陵水某娱乐公司与上海某旅行社公司旅店服务合同纠纷案
Case 3: Lingshui X Entertainment Company V.　Shanghai X Travel Agency(Dispute over　Contract for Hotel　Service)

　　2018年4月19日，陵水某娱乐公司与上海某旅行社公司签订《酒店包房合同》，约定陵水某娱乐公司将其酒店客房和约定酒店区域长包给上海某旅行社公司开展约定经营项目使用，并约定合同期限为5年，包房费为5300000元/年，擅自解除合同的应支付违约金2000000元。2020年3月12日，双方补充协议约定，因近期疫情出现且影响颇大，陵水某娱乐公司同意减免部分包房费。2021年1月20日，上海某旅行社公司函告陵水某娱乐公司因为疫情导致合同目的不能实现，上海某旅行社公司行使合同解除权，合同于2021年4月30日解除。

On April 19, 2018, Lingshui X Entertainment Company signed a hotel　leasing agreement　with Shanghai X Travel Agency, under which it was agreed that the entertainment company would lease its hotel rooms and agreed hotel area to the travel agency for use in the agreed business projects, and agreed that the contract period was 5 years, the　leasing fee　was　RMB　5,300,000/year, and the liquidated damages of　RMB　2,000,000 shall be paid for　unilaterally rescinding contract, if any. Under the supplementary agreement between both parties dated March 12, 2020, it was agreed that the entertainment company agreed to reduce or exempt from the　leasing fee　partially due to thesocioeconomic　disruption caused by the pandemic. On January 20, 2021, the travel agency informed the entertainment company that　sincethe purpose of the contract could not be　achieved　due to the pandemic,　they’d like　to　exercise　the right to　rescind　the contract, and the contract was　rescinded　on April 30, 2021.

　　陵水某娱乐公司于2021年4月6日复函称，上海某旅行社公司单方解除合同构成违约，双方就合同后续处理情况进行了沟通，但鉴于上海某旅行社公司的违约赔偿方案缺乏诚意，应继续履行合同。2021年5月初，上海某旅行社公司将其于陵水某娱乐公司处租赁区域的装饰装修拆除，于5月9日撤场完毕，双方于5月10日完成交接。陵水某娱乐公司诉请上海某旅行社公司支付违约金2000000元，上海某旅行社公司自认其单方解除构成违约，但主张合同约定的违约金过高，请求减少违约金。

The entertainment company replied on April 6, 2021, that the unilateral　rescision　of the contract by the travel agency　was　a breach of contract, and both parties communicated on the follow-up matters after the　rescision　of the contract, butsince　the compensation plan　proposed by the travel agency was disingenuous,both parties　shall continue to perform the contract. At the beginning of May 2021, the travel agency dismantled the　interior finishing and　decoration　in the leased area of the entertainment company, which was completed on May 9, 2021, and both parties completed the handover on May 10. The entertainment company　then　sued the travel agency, claiming liquidated damages of　RMB2,000,000. The travel agency　admitted　that its unilateral cancellationwas　a breach of contract, but claimed that the liquidated damages agreed in the contract were too high and requested to reduce the liquidated damages.

　　陵水县人民法院作出（2021）琼9028民初2544号民事判决：上海某旅行社公司向陵水某娱乐公司支付违约金1000000元。双方均未提起上诉，该判决已发生法律效力。

Lingshui　Primary People's Courtrenderedthe　civil judgment　(2021) Qiong 9028 MinChu No.2544　for this case,which ruled thatShanghai X Travel Agency　shall pay liquidated damages of　RMB　1,000,000 toLingshui X Entertainment Company. No party filed an appeal and the judgment was final and　had taken effect.

　　法院生效判决认为，上海某旅行社公司于合同期限届满前擅自解除合同构成违约，应根据合同约定支付违约金。上海某旅行社公司主张受疫情影响请求减少违约金，该院认为，自2020年以来新冠疫情在全国范围内反复蔓延，受疫情防控措施要求，酒店旅游等服务业所受影响颇大。本案中，上海某旅行社公司承租陵水某娱乐公司案涉酒店经营旅游服务，业务确有受到疫情影响。新冠疫情及其防控措施属于不可抗力因素，《中华人民共和国民法典》第五百九十条第一款规定“当事人一方因不可抗力不能履行合同的，根据不可抗力的影响，部分或者全部免除责任，但是法律另有规定的除外。因不可抗力不能履行合同的，应当及时通知对方，以减轻可能给对方造成的损失，并应当在合理期限内提供证明”。

The　court held that the travel agency　rescinded　the contract　unilaterallybefore expirationof the term　of the contract, which　was　a breach of contract and it shall pay liquidated damages according to the contract. Regarding the travel agency’s claims for reducing liquidated damages due to the pandemic,　since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread repeatedly throughout the country; due to the pandemic prevention and control measures requirements, hotel, tourism, and other service industries have been greatly affected. In this case, the travel agency as a lessee, took a lease from the entertainment company to operate tourism services in the hotel, and the business was indeed affected by the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic and its prevention and control measures　isidentified in theForce　MajeureClause. Paragraph 1 of Article 590 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China stipulates that "where a party is unable to perform the contract due to force majeure, it shall be exempted 　from 　liability 　in whole 　or 　in 　part 　according 　to the 　impact 　of the force majeure, unless otherwise provided by law. The party unable to perform the contract due to force majeure shall promptly notify the other party to mitigate the losses that may be caused to the other party, and shall provide proof of theforce majeure within a reasonable period of time."

　　上海某旅行社公司员工于2021年1月20日通过微信向陵水某娱乐公司发送解除合同的《律师函》，该律师函虽未加盖律所印章，但陵水某娱乐公司自认称其虽认为该文件并非正式公文，但其工作人员仍立即将文件内容汇报给公司领导并与上海某旅行社公司进行沟通，且上海某旅行社公司也未按合同约定履行缴纳次年包房费的合同义务，即陵水某娱乐公司已知晓上海某旅行社公司具有合同解除的意思表示。上海某旅行社公司于1月通知陵水某娱乐公司合同将于4月30日解除，已履行及时通知义务，给予了陵水某娱乐公司一定合理期限采取措施减轻损失，且上海某旅行社公司之后也积极撤场完成交接。案涉合同约定每年包房费用为5300000元，而合同约定的违约金2000000元约为每年包房费用的37.7%，综合本案案情及陵水某娱乐公司损失情况来看，该违约金约定过高，故酌定违约金为1000000元。
On January 20, 2021, an employee of the travel agency sent a Lawyer's Letter to the entertainment company via WeChat, requiring the　rescissionof the contract. Although the lawyer's letter was not stamped with the seal of the law firm, the entertainment company admitted that　its staff immediately reported the contents of the document to the company's leaders and communicated with the travel agency. In addition, the travel agency also failed to fulfill the contractual obligation to pay the next year's　leasing fee　under the contract, therefore the entertainment company knew that the travel agency had the intention torescind　the contract. The travel agency informed the entertainment company that the contract would be　rescind　on April 30, and it had fulfilled the obligation of timely notification, by giving the entertainment company a reasonable period　of time　to take measures　to　reduce losses, and the travel agency also actively removed from the hotel and completed the handover. According to the contract, the annual　leasing fee　is　RMB5,300,000, while the liquidated damages of　RMB2,000,000 agreed in the contract are about 37.7% of the annual　leasing fee.　After taking consideration　the facts of this case and the loss of the entertainment company,thecourt ruled that　the liquidated damages　was set too highand　shall be　reduced　to　RMB1,000,000.

　　上海某旅行社公司承租陵水某娱乐公司的酒店经营旅游服务，其业务确有受到疫情影响，但尚未达到完全不能履行的程度，故上海某旅行社公司不享有法定解除权，上海某旅行社公司擅自解除合同构成违约。双方均认可合同已解除，上海某旅行社公司自认违约解除合同，但主张合同约定的违约金过高，请求予以减少。

The travel agency leased a hotel from the entertainment company to operate tourism services. Its business was indeed affected by the pandemic, but it　couldperform the contractual obligationsnonetheless. Therefore, the travel agencydidn’t have　the　right　torescission, and the travel agency’s　rescission　of the contract　unilaterallywas　a breach of the contract. Both parties agreed that the contract had been　rescinded, and the travel agency　admitted thatrescission　of the contract　unilaterallywas　a breach of the contract, but claimed that the liquidated damages agreed in the contract　wastoo high　and requested to reduce them.

　　因疫情及其防控措施属于不可抗力，根据不可抗力的影响可以部分免除责任，故人民法院依诚信原则和公平原则，根据疫情对合同履行的影响程度，违约方是否将因不可抗力履行不能的情况及时通知对方，合同解除后是否及时撤场交接，以及结合对守约方造成损失的情况，认定合同约定的违约金占合同标的额的比例过高，予以调减违约金，以保护中小投资者的利益，减少中小投资者因疫情遭受的不利影响，使其得以继续经营。

Because the pandemic and　Infection prevention and control　forthe pandemic　fall within the scope of force majeure,　liability may be　exemptedin part　according to the　impact　of　theforce majeure. Therefore, the people's court　held　that,considering the value of the　object of thecontract,　the liquidated damages　was set too highand　shall be reduced,under the principle of　good-faith and fairness,　having regard to the　influence of the pandemic on the performance of the contract, whether the　breaching party　has timely notified the other party of the inability to perform due to force majeure, whether the　breaching party　has withdrawn from the site and handed over　after the　rescission　of the contract　in a timely manner, and the losses caused to the observant party, with the view to protecting the interests of　small and medium size investors, reducing the adverse impact of the pandemic on　small and medium size investors.