The Incorporated Owners of Blocks F1 To F7 of Pearl Island Holiday Flats 訴 the Incorporated Owners of Pearl Island Garden and Others

LDBM000284/2000

LDBM 284/2000

香港特別行政區

土地審裁處

建築物管理申請編號LDBM 2000年第284宗

主審法官：周兆熊法官

宣判日期：2001年1月17日

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判 案 書

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1. 申請人與三位答辯人都是位於青山道龍珠島上各地段建築物的業主立案法團。龍珠島是一個小島，但此小島與九龍半島是由一條道路所連接。此道路便是申請通知書內指稱的“approach road”。申請人與三位答辯人皆需使用此approach road以使它們的業主成員得以往來九龍半島。

2. 申請人要求土地審裁處裁定下述的法律問題：

"all costs and expenses for the maintenance and repair of the said approach road in the proportion of 70% thereof to be paid and borne by the First Owners" (para. 3 of Deed of Grant of Right of Way memorial no. 287450 registered in 1971).

3. 申請人要求三位答辯人支付予申請人下列的費用：

"(1) 70% of Legal Fee (case A11202/1995 ongoing) = HK$665,000.00 (approx.)

(2) 70% of other maintenance expenses = HK$74,000.00 (approx.)

(3) Future expenses for Road Control, etc."

4. 於2000年12月19日的審訊期間，與訟各方就上述第(2)項的申請達成和解協議，而本席亦在與訟各方的同意和要求下，把第(3)項申請的審訊無限期押後，故此本席需要裁決的，袛是第一項的申請。

5. 申請人賴以支持第一項申請的，是在1971年於元朗地政處編號為287450的契據的第3條。該條有以下的規定：

"The parties hereto do and each of them doth hereby covenant with the other party or parties of them that they will at all times hereafter pay all costs and expenses for the maintenance and repair of the said common causeway and the said approach road in the proportions as 70% thereof to be paid and borne by the First Owner and as to the remaining 30% thereof to be paid and borne by the Second Owner."

（原文無劃線）

6. 本案的第一、第二答辯人在高等法院A11202/1995一案（“A11202案件”）分別是該案的第一及第二原告，而本案的申請人則是該案的被告。本案的第三答辯人則並不涉及該案。1995年10月31日高等法院的經歷司在該案頒佈下列的命令：

"IT IS ORDERED that :-

1. An injunction be granted restraining the Defendants whether by themselves or any of them on their servants or agents or otherwise howsoever from partitioning, designating, inclosing, restricting and/or otherwise parting with exclusive possession or parting with possession of the Approach Road more particularly described in the Writ of Summons herein, or any part thereof, and/or from licensing, leasing, letting, subletting or assigning or obstructing or procuring any obstructions or otherwise howsoever disposing of the Approach Road by permitting and/or designating the same or any part thereof for specified car parking spaces or any car parking spaces for the use of the Defendants to the exclusion of other 10-owners until further order of the Court; and

2. The costs of this application be reserved."

（原文無劃線）

7. 上述的命令，反映出該案的爭議是有關Approach Road或它的部份被改為泊車處的事情。

8. 申請人指稱契約第3條的 "maintenance and repair" 一詞的含意涵蓋法律費用，故此三位答辯人須分擔A11202案件的法律費用。

9. The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary（1993年版）對 "maintenance" 一字有以下的釋義：

"The action of keeping something in working order, in repair, etc;"

該字典對“repair”一字有下列的釋義：

"The action or process of restoring something to unimpaired condition by replacing or fixing worn or damaged parts; the result of this."

10. 在第3條之前的第1和第2條賦予有關人士使用契據中述及的 “causeway”及“approach road”的權利。該2條的條款後述如下：

"1. In pursuance of the said agreement and in consideration of the grants hereinafter to be made by the Second Owner the First Owner DOTH_ hereby grant and the Mortgagee DOTH hereby grant and confirm unto the Second Owner the full right and liberty for the Second Owner his tenants servants workmen visitors licensees and other persons and co-owners by them authorised in common with the First Owner by day and by night for all purposes connected with the proper use and enjoyment of the second premises to go pass and repass whether with or without vehicles over and along and upon the causeway erected on such portion of the first premises as shown on the said Plan and thereon coloured Green hatched Black TO HOLD the said right and liberty unto the Second Owner and the other co-owners of the second premises absolutely.

2. In further pursuance of the said agreement and in consideration of the grants hereinbefore made by the First Owner the Second Owner DOTH hereby grant unto the First Owner the full right and liberty for the First Owner its tenants servants workmen visitors licensees and other persons and co-owners by them authorised in common with the Second Owner by day and by night for all purposes connected with the proper use and enjoyment of the second premises to go pass and repass whether with or without vehicles over and along and upon the approach road erected on such portion of the second premises as shown on the said Plan and thereon coloured Pink hatched Black TO HOLD the said right and liberty unto the First Owner and other co-owners of the first premises absolutely."

（原文無劃線）

11. 既然有行人及車輛使用 "causeway" 及 "approach road"， "causeway" 及 "approach road" 便會有所損耗，因而需要維修及補養 （maintenance and repair），而使用此 "causeway" 及 "approach road" 均為分別屬於 First Owner 及 Second Owner 的 tenants, servants, workmen, visitors和 licensees 等人， 故此 First Owner 及 Second Owner 均對 "causeway" 和 "approach road" 負有維修及保養的費用，因而這些負擔的責任便清楚地在第3條界訂下來，以此原故第3條與法律費用並無任何關係，而A11202一案與 "causeway" 及 "approach road" 的 "maintenance" 及 "repair" 亦毫無關係，故此申請人並無法律的根據向三位答辯人索償。

12. 基於上述的理由，本席撤銷申請人的申請。

訟費

13. 本席頒下臨時訟費的命令：申請人須支付三位答辯人有關第1項申請的訟費。如與訟各方未能議定訟費的款額，則該款額由法庭審定。如與訟各方在21天之內不提出反對，則此訟費的命令作實。

申請人：由謝顯強先生代表。

第一答辯人：由王麗珠女士代表。

第二答辯人：由葉泉先生代表。

第三答辯人：由李潔蓮女士代表。