Double Sale of One and The Same Piece of Land in Cameroon: The Legal Implications

Authors

  • Rodrick Ndi University of Dschang, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Department of English Law, P.O. Box 66, Dschang, Cameroon

Keywords:

Land, double sale, same parcel of land, more than two persons, Cameroon, notary public

Abstract

Over the years, the issue of double sale of one and the same parcel of land in Cameroon has been ‘hitting bells. This may be as a result of the high demand of land and population growth. Thus, land owners who relinquished their rights over their land through sale double cross the first buyer and resell the same parcel to another which therefore sparks fray amongst the buyers as to who is the rightful owner on the one hand, and on the other hand, calls for legal intervention to settle the scores. Thus, to sell land in Cameroon like elsewhere, the buyer has the obligation to trenchantly ferret if there is any interest on that piece of land and ask the seller to provide acute information concerning the piece of land to avoid future inimical. To purchase land in Cameroon, there are formalities and procedures to respect if the purchaser is a national or a foreigner. Thus, distraction from the majesty of and ultimately falling into desuetude is detrimental to the buyer. However, the problem this paper seeks to address is that the notion of double sale of one and the same piece of land to more than one person has been cacophonous in Cameroon, which therefore sets in motion the question; what does the law say on double sale of one and the same parcel of land to more than one person? Is the law actually erect or fallen? Here then lies the thrust of this paper.

Author Biography

  • Rodrick Ndi, University of Dschang, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Department of English Law, P.O. Box 66, Dschang, Cameroon

    Rodrick Ndi1, *, Nana Charles Nguindip2

    1PhD Fellow (Law), University of Dschang, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Department of English Law, P.O. Box 66, Dschang, Cameroon

    2Senior Lecturer (Law), University of Dschang, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Department of English Law, P.O. Box 66, Dschang, Cameroon

References

1. Egbe Samuel Egbe; “The Concept of Community Forestry under Cameroonian Law’’, The African Society of International and Comparative Law, African Journal of International and Comp arative Law, V ol. (2000), 12 Pt. 2.

2. Kutnjem Amadou Monkaree; A Comparative study of Family Property in Northern Nigeria and Northern Cameroon, Amadou Bello University, Zaria, Faculty of Law, Nigeria. (1996), Thesis, p. 21.

3. Black’s Law Dictionary 8th Edition, p. 894.

4. Dimo Todorovski; Post -Conflict Land Administration, Facilitator of Post-Conflict State Building, ITC University of Twente, Faculty of Geo -Information Science and Earth Observation, (2016), thesis, p. 7.

5. Mengmeng Li; Urban land use extraction from very high-resolution remote sensing images, University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, (2017), thesis, p. 2.

6. See the case of Roger v. Longsdon, where it was decided that artificial heaps of waste could become part of land when grass and trees grow on it.

7. S. H. Goo; Sourcebook on Land Law, 2 nd edition, Cavendish Publishing Limited , (1994), p. 862

8. Section 205 (1) (ix) of the law of Property Act 1925.

9. Kutnjem Amadou Monkaree, supra note 2, pp. 115 and 167.

10. (1942) 2 KB 32 at 35 and (1927) 1KB 577 at 584.

11. This Latinism means “let the buyer beware’’.

12. Joseph Nzalie Ebi; “Can a Contract of Sale of Land be Frustrated? Assessment of Damages in such Contracts. Clement Atungsiri Tangang v. Maxwell Fon Bamedig, suit N° Km/92/89 (Kumba Magestrates’ Court). (Unreported), Annales, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Dschang, Tome 5. Presses Universitaires d’Afrique, (2001), p. 139.

13. This is the rule articulated by Sir George Jessel, M.R., in the case of Partiman v. Harland (1881-5) ALL E.R 637. Sir George says “you may bargain to shut your eyes, but if you do willfully shut your eye, whether as a bargain or not, you must be held liable to the consequences of shutting your eyes’’.

14. S. H. Goo, supra note 7, pp. 107 110.

15. Latent defects are any encumbrances and any other adverse interests which a potential buyer cannot discover for himself by a reasonable inspection of the property and cover estate contracts, restrictive covenants, certain easements such as underground pipelines leases where the tenant is not in possession, etc. NJREL (2019) 1-12 © Law Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 10

16. This is found in Secti on 2 (1) of the Misrepresentation Act 1967.

17. Wilson v. Bloomfield (1979) 123 S.J. 860.

18. That is the right of easement.

19. S. H. Goo, supra note 7, p. 108.

20. The land charges search.

21. S.H. Goo, supra note 7, p. 110.

22. Joseph Nzalie Ebi, supra note 12, p. 135.

23. Joy Har cup; Green & Henderson: Land Law, 6th ed, Maxwell, (1995), p. 93.

24. (1981) 1 ALL E. R. 168. This is the executed contract theory.

25. Section 9 (a) of Decree N° 76/165 of 27 April, 1976 to establish the conditions for obtaining land certificate in Cameroon.

26. Sections 14-16 of Ordinance No. 74/01 of 6 July 1974. Section 14 (1) describes NLs are lands which at the date on which the present Ordinance enters into force, are not classified into the public or private property of the state and other public bodies. By Section 15, NLs shall be divided into two categories; 15 (1), lands occupied with houses, farms and plantations, grazing lands, manifestation of human presence and development, while 15 (2), lands free of any effective occupation.

27. Section 9 of the 2005 Decree for obtaining land certificate in Cameroon, revising certain provisions of the 1976/165 Decree.

28. In section 9 (a) of Decree No 76/165 of 27th April 1976 as amended by Decree N o 2005/481 of 16 December 2005.

29. Sub-section b of that Decree.

30. When it is regist ered in the name of a group, for example the family, it is not possible for the register to contain all the names of family members. Hence, only names of the principal members are registered and those who consequently become trustees of the family. A famil y head or principal or richest members of the family cannot register family land in his names without being guilty of misconduct. It is provided in section 10 of the Decree that “trustees for an inheritance may not inherit or obtain land certificates in th eir personal names.”

31. In this case, the foreigner registers instruments or documents in which he acquired land either by purchase, gift, or any other method of transfer. The registration culminates in the issue of a land certificate.

32. Section 6 (a) of the 1968 Law.

33. This may be possible under section 7 of the above law which gives Cameroonian nationality to a person who has one of the parents as Cameroonians, notwithstanding that it is the father or mother.

34. Section 12 of the 1968 Nationality Code of Cameroon.

35. Ibid, Section 24.

36. In law, a person is anyone who can exert legal rights or be compelled to perform legal duties. Corporations are legal bodies created by some process of the law, for example, by Royal Charter, or by registration under the Companies Acts, or by a special statute such as a Naturalisation Act or a private Act of Parliament.

37. See section 24 of the 1968 Law on Nationality Code of Cameroon.

38. The requirement is also risky in the customary law system of shifting cultivation were in order to ensure fertility of land, some pieces of land are abandoned to fallow for more than 10 years.

39. Mbitiji Mbitiji Michel; Lecture notes on Land Law, University of Dschang, Faculty of Law and Political Science, English Law Department (Unpublished), (2016/2017), p. 29.

40. Suit N° NWAC/049/SM/2014, with judgement N° 020/2015 of 10/12/2015.

41. The Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989.

42. The scope of Section 2 is nevertheless, limited by the judiciary in a number of cases: Spiro V . Glencrown Property Ltd (1991) CH 537, it was held that although the agreement for an option to purchase land had to comply with Section 2 as was decided in Commission for the New Town v. Cooper (GB) Ltd (1995) 2 ALLER 929, CA, the exercise of the option did not. It has been held that Section 2 does not apply to a collateral contract, not of itself a sale contract, which stand side by side with the main sale of land contract as was decided in Record v. Bell (1991) Conv. 471 (Harwood, M).

43. Section 4 of the Statute of Frauds 1677, which until July 1974. NJREL (2019) 1-12 © Law Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 11

44. Jaap Zevenbergen; Systems of Land Registration: Aspects and Effects, NCG, Nederlandse Commissie voor Geodesie, Netherlands Geodetic Commission, Delft, The Netherlands, (2002), P. 35.

45. Section 8 (1) of Ordinance N° 74/01.

46. A notary pub lic according Section 2 of Decree N° 95/034 of 24th January 1995, has been defined as “a public official instituted for the purpose of making all acts and contracts which the parties are required by law or desire to invest with the character of authenticity attaching to acts of public authority’’.

47. Cheshire, Fifoot & Furmston’s; Law of Contract, 13 th ed, Butterworths, London, Edinburg, Bublin, (1996), pp. 207-211.

48. Section 5 of Ordinance N° 94/01 of 6 July 1974 to establish rules governing land tenure in Cameroon.

49. Joseph Nzalie Ebi; Lecture notes on Contract Law, University of Dschang, Faculty of Law and Political Science (Unpublished), (2012), pp. 27-19.

50. Section 115 of Decree No 95/034 of 24 Febuary 1995, organising the Notarial Profession in Cameroon.

51. Section 7 (1) of Decree N° 79/17 of 13 January 1979 relating to private real property transactions.

52. The documents shall comprise: (a) the plan and demarcation report; (b) the town planning certificate; (c) the copy of the land certificate; and, (d) a certi ficate attesting that the state has waived the right of preemption provided for in Article 10 of Ordinance N° 74/01 of 6 July 1974 in the case where the owner is of foreign nationality’.

53. Section 7 (3) of Decree N° 79/17 of 13 January 1979 relating to priva te real property transactions.

54. Ibid, Section 7 (3).

55. Ibid, Section 8.

56. Ibid, Section 9.

57. Ibid, Section 10.

58. Joseph Nzalie Ebi, supra note 12, p. 28.

59. “Equity looks on that as done which ought to be done’’.

60. Except for fair wear and tear.

61. S. H. Goo, supra note 7, pp.131-132.

62. Joy Harcup, supra note 23, p. 96.

63. Section 1 (1) of Decree N° 2005/481 of 16 December 2005, to amend and supplement some provisions of Decree N°76/165 of 27 April 1976 to establish the conditions for obtaining land certificate.

64. Kevin Gray (1993), Elements of Land Law, 2nd ed., Butterworths, London, Dublin, Edinburgh, p. 192.

65. For example, see the case of Thames Guaranty Ltd v. Campbell (1985) QB 210 at 233C-D.

66. This is found in Article 2 of the 1976 Decree.

67. CASWP/11/2002.

68. Section 2 (5) of the 2005/281 Decree.

69. Article 1O (2) of the 1974/01 Land Ordinance states that no foreigner is permitted to buy land without the authority or consulting the Minister of Land Tenure and State Property for prior approval. That is the deed drawn up for this purpose needs the prior approval of the minister.

70. Yerima Kini Nsom, “Aminatou Ahidjo in Trouble over Dubious Land Sale ’’, Cameroon Postline, 6:36 pm, August 22 2016. Retrieved, https://cameroonpostline.com/aminatou- ahidjo-in--trouble-over-dubious-land-sale/ Gotten on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

71. The Preamble of 18 January 1996 Cameroon Constitution guarantees the rights of landowners to freely use, enjoy, manage and dispose of their land.

72. The procedure is laid down in Ordinance N° 74/03 of 6 July 1974 to e stablish procedures governing expropriation of land for public purpose and the terms and conditions of compensation.

73. Revised in 2016.

74. Suit N° CANWR/MS/21C/2010 and in the case of Sevitinyi Sylvester v. The People of Cameroon and Another , suit N° CANWR/MS/3C/2013.

75. (1828) 3 Russ 1.

76. This rule is advance to rebut the rule in Deale v. Hall.

77. Rodrick Ndi; Lecture note on Land Law and the Management of Agro Pastoral Conflicts in Cameroon, Community Development and Specialisation Training School Santa, (Unpublished), (2018), p. 69. NJREL (2019) 1-12 © Law Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 12

78. Mbitiji Mbitiji Michel, supra note 39, p. 32.

79. Trespass to land is a tort which may take three forms: a) entry upon another’s land; b) remaining on another’s land; and, c) placing or throwing any material object on another’ land.

80. (1914) 3 KB 98. Cite this Article Rodrick Ndi , Njulefac Protinus , Bafuke Evarestus Nji, Carine Chamboli Oke, Tanyi Irene Semvitur. Same Piece of Land in Cameroon: The Legal Implications . National Journal of Real Estate Law. 2019; 2(1): 1–12p.

Published

2019-09-10

Issue

Section

Transfer of Property Act, 1882