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)@#
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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.”@#
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浙江省乐清市乐城镇石马村村民委员会与浙江顺益房地产开发有限公司合作开发房地产合同纠纷案@#
【裁判摘要】@#
根据《中华人民共和国村民委员会组织法》第十八条、第十九条的规定，村民会议由村民委员会召集，对于涉及村民利益的事项和村民会议认为应当由村民会议讨论决定的涉及村民利益的其他事项，村民委员会必须提请村民会议讨论决定后方可办理。村民委员会经依法召集村民会议讨论决定后与他人订立的协议，应当认定为合法有效。@#
最高人民法院@#
民事判决书@#
(2006)民一终字第59号@#
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上诉人(原审原告)：浙江省乐清市乐成镇石马北村村民委员会，住所地：浙江省乐清市乐成镇石马北村。@#
法定代表人：李龙康，村委会主任。@#
委托代理人：陈旭，北京市隆安律师事务所律师。@#
委托代理人：赵洪石，北京市隆安律师事务所律师。@#
被上诉人(原审被告)：浙江顺益房地产开发有限公司，住所地：浙江省瑞安市安阳镇万松东路283弄1幢。@#
法定代表人：余和平，董事长。@#
委托代理人：刘心稳，北京市广住律师事务所律师。@#
委托代理人：徐波，北京市广住律师事务所律师。@#
上诉人浙江省乐清市乐成镇石马北村村民委员会(以下简称村委会)与被上诉人浙江顺益房地产开发有限公司(以下简称顺益公司)合作开发房地产合同纠纷一案，浙江省高级人民法院于2006年5月18日作出(2005)浙民一初字第7号民事判决。村委会不服该判决，向本院提起上诉。本院依法组成合议庭，于2006年11月8日开庭审理了本案。村委会的委托代理人陈旭、赵洪石，顺益公司的法定代表人余和平，委托代理人刘心稳到庭参加诉讼。本案现已审理终结。@#
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一审法院经审理查明：2003年1月，村委会集体所有的土地700余亩被乐清市国土资源局征用，乐清市国土资源局返还村委会留用地指标70亩，其中包括双方讼争的C-c41地块(以下简称7号地块)，作为村委会从事开发经营、兴办企业及村民住宅用地。由于土地被征用后，土地承包户强烈要求补足每亩30万元的补偿款，故村委会经村民代表会议讨论，决定开发7号地块，以解决土地承包户的补偿款问题。村委会与瑞安市汇通房地产开发有限公司 (以下简称汇通公司)多次协商开发该地块。经村委会村民代表会议讨论后，村委会与汇通公司先后于2003年8月30日、9月9日、10月16日签订了三份协议书。其中8月30日的协议书载明，双方就7号地块(约12．27亩，以附图为准)挂牌出让有关问题达成如下协议：1．确保村委会该地块土地出让净值5000万元，即无论汇通公司以任何价格取得该地，均应净付给村委会 5000万元。涉及该地块的政策等规定及政策或其他一切因素的变化而产生的任何权利与义务均与村委会无关。2．若挂牌出让时其他公司取得该地块，村委会净得出让金少于5000万元，不足部分由汇通公司补足；村委会净得出让金多于5000万元，多余部分双方各半分成。3．本协议签订后，汇通公司于2003年9月10日前付给村委会保证金3000万元(包括已收700万元)，挂牌结束后多退少补。汇通公司承诺本协议签订后约6个月完成该地块出让。4．本协议双方各执一份为凭。9月9日的协议书载明，村委会承诺拥有7号地块合法使用权，面积约为12．27亩，经村民代表大会决议，决定与汇通公司合作开发。为此，双方就相关事宜形成协议如下：1．村委会提供上述土地使用权，汇通公司提供资金、技术、管理经营资源等为主进行开发事宜，双方共同开发上述土地，然后按约定比例分成。2．为表示合作诚意，汇通公司先行支付 3000万元前期资金到村委会账户，用于处理前期合作的相关费用等。3．汇通公司即日起抽调组织人员，对土地进行勘察、测量、设计，完成相关经营技术数据和图纸，并进行必要的策划和广告，以提升该地块的商业价值。4．合作的相关详细事宜，另行协商。在详细协议达成前，双方合作事宜必须不停止执行。2003年10月16日的协议书载明，村委会拥有一块被国家征用的返回地，面积约为12．27亩，规划编号为7号地块。对该地块，村委会承诺持有合法使用权。村委会经多次召开村民代表大会决议，决定与汇通公司共同合作开发该地块。为此，汇通公司支付村委会3000万元，同时，抽调人员进行合作开发的咨询、设计、勘察、策划等工作，基本完成开发实施前的所有工作，使该地块价值得以大幅度提升。现村委会提出，该地块按乐清市土地主管机关要求，必须“挂牌”出让，由此，必须对双方合作事宜重新进行协商。村委会经村民代表大会决议后，重新与汇通公司达成如下协议：1．为了使双方合作事务继续下去，汇通公司参与乐清市土地主管机关就上述地块挂牌出让的竞投。如由汇通公司取得该地块权属，鉴于双方合作前汇通公司投入人、财等使地价上升等因素，双方约定：不论土地主管机关挂牌出让后返给村委会多少数额的土地出让款项，村委会净得额为5000万元，多余部分作为汇通公司此前合作过程的投入和努力的受益分成，此款连同汇通公司已付村委会的3000万元，由村委会一并返回给汇通公司。返回时间为村委会收到土地主管机关出让款项的七天内，否则，按日万分之十支付违约金。同时，汇通公司如支付土地主管机关出让款资金紧张，则可以提前要求村委会返回原所交的3000万元，村委会应予支持。2．如挂牌出让由其他单位取得上述地块权属，则村委会返还汇通公司已投入支付的3000万元。同时，乐清市土地主管机关返回村委会的土地出让款额超过5000万元的，超出部分属双方前期合作的收益，双方各半分享，村委会应支付汇通公司享有的一半份额，支付时间及违约的条款同于第一条。3．汇通公司五条件保证，鉴于汇通公司曾承诺经设计策划并进行合作开发的土地总地价将达到5000万元，而此承诺作为村委会同意合作的前提，因此，如土地主管机关返回村委会款项少于5000万元，则汇通公司保证补足，兑现承诺。否则承担违约金3000万元。4．协议达成前的双方所作口头、书面协议均作废，以本协议为准。5．不论何种情形出现，双方就上述利益数额确定方案，对双方具有不可撤销的效力，如协议条款因故无效，则条款的有关数额转为同额赔偿款。@#
协议书签订后，汇通公司根据双方的约定先后支付给村委会3000万元，并为该地块的开发进行了前期设计、测量、资金筹集等工作。@#
2003年11月27日，汇通公司更名为顺益公司。@#
2003年11月5日，村委会向乐清市国土资源局呈送报告，要求对7号地块予以挂牌出让。2004年1月22日，乐清市国土资源局对7号地块使用权进行招标出让，后由顺益公司以1．565亿元的价格竞得。2004年2月27日，顺益公司与乐清市国土资源局签订了《国有土地使用权出让合同》。2004年3月8日至2004年5月12日，顺益公司分五次向乐清市国土资源局交清了1．565亿元土地出让金。村委会根据其与顺益公司的约定，将其中的8240万元转给了顺益公司。@#
2005年7月11日，村委会向浙江省高级人民法院起诉，请求：确认双方当事人在2003年10月16日签订的协议书无效，并返还村委会5240万元；诉讼费由顺益公司承担。事实和理由为：2003年，乐清市国土资源局征用村委会土地700亩，按规定返还70亩作为村委会安置留用地，用于村民住宅和经营性开发。后村委会就该留用地中12．27亩的7号地块与顺益公司于 2003年8月30日、10月16日签订了两份协议书。协议的大致意思为无论土地主管机关返还村委会的土地款是多少，村委会都净得5000万元，如由顺益公司竞得，则超出部分连同顺益公司已付给村委会的 3000万元保证金一并返回顺益公司；如由其他单位竞得，则超出部分双方各半分成。 2004年1月22日，乐清市国土资源局依法对7号地块土地使用权进行招标出让，后由顺益公司以1．565亿元的价格竞得。根据有关规定，乐清市政府又将该土地出让金中的1．224亿元返还给了村委会。 2004年4月21日、5月8日，村委会分两次通过转账形式共付给了顺益公司8240万元(该款项包含了村委会返还顺益公司的1000万元保证金)。@#
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