HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.docx

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.docx

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HONGKONGSPECIALADMINISTRATIVEREGION

HCA2107/2006

INTHEHIGHCOURTOFTHE

HONGKONGSPECIALADMINISTRATIVEREGION

COURTOFFIRSTINSTANCE

ACTIONNO.2107OF2006

____________

BETWEEN

YUENOIYEELISAPlaintiff

and

LAMKITSEONGMIRANDADefendant

____________

AND

HCB9860/2007

INTHEHIGHCOURTOFTHE

HONGKONGSPECIALADMINISTRATIVEREGION

COURTOFFIRSTINSTANCE

BANKRUPTCYPROCEEDINGSNO.9860OF2007

____________

Re:

LAMKITSEONGMIRANDA

Exparte:

DAVID&GOLIATH

____________

（Heardtogether）

Before:

HonLamJinChambers

DateofHearing:

23November2007

DateofDecision:

23November2007

DateofHandingDownReasonsforDecision:

27November2007

_________________________________

REASONSFORDECISION

_________________________________

1.DespiteYuen’sabsenceatthehearingof23November2007,Iamsatisfiedthatweshouldproceed.ShehadinfactbeenatthecourtinthemorninganditshowsherpretextofnotbeingabletoattendduetotheneedtoanswerbailattheImmigrationDepartmentasspurious.Itiscleartomethatshedeliberatelychosetoabsentherselfatthehearing.Giventhegravecircumstancesofthematter,itisnotintheinterestofjusticetohavethehearingdelayed.

2.Forreasonswhichwouldbecomeclearbelow,IwillregardthepresentmatterbeheardinthecontextofHCA2107of2006.Moreparticularly,itshouldbedealtwithasbeingancillarytotheRPOmadebythiscourton8August2007inthataction.

3.BythatRPO,YuenOiYeeLisa[“Yuen”]isrestrained,whetherinherpersonalcapacityorinthenameofhercompanyfromcommencinganyfreshproceedingsbywhateveroriginatingprocessconcerninganymattersinvolvingorrelatingtoortouchinguponorleadingtoorarisingoutof,interalias,HCA2107of2006.

4.ThesubjectmatterofHCA2107of2006isYuen’sclaimagainstMirandaLam[“Lam”]for,

（a）Anamountof$560,000assumallegedlymisappropriatedbyLamfromherbrother;

（b）Generalorpunitivedamagesforbreachofcontractinthesumof$3,600,000.

5.Theclaimwasstruckoutbythiscourton8August2007forreasonssetoutinmyjudgmentofthatdate.

6.On19November2007,YuencametotheRegistryoftheHighCourtattemptingtopresentabankruptcypetitionagainstLam.ThepetitionerisDavid&Goliath,afirminwhichYuenisapartner.AlthoughForm10Cisused,thecapacityofDavid&Goliathinpresentingapetitionisnotanomineeunderavoluntaryarrangement.Paragraph2ofthepetitionidentifiedYuenherselfasthenomineeanditallegedthatLamhadmadeavoluntaryarrangementtopay$4,160,000（viz.$560,000and$3,600,000,preciselythesameastheclaiminHCA2107of2006）toDavid&Goliath.Hence,David&Goliathisidentifiedasthecreditorratherthanthenominee.

7.ThewayinwhichLamisallegedtooweDavid&Goliaththesumof$4,160,000issetoutinparagraph3ofthepetition.ItisinsubstancearepetitionofYuen’sgroundlessclaiminHCA2107of2006thoughshenowchoosestoformulatetheincidentof29April2006asavoluntaryarrangementinthepetition.

8.ThepetitionisthereforewithinthescopeoftheRPOof8 August2007.

9.YuenhasnotobtainedRPOleavefromthiscourttoissuethepetition.

10.Worsestill,YuentriedtoevadetheattentionoftheRegistrybyusingthenameofDavid&Goliathaspetitionerinsteadofherself.

11.Further,YuentriedtomisleadtheRegistrybyusingForm10C.SheclaimedthattherewasavoluntaryarrangementbyLamunderwhichsheherselfwasappointedasthenomineeandDavid&Goliathwasthecreditor.ThepetitionwasapparentlybasedonthegroundinSection3

（1）（c）oftheBankruptcyOrdinance.

12.Yuenclaimedherselftobethenominee.Itisquiteobviousthattherehadnotbeenanyvoluntaryarrangement.TherewasneveranysuggestionofanyvoluntaryarrangementwhenYuenreferredtothe29 April2006incidentinHCA2107of2006.

13.Yuenwasunabletorefertoanyinterimorderfortheallegedvoluntaryarrangementinthepetition.VoluntaryarrangementsaregovernedbySections20to20LoftheBankruptcyOrdinance.TheschemeoftheordinanceisthataSection3

（1）（c）petitioncanonlysucceedifSection20Lissatisfied,andthatpre-supposesthevoluntaryarrangementinquestionisoneapprovedbyacreditors’meetingunderSection20F,andthatinturnpre-supposesacreditors’meetingsummonedunderSection20EafterareporthasbeenmadetothecourtunderSection20Dbythenominee.ThewholeprocessstartswithaninterimordermadeunderSection20.

14.Thisisabundantlyclearfromthedefinitionof“nominee”inSection2oftheBankruptcyOrdinance.Plainly,Yuenisnotapersoncomingwithinsuchdefinition.

15.AnypurportedvoluntaryarrangementunsupportedbyaninterimorderunderSection20isnotbindingonanypersonasavoluntaryarrangementandassuchcannotberelieduponforthepurposeofSection3

（1）（c）.

16.Inotherwords,iftherehasnotbeenanyinterimorderunderSection20,apetitionunderSection3

（1）（c）isdoomedtofail.

17.Rule51oftheBankruptcyRulesrequireseverybankruptcypetitiontobeattestedbyasolicitorortheOfficialReceiverortheRegistrar.ThepetitionofYuenwasnotattestedbyanyoneofthosepersons.

18.Instead,thepetitionwaspurportedlywitnessedbyapersonidentifiedas“SheungJoiTak（常在德）”.Thereisconsiderabledoubtifsuchpersonexistsatall,whethersuchapersoninfactsignedasanattestingwitness.

19.Hence,thoughthedocumentwaspurportedlywitnessedbysomeoneelse,itmightnothavebeenattestedatall,nottomentionbeingattestedbyaproperperson.

20.Fromtheabove,itcanreadilybeseenthatthecourtshouldnotallowthepetitiontobeissuedanditisaseriousabuseofprocessforYuentoattempttofilethesame.

21.Asithappened,afteracasenumberwasassignedtoYuenforherpetition,thestaffattheRegistryspottedsomepossibleirregularitiesofthepetition.ThefilingprocesswasnotcompletedandtheoriginalwastakenawaybyYuenwithoutanysealnorwithanyendorsementbytheRegistryregardingthepresentationofthepetition.

22.Therefore,thepetitionhasnotyetbeenpresentedandthereisnooriginalpetitioninthecourtfile.

23.Despiteherknowledgethatthepetitionhasnotbeenpresented,YuenwrotetosolicitorsforLamon19November2007sayingthatshehadissuedthepetitioninHCB9806of2007asanactofrevengeagainstLam’spetitioninHCB8954of2007.Inpara.6ofthatletter,Yuensaid,

“ByissuingtheattachedHCB9860of2007,IwantHSBCtofreezeall[Lam’s]accountsheldunderhernamewithimmediateeffectsameasme.Ifnottobethesameasme,IamgoingtoreporttotheICACagainstHSBCwithimmediateeffect.”

24.Fromthisletter,themaliciousintentofYuenisself-evident.

25.ThelettercausedLamthroughhersolicitortoissueasummonson20November2007seekingtostrikeoutthepetition.

26.Further,IwastoldatthehearingthatYuenhadnotifiedatleastonebankerofLamaboutthepetition.

27.Sincethepetitionhasnotbeenissued,thereisnoneedtostrikeoutthesame.

28.However,thereisobviouslyaneedtoimposeaninjunctiononYuentopreventherfromrepresentingtoanypersonthatsuchapetitionhasbeenissued.NotwithstandingtheabsenceofYuen,Ideemitappropriatetograntsuchaninjunctiononinterlocutorybasis.Thereturndateoftheinjunctionis3December2007.

29.Further,inviewoftherepeatedattemptsbyYuentoevadetheeffectoftheRPOspreviouslymadeagainsther（thisbankruptcypetitionisthesecondattemptbyhertoissuefreshactioninbreachoftheRPOs,seemyjudgmentinHCA2281of2007,22November2007）IamsatisfiedthatamoreextensiveRPOisnecessarytoprotectLamfromtheabuseofYuen.IamsatisfiedthatthedraftRPOorderpreparedbyMsLamisproportionatehavingregardtoYuen’slitigationhistorywithLamandheravowedintentiontorevengeandtocausemaximumdamagetoLambyvexatiouslegalproceedings.

30.ItakeaseriousviewonsuchvexatioususeofthebankruptcyprocessbyYuenasoutlinedabove.IamconsideringreferringthemattertotheDepartmentofJusticeforfurtheraction.BeforeIdoso,IwouldaskforareportfromtheRegistrarasregardswhatpreciselyhappenedattheRegistrywhenYuenattemptedtofilethepetitionon19November2007.

31.InthepastdealingswithYuen,shewouldsendabusiveand/oroffensiveletterstothecourtandmakeharassingphonecallstomyclerkwhenthiscourthandeddownjudgmentsagainsther.Priortotoday’shearings,shemadeatleast10phonecallstomyclerk.Shethreatenedtomakereporttopoliceifherdemandswerenotentertained.Shehasinthepastfewmonthswrittentothiscourtonalmostdailybasis（andsometimesseverallettersperday）,andonmanyoccasionscopiedtothiscourthercorrespondencewithothers.SuchlettersandphonecallswereusuallyofnoassistanceinthebonafideresolutionofanydisputesbeforethecourtandhavewastedtheresourcesoftheJudiciary.Thecourtshouldnotallowitselftobecomethesubjectofsuchharassment.Ialsoconsidersuchactionsonherpartarguablyconstitutedcontemptinthefaceofthecourt,seeArchboldHongKong2007Paras.30-49and30-51.ThiscourtwillnottoleratethatandIhavegivenherenoughwarningsinthepast.IwillthereforemakeaninterlocutoryinjunctiontorestrainYuenfromsuchactivities.Shewillhaveanopportunitytopersuadethiscourtnottocontinuewiththeinjunctionon3December2007.

32.Forthesereasons,Imakeanorderasattached.

（MHLam）

JudgeoftheCourtofFirstInstance

HighCourt

PlaintiffinHCA2107/2006,absent

MsAnitaLamofMessrsJohns