Villagers' Committee of North Shima, Yuecheng Town, Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province v. Zhejiang Shunyi Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
(A Case about Disputes over a Contract for Joint Development of Real Estate)
Supreme People's Court
Civil Judgment
No. 59 [2006] Civil Division I, Final
BASIC FACTS
Appellant (plaintiff in original trial): Villagers' Committee of North Shima, Yuecheng Town, Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province, residing at North Shima Village, Yuecheng Town, Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province.
Legal Representative: Li Longkang, Director of this Committee.
Attorney: Chen Xu, lawyer of Beijing Longan Law Firm.
Attorney: Zhao Hongshi, lawyer of Beijing Longan Law Firm.
Appellee (defendant in original trial): Zhejiang Shunyi Real Estate Development Co., Ltd, residing at Building 1, Lane 283, East Wansong Road, Anyang Town, Ruian City, Zhejiang Province.
Legal Representative: Yu Heping, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Attorney: Liu Xinwen, lawyer of Beijing Guangzhu Law Firm.
Attorney: Xu Bo, lawyer of Beijing Guangzhu Law Firm.
For a case of disputes over a contract for joint development of real estate between the appellant, Villagers' Committee of North Shima, Yuecheng Town, Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province (“Villagers' Committee”) and the appellee, Zhejiang Shunyi Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. (“Shunyi Company”), the Higher People's Court of Zhejiang Province rendered a civil judgment (No.7 [2005] Civil Division I, First Instance, Zhejiang) on May 18, 2006. Villagers' Committee appealed this judgment to this Court. This Court formed a collegial panel pursuant to law, and held a hearing of this case on November 8, 2006. Chen Xu and Zhao Hongshi, attorneys for the Villagers' Committee, and Shunyi Company's legal representative Yu Heping and attorney Liu Xinwen appeared in court. So far, the trial of this case has been concluded.
PROCEDURAL POSTURE
Through trial, the court of first instance found that: in January 2003, Yueqing Municipal Land and Resource Bureau requisitioned 700 mu of land collectively owned by Villagers' Committee, and returned 70 mu of the land to Villagers' Committee including Lot C-c41 at issue between both parties (hereinafter referred to as “Lot 7”) as land reserved for Villagers' Committee to make development and operation, run enterprises and construct residential areas for villagers. After the land was requisitioned, the rural land operation right contractors strongly demanded that land compensations be fully made up at the rate of 300,000 yuan per mu. The Villagers' Committee, after consulting with villager representatives, decided to develop Lot 7 to solve the problem of compensations to rural land operation right contractors. Several rounds of negotiations were conducted between the Villagers' Committee and Ruian Huitong Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Huitong Company”) over the development of the lot. After discussion at a Meeting of Villager Representatives of Villagers' Committee, Villagers' Committee entered into three agreements with Huitong Company on August 30, September 9 and October 16, 2003 respectively. Under the agreement dated August 30, in respect of the on-exchange assignment of Lot 7 (approximately 12.27 mu, see the illustration attached hereto), both parties agreed that: “1. A net assignment price of 50 million yuan shall be ensured for Villagers' Committee, i.e. Huitong Company shall pay Villagers' Committee 50 million yuan without regard to the wining price of Huitong Company for the land. The rights and obligations arising from policies and other provisions as well as changes thereof or other factors concerning this lot shall have nothing to do with Villagers' Committee. 2. Where this lot is acquired by a company other than Huitong Company through on-exchange assignment, if Villagers' Committee receives a net payment of less than 50 million yuan, Huitong Company shall make up the deficit; or if Villagers' Committee receives a net payment of more than 50 million yuan, the surplus shall be equally shared by both sides. 3. After the signing of this Agreement, Huitong Company shall pay a deposit of 30 million yuan (including 7 million yuan already paid) to Villagers' Committee before September 10, 2003. Any overpayment shall be refunded to or any deficit shall be made up by Huitong Company after the end of the on-exchange assignment. Huitong Company undertakes to complete the land assignment within about 6 months after this Agreement is executed. 4. This Agreement shall be made in duplicate, and each party shall hold one.” Under the agreement dated September 9, Villagers' Committee represented that it had a legitimate right to use land Lot 7, the area which was approximately 12.27 mu, and it was resolved at the Meeting of Villager Representatives to jointly develop the land with Huitong Company. To this end, both parties agreed that: “1. Villagers' Committee shall provide the aforesaid land use right, while Huitong Company shall mainly provide the fund, technology, management, operation and other resources. Both parties shall jointly develop the foregoing land, and share the proceeds therefrom in a prescribed proportion. 2. To show its sincerity of cooperation, Huitong Company shall prepay 30 million yuan to Villagers' Committee for the relevant front-end expenses for cooperation. 3. Huitong Company shall, from this day, forthwith assign and organize its staff to perform survey, measurement and design of this land, complete the relevant operating and technical data and drawings, and make necessary plans and advertising to raise the commercial value of the land. 4. Specific matters related to cooperation shall be discussed separately in detail. Neither party shall suspend cooperation before a detailed agreement is reached.” The Agreement dated October 16, 2003 provided that: “Villagers' Committee has a land lot returned by the state after being requisitioned, which is Lot 7 with an area of about 12.27 mu; Villagers' Committee represents that it has the legitimate right to use this land; after a series of Meetings of Villager Representatives convened by Villagers' Committee, it is resolved that the land will be jointly developed with Huitong Company; for this purpose, Huitong Company has paid 30 million yuan to Villagers' Committee, assigned personnel to handle the related work such as consulting, designing, survey and planning, basically completed all necessary work before land development, which has increased the land's value greatly. Now that this land must be subject to on-exchange assignment according to the requirements of the competent land authority of Yueqing City, both parties must renegotiate about the cooperation affairs. Upon a resolution at the Meeting of Villager Representatives, Villagers' Committee reached a new agreement with Huitong Company as follows: 1. To continue the cooperation between both sides, Huitong Company shall attend the bidding for the above land to be held by Yueqing City's land administration authority. If Huitong Company wins the right to use the land, in view of the appreciation of the land as a result of the human, financial and other resources put in by Huitong Company, both parties agree that: regardless of the amount of land assignment proceeds refunded by the competent land authority to Villagers' Committee after the on-exchange assignment of the land, the net gain of Villagers' Committee shall be 50 million yuan, and the surplus, together with 30 million yuan that Huitong Company had prepaid to Villagers' Committee, shall be refunded to Huitong Company as benefits for its input and efforts during previous cooperation. The refund shall be made within 7 days after Villagers' Committee receives the land assignment proceeds from the competent land authority; otherwise, a daily default penalty at a rate of 0.1% shall be imposed. Meanwhile, if Huitong Company has difficulty in paying the land assignment amount to the competent land authority, it may request Villagers' Committee to refund the prepaid 30 million yuan, and Villagers' Committee shall provide support. 2. If the right to use the above land is acquired by an entity other than Huitong Company through on-exchange assignment, Villagers' Committee shall refund the 30 million yuan to Huitong Company. If Yueqing City's land administration authority returns an amount of more than 50 million yuan to Villagers' Committee for the land assignment, the surplus shall be treated as profits from their front-end cooperation, and be shared equally by both parties. Subject to the time limit and default clause under paragraph 1, Villagers' Committee shall pay half of the profits to Huitong Company. 3. Huitong Company unconditionally undertakes that: since Huitong Company has promised that the total land value will be up to 50 million yuan after designing, planning and joint development, which is a prerequisite for Villagers' Committee consent to cooperation, if the land administration authority's refund to Villagers' Committee is less than 50 million yuan, Huitong Company shall make up the deficit to keep its promise. Otherwise, it shall be subject to a default penalty of 30 million yuan. 4. All agreements previously reached by both parties orally or in writing shall be superseded by this Agreement. 5. Under whatever circumstances, the above agreement of both parties on the determination of amount of benefits shall be irrevocably binding upon both sides. If the clauses of this Agreement are held void for any reason, the relevant amount in the clauses shall translate into compensation in the same amount.”
．．．．．． | | 浙江省樂清市樂城鎮石馬村村民委員會與浙江順益房地產開發有限公司合作開發房地產合同糾紛案
【裁判摘要】
根據《中華人民共和國村民委員會組織法》第十八條、第十九條的規定，村民會議由村民委員會召集，對于涉及村民利益的事項和村民會議認為應當由村民會議討論決定的涉及村民利益的其他事項，村民委員會必須提請村民會議討論決定後方可辦理。村民委員會經依法召集村民會議討論決定後與他人訂立的協議，應當認定為合法有效。
最高人民法院
民事判決書
(2006)民一終字第59號
上訴人(原審原告)：浙江省樂清市樂成鎮石馬北村村民委員會。
法定代表人：李龍康，村委會主任。
委托代理人：陳旭，北京市隆安律師事務所律師。
委托代理人：趙洪石，北京市隆安律師事務所律師。
被上訴人(原審被告)：浙江順益房地產開發有限公司。
法定代表人：余和平，董事長。
委托代理人：劉心穩，北京市廣住律師事務所律師。
委托代理人：徐波，北京市廣住律師事務所律師。
上訴人浙江省樂清市樂成鎮石馬北村村民委員會(以下簡稱村委會)與被上訴人浙江順益房地產開發有限公司(以下簡稱順益公司)合作開發房地產合同糾紛一案，浙江省高級人民法院于2006年5月18日作出(2005)浙民一初字第7號民事判決。村委會不服該判決，向本院提起上訴。本院依法組成合議庭，于2006年11月8日開庭審理了本案。村委會的委托代理人陳旭、趙洪石，順益公司的法定代表人余和平，委托代理人劉心穩到庭參加訴訟。本案現已審理終結。
一審法院經審理查明：2003年1月，村委會集體所有的土地700余畝被樂清市國土資源局征用，樂清市國土資源局返還村委會留用地指標70畝，其中包括雙方訟爭的C-c41地塊(以下簡稱7號地塊)，作為村委會從事開發經營、興辦企業及村民住宅用地。由于土地被征用後，土地承包戶強烈要求補足每畝30萬元的補償款，故村委會經村民代表會議討論，決定開發7號地塊，以解決土地承包戶的補償款問題。村委會與瑞安市彙通房地產開發有限公司 (以下簡稱彙通公司)多次協商開發該地塊。經村委會村民代表會議討論後，村委會與彙通公司先後于2003年8月30日、9月9日、10月16日簽訂了三份協議書。其中8月30日的協議書載明，雙方就7號地塊(約12．27畝，以附圖為准)掛牌出讓有關問題達成如下協議：1．確保村委會該地塊土地出讓淨值5000萬元，即無論彙通公司以任何價格取得該地，均應淨付給村委會 5000萬元。涉及該地塊的政策等規定及政策或其他一切因素的變化而產生的任何權利與義務均與村委會無關。2．若掛牌出讓時其他公司取得該地塊，村委會淨得出讓金少于5000萬元，不足部分由彙通公司補足；村委會淨得出讓金多于5000萬元，多余部分雙方各半分成。3．本協議簽訂後，彙通公司于2003年9月10日前付給村委會保證金3000萬元(包括已收700萬元)，掛牌結束後多退少補。彙通公司承諾本協議簽訂後約6個月完成該地塊出讓。4．本協議雙方各執一份為憑。9月9日的協議書載明，村委會承諾擁有7號地塊合法使用權，面積約為12．27畝，經村民代表大會決議，決定與彙通公司合作開發。為此，雙方就相關事宜形成協議如下：1．村委會提供上述土地使用權，彙通公司提供資金、技術、管理經營資源等為主進行開發事宜，雙方共同開發上述土地，然後按約定比例分成。2．為表示合作誠意，彙通公司先行支付 3000萬元前期資金到村委會賬戶，用于處理前期合作的相關費用等。3．彙通公司即日起抽調組織人員，對土地進行勘察、測量、設計，完成相關經營技術數據和圖紙，並進行必要的策劃和廣告，以提升該地塊的商業價值。4．合作的相關詳細事宜，另行協商。在詳細協議達成前，雙方合作事宜必須不停止執行。2003年10月16日的協議書載明，村委會擁有一塊被國家征用的返回地，面積約為12．27畝，規劃編號為7號地塊。對該地塊，村委會承諾持有合法使用權。村委會經多次召開村民代表大會決議，決定與彙通公司共同合作開發該地塊。為此，彙通公司支付村委會3000萬元，同時，抽調人員進行合作開發的咨詢、設計、勘察、策劃等工作，基本完成開發實施前的所有工作，使該地塊價值得以大幅度提升。現村委會提出，該地塊按樂清市土地主管機關要求，必須“掛牌”出讓，由此，必須對雙方合作事宜重新進行協商。村委會經村民代表大會決議後，重新與彙通公司達成如下協議：1．為了使雙方合作事務繼續下去，彙通公司參與樂清市土地主管機關就上述地塊掛牌出讓的競投。如由彙通公司取得該地塊權屬，鑒于雙方合作前彙通公司投入人、財等使地價上升等因素，雙方約定：不論土地主管機關掛牌出讓後返給村委會多少數額的土地出讓款項，村委會淨得額為5000萬元，多余部分作為彙通公司此前合作過程的投入和努力的受益分成，此款連同彙通公司已付村委會的3000萬元，由村委會一並返回給彙通公司。返回時間為村委會收到土地主管機關出讓款項的七天內，否則，按日萬分之十支付違約金。同時，彙通公司如支付土地主管機關出讓款資金緊張，則可以提前要求村委會返回原所交的3000萬元，村委會應予支持。2．如掛牌出讓由其他單位取得上述地塊權屬，則村委會返還彙通公司已投入支付的3000萬元。同時，樂清市土地主管機關返回村委會的土地出讓款額超過5000萬元的，超出部分屬雙方前期合作的收益，雙方各半分享，村委會應支付彙通公司享有的一半份額，支付時間及違約的條款同于第一條。3．彙通公司五條件保證，鑒于彙通公司曾承諾經設計策劃並進行合作開發的土地總地價將達到5000萬元，而此承諾作為村委會同意合作的前提，因此，如土地主管機關返回村委會款項少于5000萬元，則彙通公司保證補足，兌現承諾。否則承擔違約金3000萬元。4．協議達成前的雙方所作口頭、書面協議均作廢，以本協議為准。5．不論何種情形出現，雙方就上述利益數額確定方案，對雙方具有不可撤銷的效力，如協議條款因故無效，則條款的有關數額轉為同額賠償款。
協議書簽訂後，彙通公司根據雙方的約定先後支付給村委會3000萬元，並為該地塊的開發進行了前期設計、測量、資金籌集等工作。
2003年11月27日，彙通公司更名為順益公司。
2003年11月5日，村委會向樂清市國土資源局呈送報告，要求對7號地塊予以掛牌出讓。2004年1月22日，樂清市國土資源局對7號地塊使用權進行招標出讓，後由順益公司以1．565億元的價格競得。2004年2月27日，順益公司與樂清市國土資源局簽訂了《國有土地使用權出讓合同》。2004年3月8日至2004年5月12日，順益公司分五次向樂清市國土資源局交清了1．565億元土地出讓金。村委會根據其與順益公司的約定，將其中的8240萬元轉給了順益公司。
2005年7月11日，村委會向浙江省高級人民法院起訴，請求：確認雙方當事人在2003年10月16日簽訂的協議書無效，並返還村委會5240萬元；訴訟費由順益公司承擔。事實和理由為：2003年，樂清市國土資源局征用村委會土地700畝，按規定返還70畝作為村委會安置留用地，用于村民住宅和經營性開發。後村委會就該留用地中12．27畝的7號地塊與順益公司于 2003年8月30日、10月16日簽訂了兩份協議書。協議的大致意思為無論土地主管機關返還村委會的土地款是多少，村委會都淨得5000萬元，如由順益公司競得，則超出部分連同順益公司已付給村委會的 3000萬元保證金一並返回順益公司；如由其他單位競得，則超出部分雙方各半分成。 2004年1月22日，樂清市國土資源局依法對7號地塊土地使用權進行招標出讓，後由順益公司以1．565億元的價格競得。根據有關規定，樂清市政府又將該土地出讓金中的1．224億元返還給了村委會。 2004年4月21日、5月8日，村委會分兩次通過轉賬形式共付給了順益公司8240萬元(該款項包含了村委會返還順益公司的1000萬元保證金)。
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