第13章 《佃農理論》英語原著 (7)

Inyungtienanddien,wehavetransfersofownershiprightswhichmayberegardedasspecialcasesoflandlease.Turningtothegeneralcase,bytheleaseoffarmlandismeant"theuseofanotherperson'sagriculturallandforthepurposeofcultivationbyoneselfbypayingarenttherefor"（Art.106）.Underthepre-reformlandlaw,thefollowingarticlesareworthnoting:

Art.108.Thelesseeshallnot,evenwiththeconsentofthelessor,subleasethewholeorpartoftheleasedfarmlandtoanotherperson.

Art.109.Anyfarmleasecontractforadefiniteperiodshall,unlessthelessortakesbackthelandforhisowncultivationontheexpirationofthecontractualperiod,bedeemedtohavebeenrenewedforanindefiniteperiod,ifthelesseecontinuestocultivatethesaidland.Art.114.Anyfarmleasecontractforanindefiniteperiodmaybeterminated……wherethelessortakesbackthefarmlandforhisowncultivation.

Art.117.Wherethefarmlandtakenbackbythelessorforhisowncultivationisagainofferedforlease,theoriginallesseeshallhavepreferentialrighttoacceptthelease.

Theabovearticlessetdownthreemainpoints.First,subleasingwasprohibited（Art.108）.Butthisdidnotpreventotherdisguisedformsofsubleasingsuchasjointtenancy.Second,thelessorcouldterminatetheleasecontractforhisowncultivation（Art.109and114）.Thisineffectimposednorestrictiononthelengthofleaseotherthanthecontractedlength,sincetheterm"ownercultivation"isvagueenoughtoallowthehiringoffarmhandstodothetilling.Itwastothisprovisionthat"insecure"tenurewasfrequentlyattributed,providingareasonforthelawtobecondemnedasoutofdate.Andthird,thoughpreferentialrighttoleasewasallowedtotheoriginallessee,thereexistednorestrictiononthelessor'srighttorevisetheoriginaltermsuponrenewalofthecontract.AprovisionforrentcontrolisseeninArt.110oftheprereformlandlaw,wherein"farmrentshallnotexceed8percentofthevalueoftheland."Accordingtothelawmaker,however,"duetocircumstancesthishadneverbeenenforced."[8]Thishasgivenrisetotheclaimthattenantsweretotallyunprotectedandexploitedbylandowners.

TransferabilityandDelineationofInvestmentRights

InvestmentsinlandandotherassetsattachedtolandownedbythelessorwereprotectedbytheChinesecivilcode:

CivilCode,Art.432.Thelesseeshallkeepandpreservethething[property]leasedwiththesolicitudeofagoodadministrator.Ifthethingleasedhasproductivity,heshallalsopreserveitsproductivity.

Ifthelesseeactscontrarytotheprovisionsoftheprecedingparagraphandtherebycauseslossordamagetothethingleased,heshallbeliabletopaypensationtherefor.Butheshallnotbeheldresponsibleforanydamageorchangecausedtothethingleasedthroughitsuse,orthroughtheenjoymentoftheineaccruingtherefrom,insuchwaysasareagreeduponorasareinconsonancewiththeinherentnatureofthethingitself.

CivilCode,Art.462.Whereagriculturalimplements,livestock,orotheraccessoriesareleasedtogetherwiththefarmland,aninventoryofthesameshowingtheirrespectivevaluesshallbemade……Ifanyaccessorymentionedintheinventorybedestroyedorlostowingtocircumstancesforwhichthelesseemustbeheldresponsible,heshallbeliabletomakeitgood.

CivilCode,Art.445.Forthesettlementofclaimsarisingoutoftheleasecontract,thelessorofanimmovablepropertyshallhavetherightofretentionoverthemovableswhichbelongtothelesseeandarefixedtothesaidimmovableproperty.Butthisprovisionshallnotapplytomovablesthatarenotsubjecttoattachment.

ThislastArticleisthusconditionaltoArt.118ofLaw:

ThelessorshallnotexercisetherightofretentionprovidedforinArt.445oftheCivilCodeoversuchfarmimplements,livestock,fertilizers,andfarmproductsofthelesseeasarenecessaryforcultivation.

InvestmentsinlandbythelesseewereprotectedbytwoArticlesinLaw,whichread:

Art.119.Byspecialimprovementsonfarmlandshallbemeantimprovementsresultingfromtheincreasedapplicationoflaborandcapitalwhich,besidespreservingtheoriginalqualitiesandutilityoftheland,increasesitsproductivityorfacilitatesitscultivation.

Thelesseemayfreelymakethespecialimprovementreferredtointheprecedingparagraph,butshallnotifythelessoroftheamountoftheoutlayincurredthereon.Art.120.Whenanyfarmlandisreturnedtothelessorontheterminationoftheleasecontract……thelesseemayclaimfromthelessorrepaymentoftheoutlayincurredonthespecialimprovementsreferredtoinparagraphtwooftheprecedingArticle,butsuchrepaymentshallbelimitedtothecostofthatpartofthespecialimprovementswhichhasnotlostitsutility.

Intheabovearticlestheownershipofproductiveentitiesotherthanlandwasclearlydelineated.Itshouldbenotedthat,accordingtoArt.120above,nocapitalgainwasexplicitlyallowedtothelesseeforthe"specialimprovements"madebythelessee.Hemightbepensated,ofcourse,byadjustingtherentaltermsintheleasecontract.

WemaynowbrieflysummarizetheattributesofprivatefarmlandownershipinTaiwanbeforethereform.Althoughmineralrightswhichmightbeattachedtolandweredeniedasprivate,therighttofarmwasdefinedasexclusive.Investmentsmightbemadebythelessororthelessee,andineithercasetheownershipofresourceswasclearlydelineated.Transferabilityoflandtenurerightswasprovidedintheformofoutrighttransfers,yungtien,dien,mortage,andlandlease.Underlandlease,pensatingpaymentsforfarminginvestmentsmadebyeitherpartywerenotrestricted.Wemay,therefore,designatethefarmingresources,affectedbythefirstphaseofTaiwanlandreform,asresourcesunderasystemofprivatepropertyrights.[9]