LIZA WIAFE vs HAJIA AMUDULATU AKWELEY OPARE ADDO & ORS

This case concerns a dispute over ownership and possession of a commercial property in Accra. The plaintiff claimed to be the successor in title to a 50-year lease granted in 1957, with an option to renew for 25 years. However, in 2007, the administrators of the original lessor's estate sold the property to the 1st defendant. The court found that while the plaintiff was indeed the successor to the original lease, she had breached key terms by failing to pay ground rent for many years and not maintaining the property. These breaches meant she could not validly exercise the renewal option. The court held that the 1st defendant purchased the property in good faith after the original lease expired, without notice of the plaintiff's claims. As a bona fide purchaser for value, the 1st defendant took good title to the property. The court dismissed the plaintiff's claims and granted the 1st defendant's counterclaim for possession of the premises. This case illustrates principles of property law regarding lease renewals, the importance of complying with lease terms, and the protection afforded to bona fide purchasers for value without notice.