Nacky Esther Nyange Vs Mihayo Marijani Wilmore Another (Civil Appeal 207 of 2019) 2022 TZCA 739 (24 November 2022)
Nacky Esther Nyange Vs Mihayo Marijani Wilmore Another (Civil Appeal 207 of 2019) 2022 TZCA 739 (24 November 2022)
Nacky Esther Nyange Vs Mihayo Marijani Wilmore Another (Civil Appeal 207 of 2019) 2022 TZCA 739 (24 November 2022)
AT PAR ES SALAAM
VERSUS
MIHAYO MARIJANI WILMORE 1 st RESPONDENT
MRS. MARIAM WILMORE ... 2nd RESPONDENT
[Appeal from the Judgment and Decree of the High Court of Tanzania
(Dar es Salaam Registry) at Dar es Salaam]
(Maqoiqa. J.)
in
MASHAKA. J.A.:
es Salaam Region, and motor vehicle make Range Rover Evoque with
other reliefs a declaration that she is the legal owner of Plot No. 361
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Block G, Hekima Street, Mbezi Beach Area, Kinondoni Municipality, Dar
appellant; and a declaration that she is the lawful owner of the motor
vehicle make Range Rover Evoque with registration no. T504 DBV (the
motor vehicle).
property from one John Ruboyana, at that time the first respondent, her
started erecting a wall and gates. The first respondent came back to
Tanzania in the year 2004 and she assigned him to supervise the
construction. The second respondent seeing that his son was paying a
high amount of rent somewhere, she told him to finish the construction
of the house and move into the house at the Mbezi property.
in 2006 in the USA and moved into the house in 2008 when the house
she allowed the first respondent and his family to live in the house while
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The second respondent claimed further that, in the year 2011, the
first respondent approached and requested her to allow him to use the
that the same would be returned on her demand. Again, the first
respondent requested for a second property that is Plot No. 251 Block B,
with Certificate of Title No. 88124 at Ras Dege area, Kigamboni, Temeke
financial obligation related to Telesis Tanzania Limited and that the two
of them had an oral agreement that the first respondent shall return the
motor vehicle, the second respondent's contention was that in the year
Magistrates' Court. Upon her perusal of the court file, she realised that
the Mbezi property and the motor vehicle were also listed among the
High Court vide Civil Case No. 155 of 2015 and among other things, she
prayed for a declaration that she was the lawful owner of the Mbezi
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property and that the motor vehicle was given to her by the first
respondent as a gift.
purchased the Mbezi property while they were still in America, because
the first respondent being a non-citizen could not own land in Tanzania
property. She further claimed that when they got married, they
constructed the house together and in 2008 they moved to the Mbezi
property.
After a full trial, the trial court decided in favour of the second
respondent. It held that, the house on Plot No. 361 Block "G" Hekima
there was evidence that the Mbezi property was bought way back in
2004 before the marriage of the appellant and first respondent; and
On the dispute regarding the motor vehicle, the trial court held
that, the exhibit P2 the motor vehicle registration card proves that it was
solely owned by the second respondent. It therefore ordered the
Region.
1. That the trial court erred to not find collusion between the
respondents to deprive the appellant the interest/right over Plot
No. 361, Block G, Hekima Street as the appellant had matrimonial
interest in it
2. That the trial court erred in law and fact in not holding that the
plaintiff failed to prove on balance o f probabilities her ownership
over Plot No. 361, Block G, Hekima Street and that the 2nd
defendant had matrimonial interest.
3. That the trial court erred in law and fact in not considering that
gift inter vivos has to be proved by deed o f gift and that the motor
vehicle with Registration No. T504DBV remained matrimonial
property and title did not pass to the first respondent
5. That the trial court erred in law in not holding that what was given
during good times cannot be taken back during bad times and that
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the house in Plot No. 361 Block G, House No. 30, Hekima Street,
Mbezi Beach Area in Dar es Salaam remains to be matrimonial
home.
6. That the trial court erred in law and fact in not holding that the
appellant has contributed to the acquisition and development o f
Plot No. 361, Block G, Hekima Street, Mbezi Beach area thereby
acquiring matrimonial interests.
7. That the trial court erred in law and fact for failure to evaluate
evidence tendered by the appellant in acquiring and developing of
the matrimonial home located at Plot No. 361 Block G, House No.
30, Hekima Street Mbezi Beach Area, Dar es Salaam while ignoring
the collusion plea between the respondents herein.
8. That the High Court erred in law ordering eviction o f the appellant
within one month.
preliminary objection and for the reasons which will shortly come to light
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the appeal to proceed. Consequently, the notice of preliminary objection
and two separately, three and four, and six and seven conjointly.
Beginning with ground one, Mr. Hamza submitted that, the first
respondent and the appellant were husband and wife respectively and
were living at the Mbezi property. When the second respondent became
aware that the appellant initiated divorce petition and included the
between the land officer and second respondent which were tendered
during the trial to prove that she commenced the process of getting a
this ground with the principle of equity that who comes to seek equity
must come with clean hands and the second respondent had dirty hands
as she colluded with the land officer to defeat the appellant's interest in
law. That she was required to prove not only that the title deed was in
her name but how she obtained the same, bolstering his position with
conceded that title in land is prima facie evidence of ownership but only
section 33(1) of the Land Registration Act, [Cap 334 R.E 2002]. He
further claimed that in obtaining the title deed there was fraud and
of 2017 (unreported).
contended that the first respondent testified that he gave the motor
her, while the motor vehicle was acquired during the subsistence of the
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reasoned that the first respondent could not transfer it to the second
regard to the evidence of the second respondent that her son wrote a
letter informing her that he gave her a motor vehicle as a gift, the
learned counsel challenged that evidence contending that the said letter
Atilio and Another v. Elvira Ojali, Civil Appeal No. 023 of 2009
(unreported) that oral words coupled with delivery and gift by deed are
the only modes available at common law for an inter vivos grant of a
gift. Thus, he faulted the trial court for failing to hold that the appellant
Submitting on grounds six and seven, Mr. Hamza argued that the
Limited & Two Others, Civil Appeal No. 1 of 2018 and Nelson
Hawa Mohamed v. Ally Sefu [1983] T.L.R 32 that the appellant being
the legal wife of the first respondent when the Mbezi property was
On ground eight, Mr. Hamza submitted that, the trial court failed
to consider the welfare of the children when it ordered for the vacant
which was patently unjust. He, thus prayed the appeal to be allowed
respect of ground one, referring the Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition
Kiria, Deceased), Civil Appeal No. 229 of 2018 (unreported) that the
probability than that required in normal civil cases. She argued that the
alleged collusion brings confusion as it is not clear if it was between both
On ground two, Ms. Nassir submitted that the appellant knew the
second respondent was the lawful owner of the Mbezi property as the
that the appellant failed to put forward evidence to prove that the Mbezi
before or during their marriage, with the intention that there should be
continuing provisions for them and their children during their joint lives.
572 of the record of appeal that the said motor vehicle was registered in
the name of the second respondent as she was given a gift by the first
respondent. She argued that, there is no law that a gift must be proved
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where any of the property is in the name of either spouse there is a
appellant stated that she did not have any proof that the said motor
that the motor vehicle was bought through the family account, though
Ms. Nassir, thus subscribed to the finding of the trial court that
the motor vehicle. She distinguished the case of Bi. Hawa Mohamed
(supra) with the present appeal and prayed to the Court to consider the
hired by the appellant and first respondent who were living in the said
house, she argued that living there was not conclusive proof of
ownership of the said Mbezi property. She concluded that, the second
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that house and make any necessary improvements to make the place
Nassir submitted that the trial court correctly ordered vacant possession
after thirty days as it was proved that the appellant was a trespasser,
she urged the Court to dismiss the appeal for lack of merit.
defence, the appellant did not mention any conspiracy, fraud or collusion
by the second respondent to deny her the right to own the property in
dispute. Further, she argued that during trial, the trial court framed five
issues and there was no issue regarding collusion and fraud, hence
ground one being a new ground, she implored the Court that the same
certificate of title was obtained after the petition of divorced was filed,
but the appellant admitted that the Mbezi property was registered in the
name of the second respondent. Also, she claimed that the receipts
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section 40 of the Land Act, the second respondent is deemed to be the
ownership.
that the first respondent is the biological son of the second respondent
of the Road Traffic Act provides that the names appearing on the
further argued that the appellant failed to prove how the motor vehicle
was purchased by the money from the family account; taking into
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Ms. Rwechungura supported the order of the trial court in ground
eight, and argued that the appellant and the first respondent were
divorced, not living together and therefore she was properly ordered to
certificate of title, Mr. Hamza argued that the same was procured after
proficient legal minds, it is worthy to note from the outset that this
appeal originated from the dispute over ownership of the Mbezi property
and the motor vehicle. We will thus confine our deliberations on the
issue of ownership which is the essence of this appeal and not on the
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(supra). It is our stance that the appeal is not centred on the
raised the issue of collusion between the first respondent and second
ground as it was not one of the issues framed by the trial court. Despite
the fact that the issue of collusion was not among the framed issues,
this Court being the first appellate court is entitled to re-evaluate the
evidence and give its own findings - see Future Century Limited v.
Title was through collusion of the second respondent and the first
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"An agreement between two or more persons to
defraud a person o f his rights by the forms of
law, or to obtain an object forbidden by law. It
implies the existence o f fraud o f some kind, the
employment o f fraudulent means, or o f lawful
means for the accomplishment o f unlawful
purpose."
through the evidence of the appellant during trial, she failed to prove
civil cases. We find that the appellant failed to prove collusion thus this
ground fails.
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On ground two, the complaint is whether the ownership of Mbezi
respondent maintained that she was the lawful owner of the Mbezi
property while the appellant alleged that the said property was a
PI. Both learned advocates had a consensus that the Certificate of Title
Registrar of Titles and Two Others (supra) cited with approval the
With the present appeal, apart from the exhibit PI, the second
from John Ruboyana, on the 16th August, 2004 and even the appellant
agreed that the said property was purchased by the second respondent
before her marriage to the first respondent. Further to that, Mr. Hamza
Edson Emmanuel and Ten Others, Civil Appeal No. 121 of 2019
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credibility o f the respondents and instead the
burden o f proof never shifts to the adverse party
until the party on whom the onus lies, discharges
the burden. It does not cease on account o f the
weakness o f the case o f the adverse party. "
On the strength of the above extract, the onus of proof lies on the
one who alleges. Since the appellant alleged that the Mbezi property
was a matrimonial property then she had a burden to prove that fact.
provision for them and their children during their joint lives - see Bi
asset, she ought to have proved that the said plot was acquired by
herself or the first respondent or both with the intention that the same
should provide for their family during their joint life. It is evidenced from
the record that, the appellant alleged that the said plot was bought by
her husband, the first respondent and registered in the name of the
the Mbezi property was bought before the appellant and the first
the appellant failed to prove that the Mbezi property was a matrimonial
was a matrimonial asset, the trial court held that, the said vehicle was
registered in the name of the second respondent who testified that the
said motor vehicle was given to her, as a gift by her son the first
argument and evidence of the appellant that the said motor vehicle is
trial court arguing that the motor vehicle was matrimonial property and
that the transfer of the motor vehicle registration card to the name of
the second respondent was meant to deprive the appellant her rights in
the said motor vehicle. While Ms. Nassir contended that there is no law
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deed and Ms. Rwechungura cemented that the registration card is
we find with no doubt that exhibit P2, the registration card of the motor
vehicle proved that the second respondent was the registered owner of
On the issue of gift inter vivos, since the said motor vehicle had
already been registered in the name of the second respondent, the deed
of gift inter vivos would have no evidential value when compared to the
there was no evidence adduced by the appellant to prove that the said
motor vehicle was purchased through the family funds let alone prove
fault the findings of the trial court. This ground also is unfounded.
Concluding with ground eight on the legality of the eviction order,
the trial court ordered the appellant to peacefully vacate the Mbezi
property within a month from the date of the judgement Mr. Hamza
faulted the order as unfair while Ms. Nassir reasoned that the order was
justified as the appellant was a trespasser. Ms. Nassir cited the case of
Based on the above excerpt, the trial court" was justified to order
immediate eviction from the Mbezi property as the appellant was not the
owner of the said property. We earlier stated that this appeal originated
from the suit challenging ownership. Having been proved that she was
a trespasser, the appellant cannot seek refuge behind the welfare of the
court correctly ordered eviction within one month from the date of the
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In fine, this appeal is devoid of merit and accordingly dismissed
with costs.
A. G. MWARUA
JUSTICE OF APPEAL
B. M. A. SEHEL
JUSTICE OF APPEAL
L. L. MASHAKA
JUSTICE OF APPEAL
presence of Mr. Reuben Robert learned counsel for the Appellant, Ms.
Raya Nasir, learned counsel for the 1st Respondent and in the presence
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