Wong Cheung T/a Tai Cheung Poultry Stall v Huey Siu Yuet Yim And Others

Judgment Date01 August 1968
Year1968
Judgement NumberDCCJ1856/1968
Subject MatterCivil Action
CourtDistrict Court (Hong Kong)
DCCJ001856/1968 WONG CHEUNG t/a TAI CHEUNG POULTRY STALL v. HUEY SIU YUET YIM AND OTHERS

DCCJ001856/1968

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF HONG KONG

HOLDEN AT VICTORIA

CIVIL JURISDICTION

ACTION NO. 1852 OF 1968.

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BETWEEN
Cheung So trading as So Kee Vegetable Stall Plaintiff
AND
Huey Siu Yuet Yim 1st Defendant
Tsang Wai Wan 2nd Defendant
Ho Wong Wai Lai alias Wong Wai Lai 3rd Defendant
(formerly partner of Imperial Restaurant)

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ACTION NO. 1853 OF 1968.

BETWEEN
Yick Cheong Hong (a firm) Plaintiffs
AND
Huey Siu Yuet Yim 1st Defendant
Tsang Wai Wan 2nd Defendant
Ho Wong Wai Lai alias Wong Wai Lai 3rd Defendant
(formerly partner of Imperial Restaurant)

-----------------

ACTION NO. 1854 OF 1968.

BETWEEN
Man Ten Meat Company (a firm) Plaintiffs
AND
Huey Siu Yuet Yim 1st Defendant
Tsang Wai Wan 2nd Defendant
Ho Wong Wai Lai alias Wong Wai Lai 3rd Defendant
(formerly partner of Imperial Restaurant)

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ACTION NO. 1855 OF 1968.

BETWEEN
Yau Shun China Ware Store (a firm) Plaintiffs
AND
Huey Siu Yuet Yim 1st Defendant
Tsang Wai Wan 2nd Defendant
Ho Wong Wai Lai alias Wong Wai Lai 3rd Defendant
(formerly partner of Imperial Restaurant)

-----------------

ACTION NO. 1856 OF 1968.

BETWEEN
Wong Cheung trading as Tai Cheung Poultry Stall Plaintiff
AND
HUEY SIU YUET YIM 1st Defendant
TSANG WAI WAN 2nd Defendant
HO WONG WAI LAI alias WONG WAI LAI 3rd Defendant
(formerly partner of Imperial Restaurant)

Coram: J.T. Williams, D.J. in Court.

Date of Judgment: 1 August 1968

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JUDGMENT

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1. The plaintiffs claim for food supplied to the defendants as partners in the Imperial Restaurant between February and June 1967. The restaurant only existed from 8th February 1967 to 2nd June 1967.

2. Only 1st and 2nd defendants were served and they deny ordering goods for the Imperial Restaurant and that they were partners in it.

3. It would seem that the food sued for was in fact delivered to the restaurant and that the plaintiffs have not been paid for it but there is no evidence that it was supplied at the request of 1st and 2nd defendants. There is no evidence that 1st and 2nd defendants had ever concerned themselves in the affairs of the Imperial Restaurant or held themselves out as partners in it.

4. The only evidence against 1st and 2nd defendants is an application form Ex. P.3, for registration of the Imperial Restaurant under the Business Registration Ordinance Cap. 310, which was filed in the Business Registry on 12th April 1967 by one KWAN Chan Fong and naming 1st and 2nd defendants among the partners.

5. 1st and 2nd defendants say that they had given $10,000 and $3,000 respectively to KWAN Chan Fong for shares in a restaurant to be run as the Imperial Restaurant Ltd. Their receipts, Exs.D7 and D8, dated December 1967, show the money was received for shares in a limited company. The evidence shows that the Imperial Restaurant never came into ...(illegible) a limited company at any time material to this action.

6. In cross-examination 1st and 2nd defendants agreed that they did not appreciate the difference between a partnership and a limited company, and that when they parted with their money they had simply been concerned with an investment. Miss Lee, counsel for the plaintiffs, argued that since the 1st and 2nd defendants did not seem to know what they were investing in i.e. a partnership or a limited company it is a bit late now to pretend that they intended to invest in a limited concern only.

7. That submission is not unreasonable when linked with the application form Ex. P.3 which records them as partners in the unincorporated business.

8. 1st and 2nd defendants served third party notices upon KWAN Chan Fong and two others alleging they had wrongfully registered 1st and 2nd defendants as partners in the Imperial Restaurant. KWAN Chan Fong filed a defence asserting that they had agreed to the restaurant operating as a partnership until it could be registered as a limited company. The other two third parties filed defences pointing out that they themselves were not registered as partners because they objected to the restaurant operating until it was registered as a limited company.

9. 1st and 2nd defendants referred to correspondence with the registrar of companies showing that KWAN Chan Fong, at all material times, was endeavouring to register the Imperial Restaurant as a limited company. However, that correspondence takes one no further in this action because it is not inconsistent with KWAN Chan Fong's defence as a third party which reveals that he wanted to register it as a limited company.

10. The 1st defendant attended the opening ceremony...

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