000$, representing 50% of&nbsp; the contract sum. By clause 6 of the offer
(found on page 31 to 34 of the Record of Appeal) which constituted the agreement
between the parties, the Respondent should have completed the house in 18 months
which would be January 2013. It did not. It was not till April 3rd
2014 that Respondent indicated by email (found on page 35 of ROA) that it had
roofed the house and so needed the next 25% of the payment price. It repeated
the requested on 12th June 2014, and 20th October 2014
and a final demand on 4th March 2015. In that letter (found on page
38), it stated that if the 25% was not paid by the end of March 2015, ‘the house will be sold and money refunded
without interest or you will be allocated to our new site at Gbetsile’. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On
19th November 2016, Appellant wrote (page 17) indicating that it had
come to their notice through communication with the Respondents that the house
had been disposed off. They therefore demanded a return of their 130,000$. The
indications from communications found from pages 17 to 23 were that Respondent
presented that it intended to refund the money received, and yet failed to do
so.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>After
months of failing to make this payment, the Appellants sued on the 30th
of June 2017 claiming:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“a.
the sum of US$130,000.00 being money due and owing from the Defendant to
the Plaintiffs in respect of an agreement made between the parties on or about
the 15th day of June 2011 or in the alternative the said sum being
money had and received to the use of the Plaintiffs.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>b. Interest in the said sum
of US$ at the prevailing commercial bank lending rate from the date the
property was sold until the&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; date of
final payment by the Defendant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>c. General damages for
breach of contract.<o:p></o:p>