最高人民法院指导案例15号：徐工集团工程机械股份有限公司诉成都川交工贸有限责任公司等买卖合同纠纷案

　　Supreme People's Court Guiding Case No. 15: Xugong Group Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd. v. Chengdu Chuanjiao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. sales contract dispute

　　2005年至2007年期间，徐工集团工程机械股份有限公司（下称“徐工机械”）与成都川交工贸有限责任公司（下称“川交工贸”）、四川瑞路建设工程有限公司（下称“瑞路公司”）签订多份工业品买卖合同。后川交工贸、瑞路公司拖欠徐工机械货款合计11126405.71元。徐工机械遂诉至法院，称成都川交工程机械有限责任公司（下称“川交机械”）与川交工贸、瑞路公司人格混同，三个公司均应对前述货款承担连带清偿责任。

　　From 2005 to 2007, Xugong Group Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd. ("Xugong Machinery") and Chengdu Chuanjiao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. ("Chuanjiao Industry and Trade"), Sichuan Ruilu Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. ("Ruilu Company") entered into a series of sales contracts. Chuanjiao Industry and Trade and Ruilu Company have breached such sales contracts, owing to Xugong Machinery a total amount of ¥11,126,405.71. Xugong Machinery alleged that the three of Chengdu Chuanjiao Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. ("Chuanjiao  Machinery"), Chuanjiao Industry and Trade and Ruilu Company (the "Three Companies") constitute mixture of personalities hence shall bear joint and several liabilities for the aforesaid amount in arrear.

　　二审法院认为/The court of second instance held that:

　　1、在公司人员方面，川交机械、川交工贸、瑞路公司（下合称“三个公司”）的经理、财务负责人、出纳会计、工商手续经办人均相同，其他管理人员亦存在交叉任职的情形，川交工贸的人事任免存在由川交机械决定的情形。因此认定三个公司的人员构成混同。

　In terms of personnel: (i) the Three Companies share the same manager, CFO, cashier, accountant and AIC matters representative; (ii) some officers of one company are holding office(s) in another concurrently; and (iii) Chuanjiao Machinery has the final say on the personnel matters of Chuanjiao Industry and Trade. Therefore, the Three Companies constitute mixture of personalities in terms of personnel.

　　2、在公司业务方面，三个公司实际经营中均涉及工程机械相关业务，经销过程中存在共用销售手册、经销协议的情形；对外进行宣传时信息混同、区分不明。因此认定三个公司的业务构成混同。

　　In terms of business: (i) all the Three Companies are actually engaged in the business of construction machinery and share sales manuals and distribution agreements in their distribution business occasionally; and (ii) their identities are not properly segregated in their marketing activities.  Therefore, the Three Companies constitute mixture of personalities in terms of business.

　　3、在公司财务方面，三个公司使用共同账户，以王永礼的签字作为具体用款依据，对其中的资金及支配无法证明已作区分；三个公司与徐工机械之间的债权债务、业绩、账务及返利均计算在川交工贸名下。因此认定三个公司的财务构成混同。

　　In terms of financial matters: (i) all the Three Companies use the signature of WANG Yongli for the purpose of payments therefrom as well as the same bank account and cannot properly demonstrate that their capitals and the use thereof are properly segregated from each other; and (ii) all their credits, debts, sales performance, accounts and rebates with Xugong Machinery are recorded in the name of Chuanjiao Industry and Trade. Therefore, the Three Companies constitute mixture of personalities in terms of financial matters.

　　综上，三个公司在经营中无视各自的独立人格，随意混淆业务、财务、资金，相互之间界线模糊，无法严格区分，使得交易相对人难以区分准确的交易对象。在均与徐工机械有业务往来的情况下，三个公司还刻意安排将业务统计于川交工贸的名下，客观上削弱了川交工贸的偿债能力，有滥用公司独立人格以逃废债务之嫌。三个公司虽在工商登记部门登记为彼此独立的企业法人，但实际上人员混同、业务混同、财务混同，已构成人格混同，损害了债权人的利益，违背了法人制度设立的宗旨，其危害性与股东滥用公司法人独立地位和股东有限责任的情形相当。为保护债权人的合法利益，规范公司行为，参照《中华人民共和国公司法》第二十条的规定，川交机械、瑞路公司应当对川交工贸的债务承担连带清偿责任。

　　In summary, regardless of their separate identities, the Three Companies had randomly mixed up their businesses, financial matters and capitals, rendering their business counterpart unable to discern which company it is doing transaction with.  In the circumstance that all of them are having transactions with Xugong Machinary, the Three Companies deliberately caused all the transactions be done in the name of Chuanjiao Industry and Trade, which has in reality undercut the solvency of Chuanjiao Industry and Trade and shall be suspected of evading debts by abusing independent personalities of companies. Although the Three Companies are registered as independent legal persons with the AIC, they have in practice mixed up their personnel, business and financial matters, which constitutes mixture of personalities in detriment of the interest of creditors and runs against the object of the legal person mechanism. Such act has the same degree of hazard as abuse of company’s independent personality and shareholders’ limited liability. In order to protect the legitimate interests of creditors and to regulate corporate actions and by virtue of Article 20 of the People's Republic of China Company Law, Chuanjiao Machinery and Ruilu Company shall bear joint and several liabilities for such debts of Chuanjiao Industry and Trade.

　　关联公司间人格混同，是指公司与公司之间法人人格特征高度一致的公司存在状态。公司人格混同主要表现为以下三种形式：

　　Mixture of personalities among affiliated companies refers to a state in which two or more affiliated companies are highly consistent with each other in terms of personality, in mainly three categories as follows:

　　1、公司间组织机构混同。公司之间如果具有相同的公司管理人员、相同的工作人员、相同的办公场所、相同的电话号码等情形，一般可认定为公司组织机构混同，此时公司的独立意志也将不复存在。

Mixture of organization among companies.  Where the companies share the same management personnel, staff, office area, telephone number, etc., mixture of organization among companies can usually be found, for such companies lack independent wills.

　　2、公司间财产混同。如果公司之间共用共同账户、债权债务混同的，将严重影响公司对外清偿债务的物质基础。

Mixture of properties among companies.  In the event of common bank account and mixture of credits and debts, the property basis for them to satisfy debts will be seriously affected thereby.

　　3、公司间业务混同。业务混同是指公司之间在经营业务、经营行为、交易方式、价格确定等方面存在混同现象，主要表现为：公司之间从事相同业务活动，各业务活动不以公司独立意志支配。

　　Mixture of businesses among companies. This refers to mixture of business operations, business activities, trading modes and pricing activities; as such, the companies are engaged in the same business activities and lack independent wills in such business activities.

　　如关联公司的实际控制人利用其对于多个公司的控制权，无视各公司的独立人格，随意处置、混淆各个公司的财产及债权债务关系，造成各个公司的人员、财产等无法区分的，则该多个公司法人表面上虽然彼此独立，但实质上构成人格混同。由此损害债权人合法权益的，该多个公司法人应承担连带清偿责任。

　　Where the actual controller of affiliated companies, by taking advantage of his control over such companies and regardless of such companies’ independent personalities, randomly disposes of and mixes the properties, credits and debts of such companies and renders them undiscernable from each other albeit independent personalities on the surface, mixture of personalities in reality can be found. If the legitimate rights and interests of creditors are jeopardized thereby, such corporate legal persons shall bear joint and several liabilities in repaying those debts.