杨良宜

(Philip Yang&Co.,L td,香港 999077)

一、预期利益损失(expectation loss)与信赖利益损失(reliance loss)的区别

通说是,受害方因违约而蒙受损失的主要一类是“预期利益损失”(expectation loss),一般是指若没有违约受害方本可以在此合约下期望获取利益的丧失,如市场价格的分别(difference in value)、利润损失(loss of profit),甚至是补救费用(cost of cure)。这种损失是最正宗、最普遍的,也能完全体现“恢复原状”的基本精神,即在先例the“Robinson v.Haman”案[(1848)1 Exch.8502.1]中Baron Parke勋爵所说的:“The rule of the common law is,that where a party sustains a loss by reason of a breach of contract,he is,so far as money can do it,to be placed in the same situation,with respect to damages,as if the contract had been performed。”(“普通法的原则是,因违约受到损害的一方当事人,可用金钱来令受害方回到合约被履行的地位。”)

另一类是“信赖利益损失”(reliance loss),它的目的是针对守约方“耗费的费用”(waste of expenditure),是指合同守约方信赖有此合约而支付费用,却因对方违约而浪费了。这在一定程度上不是用“金钱来令受害方回到合约被履行的地位”,而是“回到合约从未存在的地位”,因为守约方本来不必支付该笔费用。

此外,特殊情况下,受害方亦可在以上两类损失外考虑追偿另一类严格说不是“损失”的“归还”(restitution)。这是剥夺违约方的已得利益,比如受害方预付的金钱。一个简单例子是受害的买方预付了一部分金钱但违约的卖方没有如期付运货物。

针对预期利益损失与信赖利益损失,可以节录Chitty on Contract(2008年版)之26-002段:

“‘Expectation’and‘reliance’interests.A distinction has been drawn between the‘expectation interest’and the‘reliance interest’of the claimant:the former relates to the gains or benefits which he expected to receive from the completion of the prom is ed performance of the other party’s obligation but which were in the event prevented by the breach of contract committed by the latter;the reliance interest relates to the expense or loss which the claimant has him self incurred in reliance on the prom is ed performance and which is wasted by the defendant’s breach.Both interests are protected by the law on damages,butitis notyetclear whether English law perm its the claimant to recover both his expected profit on the contract and the consequential expense he has incurred in reliance on the defendant’s prom ise.In principle,he should be entitled to recover his expected net profit plus any of his incidental expenditure of a type reasonably contemplated by the parties at the time the contract was made,but not his gross profit(e.g.the full contract price)plus his disbursements which would have been incurred in earning that gross profit。”[1]

[“‘预期’和‘信赖’利益。‘预期利益’和‘信赖利益’的索赔区别如下:前者是期待对方当事人履约完毕后获取但因对方违约而未能获取的收益或好处;后者是索赔人基于对合约的信赖而支付的因对方违约耗费的费用或损失。上述两种利益都受损害赔偿相关法律的保护,但目前尚不清楚英国法律是否允许同时就两种利益提出索赔。……