LNS 2011-1-1197
LNS 2011-1-1197
LNS 2011-1-1197
(BAHAGIAN DAGANG)
ANTARA
DAN
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Cempaka Finance Bhd v. Ho Lai Ying & Anor [2006] 3 CLJ 544 (refd)
Credit Corp (M) Bhd v. Bulan Sabit Sdn Bhd & Ors [1989] 1 CLJ (Rep)
444 (refd)
Dato Yap Peng Eng & Ors v. Public Bank Bhd & Ors [1997] 4 CLJ 115
(refd)
Gimstern Corp (M) Sdn Bhd & Anor v. Global Insurance Co Sdn Bhd
[1987] CLJ (Rep) 102 (foll)
Guan Aik Moh (KL) Sdn Bhd & Anor v. Selangor Properties Bhd [2007] 3
CLJ 695 (refd)
Kin Nam Development Sdn Bhd v. Khau Daw Yau [1984] 1 CLJ (Rep) 181
(refd)
Leong Weng Choon v. Consolidated Leasing (M) Sdn Bhd [1998] 3 CLJ
619 (refd)
Moorgate Mercantile Co. Ltd v. Finch and Read [1962] 3 WLR 110 (refd)
OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd & Anor v. Sin Lee Meng Farm Bhd & Ors
[2002] 7 CLJ 433 (dist)
Yee Seng Plantations Sdn Bhd v. Kerajaan Negeri Terengganu & Ors
[2000] 3 CLJ 666 (refd)
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GROUNDS OF DECISION
The Facts
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[2] Pursuant to the said agreement, the 1 s t Defendant inter alia agreed
to pay the Plaintiff 48 monthly installments of RM10,269.00 per month on
or before the 1 st of each month with effect from 1.9.1997; with the final
installment being a sum of RM10,240.20. The 2 nd and 3 rd Defendants,
jointly and severally agreed to indemnify the Plaintiff against any loss or
damage “whatsoever resulting or arising and of any breach or non
performance by the” 1 st Defendant of its obligations and duties under the
said agreement.
[4] Miss Shirley Ong Gek Lian [PW2], Assistant Manager of the
Plaintiff bank was the Plaintiffs principal witness. On 19.8.1999,
according to PW2, the Plaintiff caused its solicitors to issue a “Letter of
Demand cum Recall to demand for the payment of arrears and accruing
interest and also to recall the whole outstanding amount under the said
Hire Purchase Agreement”. When that failed to elicit any payment, on
27.10.1999, the Plaintiff filed Civil Action No: D3-22-2886-1999 in the
High Court in Kuala Lumpur against only the 1 s t Defendant seeking
recovery of the sums due together with interest. I shall refer to those
legal proceedings as the “First Suit”. The First Suit was suspended to
allow the parties to negotiate a settlement of five accounts that the 1 s t
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Defendant held with the Plaintiff, including the account relating to the
present claim.
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19.5.2004 till the date of full settlement. A fresh action, the present action
was then initiated to claim the outstanding sum due under the said
agreement.
[9] Dealing first with the matter of limitation, I am of the opinion that
the claim is not time-barred. In this case, the right of action arises not
from the date when the payment ought to have been made but from the
date of last payment. That was on 31.7.1998 as admitted by DW1 where
he made a payment of a sum of RM7,200.00. The present claim was
filed on 30.6.2004, about one month before limitation would have set in.
The present claim in fact bears the filing details of S2-22-988-2004.
However, the claim was transferred from the Civil Division of the High
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Court to the Commercial Division some time in 2009 and now bears the
suit number of D22-1198-2009. The claim is therefore not time-barred.
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[12] The main argument concerns the matter of the theft of the said
machine. It is the submission of Mr. N. Nathan, learned counsel for the
Defendant that the Plaintiff had a duty to mitigate upon the breach of the
Defendants. That duty included the responsibility and the task of
physically re-possessing the said machine the moment the default
occurred. From the facts, it was argued that the Plaintiff had ample time
to repossess and resell the said machine. In fact, since the Defendant’s
last payment in July 1998. When it failed to do so and when it was
stolen, the Plaintiff had only itself to blame. It was further argued that the
obligation to repossess the said machine and resell was mandatory
under section 16 of Act 212. In the event the Defendants were found
liable to pay, the Defendants contended that such obligation must only
be till the date of theft, that is, on 29.5.2001 and not the continuing loss
as claimed.
[14] With respect, I do not find the decision in OCBC Bank (Malaysia)
Bhd & Anor v. Sin Lee Meng Farm Bhd & Ors supportive of the
contention by the Plaintiff that it was not obliged to retake possession of
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the said machine. The circumstances there were vastly different from
those presented here. Of significance is the fact that there was no
repossession exercised by the plaintiff in that case, including an issue of
a notice to repossess. Also, one of the principal arguments taken
concerned the value secured from the resale of the hired goods in
question. Again, this did not happen in the instant case as the said
machine was stolen. So, when his lordship said that he “accepted” the
plaintiffs reply on its efforts at repossession, it must be understood in the
particular facts and circumstances of that case.
(a) make default in punctually paying the initial payment or any of the hire
rentals or any other sums payable under this Agreement (whether
demanded or not), or
(d) fail to observe and perform any of the terms conditions and stipulations on
his part herein contained or
(e) do any act or thing which in the Owner’s opinion may prejudice or
jeopardize its rights of ownership of the goods or
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then it shall be lawful for the Owner (but without prejudice to the Owner’s claim
for arrears of hire or damages for breach of Agreement and without
discharging any liability of the Hirer and without discharging any liability of the
Hirer to the Owner) without notice to terminate the hiring or by written notice
sent (by post or otherwise) to or left at the Hirer’s last known address forthwith
to determine this hiring, and the Owner’s consent to the Hirer’s possession of
the said goods shall be deemed to be withdrawn and the Hirer shall forthwith
at the Hirer’s expense deliver up the said goods to the Owner and the Owner
and its servants or agents shall be entitled without any notice to enter upon
any premises where the said goods may be and seize and take possession
thereof and to recover all charges costs and expenses incurred in connection
therewith.”
[16] This is how I read clause 5 together with the other provisions in the
said agreement. Clause 5 spells the rights and obligations of parties in
the event of a default on the part of the 1 s t Defendant. The 1 s t Defendant
can be in default in any one of those circumstances set out from clause
5(a) to (f). When that happens, the Plaintiff has the right not only to a
claim for arrears as damages but also the right to terminate the said
agreement. What clause 5 gives to the Plaintiff is the right to terminate
the agreement without the need to notify the 1 s t Defendant. It also gives
the Plaintiff the alternative right to terminate by sending a written notice
to the 1 s t Defendant’s last known address. Now, what clause 5 goes on
to provide is that with this termination, the Plaintiff’s consent to the 1 s t
Defendant’s possession to the said machine is deemed withdrawn.
Clause 1 of the said agreement has already provided that the property in
the said machine always resided in the Plaintiff. Since the Plaintiff has
withdrawn its consent to the 1 s t Defendant’s possession of the said
machine, the 1 s t Defendant is required to deliver up possession of the
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[17] But, clause 5 does not end there. It also gives the Plaintiff a right
to enter the 1 s t Defendant’s premises where the said machine is and to
take possession of the machine. The Plaintiff can do so without notice to
the 1 s t Defendant. The Plaintiff is also entitled to recover the charges,
costs and expenses related with this repossession of the said machine.
Logically, this must be where the 1 st Defendant either does not deliver up
the said machine to the Plaintiff or, where the Plaintiff itself wants to take
repossession without waiting for the 1 st Defendant to do so. The problem
is where the Plaintiff chooses not to do.
[18] Putting all that into the factual context, the failure of the 1 st
Defendant to pay the agreed monthly installments is clearly one of the
breaches identified in clause 5. That is irrefutable. Aside from its right to
damages which the Plaintiff enforced through the collection of monthly
repayments the last of which was on 31.7.1998, the Plaintiff had the right
to terminate the said agreement. So, when the Plaintiff issued the Notice
of Intention to Re-possess on 17.3.1998, the Plaintiff had implicitly and
effectively terminated the Agreement and was now notifying the 1 st
Defendant of its intention to repossess since that right to repossess only
arises when the Agreement has been terminated and not before. As
discussed earlier, Clause 5 clearly provides the Plaintiff with the right to
terminate without notice. The Plaintiff’s termination is also reflected in
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the filing of the First Suit. That initiation of legal process cannot mean
anything else but the termination of the said agreement.
[20] Bearing in mind that the property in the said machine always
resided in the Plaintiff, and that consent of the 1 s t Defendant’s
possession had been withdrawn with the 1 s t Defendant’s breach; the
Plaintiff ought to have taken steps towards physical repossession of the
said machine when the 1 s t Defendant failed or did not deliver up the said
machine. Otherwise, it does not make any sense to provide for such
right and still insist that the obligation is with the 1 st Defendant to deliver
up the said machine. In Moorgate Mercantile Co. Ltd v. Finch and
Read [1962] 3 WLR 110, the English Court of Appeal opined that where
a breach of any term or condition entitled the owners of the vehicle in
question to immediately recover possession of that vehicle, a claim for
conversion may in fact be initiated for continued possession of the
vehicle in question. Hence, when the theft of the said machine occurred
on 29.5.2001, it was theft of the Plaintiff’s said machine and not that of
the Hirer, the 1 s t Defendant.
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[21] Related to this is the issue of the obligation to mitigate. This duty
arises from the time of breach by the 1 s t Defendant - Credit Corp (M)
Bhd v. Bulan Sabit Sdn Bhd & Ors [1989] 1 CLJ (Rep) 444. Here, the
Plaintiff ought to have mitigated by taking repossession of the said
machine when the 1 s t Defendant failed to do so and then reselling it.
Ordinarily, the Plaintiff would have been entitled to claim for the balance
outstanding under the said agreement less the value of the said machine
at the time when it was returned to the Plaintiff. This can be seen from
the Court of Appeal’s decision in Leong Weng Choon v. Consolidated
Leasing (M) Sdn Bhd [1998] 3 CLJ 619. However, that value is
unavailable as the said machine was never returned or repossessed.
Since the Plaintiff failed to mitigate its loss; I am of the view that the
Plaintiff is only entitled to the balance outstanding up to when the Plaintiff
was notified of the theft, that is on 8.6.2001.
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provision in the contract for such an event. When such events occur, the
contract is brought to an end and the parties are discharged from their
contractual obligations. These principles are extensively discussed in
the Federal Court decision in Kin Nam Development Sdn Bhd v. Khau
Daw Yau [1984] 1 CLJ (Rep) 181 and the Court of Appeal’s decisions in
Guan Aik Moh (KL) Sdn Bhd & Anor v. Selangor Properties Bhd
[2007] 3 CLJ 695, Yee Seng Plantations Sdn Bhd v. Kerajaan Negeri
Terengganu & Ors [2000] 3 CLJ 666 and Dato Yap Peng Eng & Ors v.
Public Bank Bhd & Ors [1997] 4 CLJ 115. In all these cases which
examined and applied the English cases on the same point, it will be
seen that there is no frustration where there is fault involved or where it
is self-induced.
[24] The facts and the decision of the Court of Appeal in Guan Aik Moh
(KL) Sdn Bhd & Anor v. Selangor Properties Bhd [2007] 3 CLJ 695
are actually most insightful. Like the Court of Appeal in that decision,
similarly I have spent some anxious moments considering the application
of the doctrine of frustration to the facts of this case. But, after careful
consideration, I find that the principle actually has no application in the
facts of this case. This is because the 1 s t Defendant was already in
default when it did not keep up with the agreed monthly repayments
when the theft occurred. More importantly, the theft of the said machine
did not occasion the default in repayments by the Defendant. The
breach had already occurred and the Plaintiff had terminated the said
agreement for the reasons earlier discussed. Hence, the authorities
cited need not be addressed. The doctrine of frustration is therefore
irrelevant for consideration and determination.
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[25] In the matter of quantum, the complaint is not over the calculation
of the principal sum. Instead, the parties expended considerable time
and focus arguing on the imposition of interest.
[26] The issue of the interest is this. The Plaintiff’s imposition of interest
is contained in the two letters of offer dated 18.7.1997 and 23.7.1997
that preceded the said agreement. The various rates of interest are set
out in those letters. The Defendants argued that the Plaintiff was not
entitled to any interest as the second letter of offer superceded the first
letter of offer. Under the terms of the second letter of offer, there was no
mention of any interest. Hence, it was argued that no interest can be
imposed. Therefore, when the Plaintiff sought to calculate its claim and
prepare all its documentation with an inclusion of an element of interest
under the 1 st letter of offer, it was contended that all calculations as well
as the claim was in error and must be dismissed.
[27] With respect to the Defendants, I must disagree. In the first place,
the Plaintiff has not founded its claim on the letters of offer. From the
Statement of Claim, it is clear that the Plaintiff has relied on the said
agreement and not on the letters of offer which are not even pleaded. If
the parties are to rely on the letters of offer in any respect, there must be
appropriate provisions in the said agreement to that effect. There are
none. Instead, there is the said agreement and its terms. That is more
important and relevant. The letters of offer provide the factual matrix
against which that agreement is to be appreciated. As for the imposition
of interest, it must be that which is provided under the said agreement.
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In this regard, clause 2 of the said agreement expressly provides for the
payment of interest:-
[29] I have already dealt with the issue of interest. As for the
discrepancy, the allegation is this - that instead of an entry of the sum of
RM10,204.20, a sum of RM10,240.20 was entered. The difference
between the two figures is what is said to be an “excess of RM36.00”.
After having listened to the evidence of PW2, I find her explanation
entirely plausible and credible. According to her, one had to look at both
figures that were typed in, one at the top of the page, the other at the
bottom. The entry was correct at the top but not the bottom. “There was
a typo error at the bottom.” I have looked at pages 27 and 58 of Bundle
A where the figures appear and I am entirely satisfied that this was in
fact a “typo” error as explained by PW2. In the circumstances, the
Statement of Account binds the parties as to the conclusiveness of the
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Counsel:
For the defendants - N Nathan (together with Nur Siti Salwa); M/s Kumar
Jaspal Quah & Aishah
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