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LDBM000019/2000
香港特別行政區土地審裁處
建築物管理申請編號2000年第LDBM 19宗
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The Incorporated Owners of Village Garden |
申請人 |
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訴 |
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Land Asia Management Ltd. |
答辯人 |
主審法官：周兆熊法官
宣判日期：2000年5月8日
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判 決 書
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1. 申請人是位於香港Village Road 17號名為慧莉苑的業主立案法團（“法團”）。1999年1月26日，法團獲得註冊成為業主立案法團。通過本案，申請人追討答辯人從該大廈的管理戶口扣除的3個月經理人酬金，以及土地審裁處建築物管理申請1999年第47宗案件涉及的律師費用。
2. 1998年6月30日，慧莉苑的物業管理公司，宏景物業管理有限公司（“宏景”）（其後改名為Prestige Property Service Ltd.）委任答辯人為它的管理代理人，管理慧莉苑，它的任期是由1998年8月1日至1998年12月31日。
3. 1998年11月，答辯人向慧莉苑的業主發出一份“議決書”，它的主要內容如下：
“（一） 由置華物業服務有限公司代表本人/本司執行此議決，以三個月通知期終止宏景物業管理有限公司繼續為慧莉苑的大廈經理。
（二） 現在至宏景物業管理有限公司離任後，由置華物業服務有限公司接任成為慧莉苑的大廈經理。並繼任至慧莉苑業主的另行通知。”
4. 1998年12月22日，答辯人的律師致函宏景議決的結果。以下是該信的主要內容：
"......by a Resolution of the Owners of the Building, it was resolved by the Owners, inter alia, that your appointment as the manager of the Building be hereby terminated. The said Resolution of Owners represents represents in aggregate over 50% of the total undivided shares of the registered owners of the Building. Accordingly, the termination shall take effect after 3 calendars months from the date of service of this notice on you. In the premises, you will cease to be the manager of the Building after 18th March 1999.
Also, according to the Resolution of Owners, our client is appointed as the manager of the Building, we hereby give notice to you that in order to comply with the said Resolution Owners, our client will be and continue to be the manager of the Building including, for the avoidance of doubt, the months of December, 1998 to 18th March 1999."
5. 答辯人於1998年12月22日以書面通告知會慧莉苑各業主它得到超過半數業權人正式書面支持，接任為慧莉苑的大廈經理。
6. 1999年3月31日，法團知會答辯人第一太平戴維斯物業管理有限公司已獲聘為慧莉苑的管理公司，而該聘任將於5月1日生效。
7. 1999年2月，申請人替慧莉苑向Prestige Property Service Ltd. 提出訴訟，要求它將所有由1995年11月8日至1998年7月31日的帳目交出。在此訟訴行動，答辯人曾聘用律師作為它的代表，其後答辯人把該筆律師費（$28,000）從法團的戶口中扣除。
8. 1999年6月30日，答辯人的律師代表寄給法團一張面值$955,822.86的支票，那是法團管理戶口的餘款，但答辯人已從該戶口扣除$39,843.80作為三個月的經理人代通知金。
9. 本席首先要考慮前述的決議是否有效。慧莉苑的公契第14.01(l)條如下的規定：
"(l) A resolution in writing signed by the Owners who in the aggregate have vested in them for the time being more than one half of the Undivided Shares in the Land and the Development shall be as valid and effectual as if it has been passed at a duly convened meeting of the Owners Provided that in case of the resolution more particularly mentioned in Clause 15.01 such resolution must be signed by Owners who in the aggregate have vested in them for the time being not less than 75% of the Undivided Shares in the Land and the Development to make it as valid and effectual as if it has been passed at a duly convened meeting of the Owners;"
10. 根據《建築物管理條例》（“條例”）第34E條，附表7的條文須隱含地納入每一公契內，而憑藉條例納入公契內的條文對建築物的業主及經理人均具約朿力，而當憑藉條例納入公契內的條文與公契的任何其他條文不一致時，即以憑藉條例納入公契的條文為準。對終止經理人的委任，附表7第7段有下列的規定：
“(1) 除第5節另有規定外，法團在為有關目的而召開的業主大會上,可藉份數不少於50%的業主通過的決議，通知經理人終止其委任，而無需給予補償。
(2) 根據第(1)節作出的決議，只在符合以下條件方有效力
(a) 終止委任為書面形式；
(b) 其內所指明的通知期不少於3個月；
(c) 通知附有終止經理人委任的決議的副本；及
(d) 通知及決議副本於決議日期後不多於14天送達經理人。”
（劃線為原文所無）
11. 法團是在1999年1月26日才成立，故此附表7第7段的規定在此日之前並不適用於本案，但自1999年1月26日開始，附表7第7段則對法團具有約朿力。
12. 本席裁定上述根據公契第14.01(l)的規定而通過的議決是有效的議決,証物R2証實答辯人得到超過半數業權人的正式書面支持，接任為慧莉苑的大廈經理，而上述的業權人士之一是法團管理委員會的主席，亦即中請人的代表葉君焯先生。通過該議決，答辯人自1998年11月30日起，取代宏景的位置，成為慧莉苑的經理人，而法團在知會答辯人在1999年5月31日離開慧莉苑的管理時沒有給予三個月的通知，是違反公契4.01條的規定。法團亦沒有按照附表7第7段的規定以終止答辯人的委任。第4.01條的內容如下：
“4.01 Subject to the provisions of paragraph 7 of the Seventh Schedule to the Ordinance, the management of the Development shall be undertaken by the Management Company as the manager for a term of 2 years from the date hereof and thereafter until it is removed by a majority resolution of the Owners' Committee being passed giving the Management Company 3 months' prior notice through the Owner's Committee to terminate its service or if the Management Company resigns from such appointment by giving to the Owners' Committee (or the Owners if the Owners' Committee is not in being) not less than three (3) months' notice in writing served in the manner provided in paragraph 6 of the Seventh Schedule to the Ordinance Provided that no such notice shall be given by either party until the expiry of the initial term of 2 years. The appointment of any Manager as manager of the Land and the Development pursuant to any provisions hereunder shall also be terminated in case the Manager shall be wound up or a receiving order shall be made against it.”
13. 如果終止經理人的委任符合附表7的規定，則法團無須付予補償，反之，法團需付給答辯人補償，故此法團需給予答辯人三個月的經理人酬金作為補償。
法律費用
14. 有關提出訴訟及就訟訴行動而聘請律師，公契第5.01(w)及(af)條是公契內有關的條文；該條文的內容如下：
“5.01 ......the Manager ......shall have authority, to do all such acts and things as may be necessary or requisite for the management of the Development and the Land ...... :-
(w) To appoint solicitors and counsel when necessary with authority to accept service on behalf of all the Owners of all legal proceedings relating to the Development and the Land or any part thereof and, in particular but without limiting the foregoing, in all proceedings in which the Government shall be a party and at all times within 7 days of being requested so to do by the Director of Lands or other competent officer, to appoint a solicitor who shall undertake to accept service on behalf of all such Owners for the purpose of Order 10 Rule 1 of the Rules of the Supreme Court (or any provisions amending or in substitution for the same) or otherwise;
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(af) To commence, conduct, carry on and/or defend legal and other proceedings touching or concerning the Development and the Land or the management thereof on behalf of the Owners and all in the name of the Manager;
15. 上述的訴訟是答辯人代申請人向彩星（“宏景”），而聘用律師亦無需事先徵求法團的批準，故此答辯人並無違反公契的規定。
16. 基於上述的理由，本席撤銷申請人所有的申請。
申請人：由葉君焯及何春年先生代表。
答辯人：由崔偉康先生代表。
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