Court Orders Payment of CNY 37,500 in Template Purchase Dispute
In a recent civil dispute over unpaid installment payments for construction templates, a court in Eastern China City ordered a buyer to pay CNY 37,500 to a seller after finding that the seller had failed to prove certain pricing claims. The case involved three separate purchases of template boards made on credit in 2009, with the buyer issuing handwritten IOUs but later disputing the amounts and alleging defective quality. The court rejected the buyer’s quality defense but reduced the total claim based on partial payments and lack of price evidence.
The plaintiff, Mr. Wang, operated a template business in Eastern China City. The defendant, Mr. Li, purchased template boards from Mr. Wang on three occasions in October and November 2009. For each purchase, Mr. Li wrote an IOU: on October 14, 2009, for 400 boards at CNY 45.50 each, totaling CNY 18,200, with a note that CNY 10,000 would be paid the next day, leaving a balance of CNY 8,200; on October 17, 2009, for CNY 27,300; and on November 5, 2009, for 200 red boards and 300 white boards without a listed price. Mr. Wang claimed the total owed was CNY 68,700, but Mr. Li argued the prices were lower and that he had already paid CNY 20,000.
At the hearing, both parties appeared with legal representation. Mr. Wang submitted the three IOUs as evidence. Mr. Li acknowledged writing them but challenged the amounts. For the first IOU, Mr. Li claimed he had paid the CNY 10,000 the next day, leaving only CNY 8,200. For the third IOU, he argued the red boards cost CNY 45.50 each and the white boards CNY 43.00 each, not the CNY 47 and CNY 46 claimed by Mr. Wang. Mr. Li also produced a receipt showing a friend, Mr. Dai, paid CNY 10,000 on November 8, 2009, and testified that his wife had paid another CNY 10,000 at a local school, which Mr. Wang acknowledged but could not recall if it was the same payment.
The court examined each piece of evidence. It accepted the second IOU for CNY 27,300 without dispute. For the first IOU, the court noted that the document itself stated a remaining balance of CNY 8,200 after the promised CNY 10,000 payment. Although Mr. Li lacked proof of that payment, the court inferred from the IOU’s wording that the payment had been made. For the third IOU, the court found that Mr. Wang failed to provide any evidence of the prices he claimed, so it adopted the prices admitted by Mr. Li: CNY 45.50 for red boards and CNY 43.00 for white boards, resulting in CNY 22,000 for the third purchase. The court also credited both payments totaling CNY 20,000.
According to relevant law, specifically Article 109 of the Contract Law, a seller may demand payment for goods delivered, and Article 161 requires a buyer to pay at the agreed time. The court held that Mr. Wang bore the burden of proving the prices under Article 64 of the Civil Procedure Law. Since he did not establish the prices for the third IOU, the court applied the defendant’s admission. The court also found that the debt arose from a valid sales contract, and the defendant’s quality complaint was not substantiated by any evidence. The total owed was calculated as CNY 8,200 plus CNY 27,300 plus CNY 22,000, totaling CNY 57,500, minus the CNY 20,000 already paid, leaving CNY 37,500.
The judgment ordered Mr. Li to pay CNY 37,500 within three days, along with half the court costs, and dismissed Mr. Wang’s remaining claim for the full CNY 68,700. This case illustrates the importance of clear documentation in installment sales, particularly regarding pricing terms and payment receipts. The court relied on the written IOUs and the parties’ admissions, emphasizing that a party claiming a higher price must provide supporting evidence. The outcome also shows that partial payments can be credited even without formal receipts if the creditor acknowledges them.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.