国际工程中业主对承包商的反索赔

内容摘要

在国际工程合同履行过程中，合同当事人即业主或承包商由于非自身承担责任的因素而受到经济损失或权利损害时，有权通过合同规定的程序向对方提出经济或时间补偿的要求。

在国际工程合同履行过程中，合同当事人即业主或承包商由于非自身承担责任的因素而受到经济损失或权利损害时，有权通过合同规定的程序向对方提出经济或时间补偿的要求。根据索赔主体的不同，国际工程的索赔可以分为承包商的索赔与业主的索赔。在国际工程实践中习惯将业主向承包商提出的索赔特别是业主针对承包商的索赔而提出的索赔称为反索赔。与承包商向业主提出的索赔相比，业主向承包商的反索赔往往具有一些不同的特点。作者以1999版FIDIC合同条件的规定为例，将要介绍一下业主反索额的特点。

首先，业主反索赔没有28天的索赔时效限制，而是“as soon aspracticable”（在可能的情况下尽快地）向承包商发送索赔通知。FIDIC合同条件第2.5款[Employer's Claims]第1段与第2段规定，“If the Employerconsiders himself to be entitled to any payment under any Clause of theseConditions or otherwise in connection with the Contract, and/or to anyextension of the Defects Notification Period, the Employer or the Engineershall give notice and particulars to the Contractor. However, notice is notrequired for payments due under Sub-Clause 4.19 [Electricity, Water and Gas],under Sub-Clause 4.20 [Employer's Equipment and Free-Issue Material], or forother services requested by the contractor.

Thenotice shall be given as soon as practicable after the Employer became aware ofthe event or circumstances giving rise to the claim. A notice relating to anyextension of the Defects Notification Period shall be given before the expiryof such period.”

其次，业主反索赔的程序与文件相对简单，不需提交正式索赔报告文件，等待承包商审批，只需通知承包商即可。FIDIC合同条件第2.5款[Employer's Claims]第3段规定，“Theparticulars shall specify the Clause or other basis of the claim, and shallinclude substantiation of the amount and/or extension to which the Employerconsider himself to be entitled in connection with the Contract. The Engineershall then proceed in accordance with Sub-Clause 3.5 [Determinations] to agreeor determine (i) the amount (if any) which the Employer is entitled to be paidby the Contractor, and/o(ii) the extension (if any) of the Defects NotificationPeriod in accordance with Sub Clause 11.3 [Extension of Defects NotificationPeriod].”

第三，相对于承包商的索赔，业主的反索赔实现更为方便。合同一般有误期损害赔偿费的金额或计算方式，不需要证明损失实际发生和进行复杂计算。FIDIC合同条件第2.5款[Employer's Claims]第4段规定，“This amountmay be included as a deduction in the Contract Price and Payment Certificates.The Employer shall only be entitled to set off against or make any deductionfrom an amount certified in a Payment Certificate, or to otherwise claimagainst the Contractor, in accordance with this Sub-Clause.”同时，在工程实施中，业主往往要求承包商提交履约保函与质量责任保险等，承包商应付款不足时，可以直接向担保人或保险人索赔。并且，如果应付款项与担保不足，业主还有权扣押承包商在工地上的施工机械等财产。

建议承包商了解和掌握业主反索赔的上述典型特点，在国际工程实践中，事先制定应对业主反索赔的预案，发生恶意反索赔时及时采取相应的措施，以防止被业主恶意反索赔甚至以此要挟或强迫承包商做出不合理的让步，维护承包商应有的权利和利益。

本文作者：朱中华律师

转自微信公众号：国际工程

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