KWOK FAI WEALTH INVESTMENT LTED v. HUI KAM CHEUNG
The judge exercised discretion to reduce the plaintiff's costs entitlement because the plaintiff raised additional preliminary issues late in the trial causing delay and was not wholly successful on issues under the Money Lenders Ordinance, but plaintiff succeeded on core issues affecting enforcement so a split...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2018] HKDC 681
- Parties
- Plaintiff: KWOK FAI WEALTH INVESTMENT LIMITED (幗暉創富投資有限公司); Defendant: HUI KAM CHEUNG (許金祥)
- Court
- District Court
- Jurisdiction
- Hong Kong
- Judgment Date
- 13 June 2018
- Case Number
- DCCJ4258/2015
- Procedural Posture
- Civil Debt Enforcement (loan Agreement) / Costs Application Following Judgment
- Outcome
- Costs order varied: defendant ordered to pay defined portions of the costs; plaintiff awarded 50% of costs of this costs-application.
- Legal Topics
- Costs, Enforcement of Loan Agreement, Money Lenders Ordinance (放債人條例), Preliminary Issues
- Source Language
- ch
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
KWOK FAI WEALTH INVESTMENT LIMITED (幗暉創富投資有限公司)
Plaintiff
HUI KAM CHEUNG (許金祥)
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Civil Debt Enforcement (loan Agreement) / Costs Application Following Judgment
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether plaintiff entitled to whole costs as successful party
- 2 Whether plaintiff engaged in conduct disentitling it to costs
- 3 Allocation of costs for preliminary issues raised late
Ratio Decidendi
The judge exercised discretion to reduce the plaintiff's costs entitlement because the plaintiff raised additional preliminary issues late in the trial causing delay and was not wholly successful on issues under the Money Lenders Ordinance, but plaintiff succeeded on core issues affecting enforcement so a split costs order was appropriate.
Court Disposition
Costs order varied: defendant ordered to pay defined portions of the costs; plaintiff awarded 50% of costs of this costs-application.
Orders
- Defendant to pay to plaintiff: (1) the costs (including counsel's certificate) from 29 November 2017; (2) 50% of the costs (including counsel's certificate) on or before 28 November 2017; excluding the costs of 24 November 2017 (first day of trial) which dealt only with the preliminary issue; if parties cannot agree...
- For this application (the costs application brought by the plaintiff on 7 February 2018) defendant to pay 50% of the costs, including counsel's certificate; if parties cannot agree on the amount, assessment by the taxing officer.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
DCCJ 4258/2015 [2018] HKDC 681 香港特別行政區 區域法院 民事訴訟案件2015年第4258號 --------------------------------- 原告人 KWOK FAI WEALTH INVESTMENT LIMITED （幗暉創富投資有限公司） 及 被告人 HUI KAM CHEUNG（許金祥） ---------------------------- 主審法官：區域法院暫委法官周敏慧內庭聆訊 聆訊日期：2018年3月14日 判決書日期：2018年 6月13日 -------------------- 判決書 -------------------- 本席於2018年1月12日就此案頒發判案書（“該判案書”）。原告人於2018年2月7日發出傳票，申請將本席頒布之暫准訟費令更改如下︰ “被告人向原告人支付本案之訟費，包括大律師證 書，若雙方未能就訟費金額達成協議，由聆案官評定” 原告人指，根據《香港民事程序》2018版第62/2/6段所述，如一方當事人成功地執行他的法律權利，而沒有不當行為的話，他有權得到訟費。按原告人的陳述，在本案中，原告要求執行貸款合同下原告的權利並成功，其中沒有任何不當行為，因此應得到整件案件的訟費。再者，在雙方的爭議點中，原告在所有爭議點中的版本均為法庭接納（在所有雙方的爭議點中原告均獲勝訴），而法庭亦依賴這些原告在所有爭議點中的版本作出判決，因此沒有理由原告不能獲得整件案件的訟費。 對於原告人在進行申索的過程中，沒有任何不當行為的說法，本席未能接受。該判案書第9-18段處理的是原告人在與被告人簽訂了爭議點同意書後額外提出的爭議點（“初步爭議”）。本席在處理初步爭議的訟費時，已表明就該爭議而言，原告人並不是勝訴一方，亦指出問題應可在較早時間提出，而不是待至審訊開始後才提出。正因為原告人在審訊開始才提出初步爭議，審訊受到延誤。雖然就初步爭議涉及的訟費，本席已判定不作訟費命令，但本席認為原告人就此申請作出原告人獲勝訴的陳述，是沒有全面反映實情。此外，就《放債人條例》的爭議點，原告人亦非全面勝訴，法庭只准予強制執行借貸合約的部份範圍。 不過，不竟原告人在借貸總額、協議利息、被告人是否明白協議內容，以及還款總額的議題上均取得成功，而這些議題對於強制執行借貸合約的範圍均有影響。鑑於這些議題對判決結果的影響可予以較大的肯定，本席判定訟費令應改至 — “被告人須向原告人支付 1)由2017年11月29日起的訟費（包括大律師證書）；2) 2017年11月28日或之前的訟費（包括大律師證書）的50%，但不包括2017年11月24日審訊第一天的訟費，因當天只是處理初步爭議。若雙方未能就訟費金額達成協議，由聆案官評定。” 5. 就此申請的訟費，原告人並非全面成功。本席命令被告人須向原告人支付此申請訟費的50%，包括大律師證書。若雙方未能就訟費金額達成協議，由聆案官評定。 （ 周敏慧 ） 區域法院暫委法官 原告人：由周成康律師行延聘林向榮大律師代表 被告人：沒有律師代表，並親自應訊