|
Contracts Act 1950 [Act 136]
165 Skill and diligence required from agent cite [+]
An agent is bound to conduct the business of the agency with as much skill as is generally possessed by persons engaged in similar business, unless the principal has notice of his want of skill. The agent is always bound to act with reasonable diligence, and to use such skill as he possesses; and to make compensation to his principal in respect of the direct consequences of his own neglect, want of skill, or misconduct, but not in respect of loss or damage which are indirectly or remotely caused by such neglect, want of skill, or misconduct.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A, a merchant in Kuala Lumpur, has an agent, B, in London, to whom a sum of money is paid on A's account, with orders to remit. B retains the money for a considerable time. A, in consequence of not receiving the money, becomes insolvent. B is liable for the money and interest from the day on which it ought to have been paid, according to the usual rate, and for any further direct loss-as, e. g., by variation of rate of exchange-but not further.
(b) A, an agent for the sale of goods, having authority to sell on credit, sells to B on credit, without making the proper and usual enquiries as to the solvency of B. B, at the time of the sale, is insolvent. A must make compensation to his principal in respect of any loss thereby sustained.
(c) A, an insurance broker employed by B to effect an insurance on a ship, omits to see that the usual clauses are inserted in the policy. The ship is afterwards lost. In consequence of the omission of the clauses nothing can be recovered from the underwriters. A is bound to make good the loss to B.
(d) A, a merchant in England, directs B, his agent at Kelang, who accepts the agency, to send him 100 bales of cotton by a certain ship. B, having it in his power to send the cotton, omits to do so. The ship arrives safely in England. Soon after her arrival the price of cotton rises. B is bound to make good to A the profit which he might have made by the 100 bales of cotton at the time the ship arrived, but not any profit he might have made by the subsequent rise.
166 Agent's accounts cite [+]
An agent is bound to render proper accounts to his principal on demand.
167 Agent's duty to communicate with principal cite [+]
It is the duty of an agent, in cases of difficulty, to use all reasonable diligence in communicating with his principal, and in seeking to obtain his instructions.
168 Right of principal when agent deals, on his own account, in business of agency without principal's consent cite [+]
If an agent deals on his own account in the business of the agency, without first obtaining the consent of his principal and acquainting him with all material circumstances which have come to his own knowledge on the subject, the principal may repudiate the transaction, if the case shows either that any material fact has been dishonestly concealed from him by the agent, or that the dealings of the agent have been disadvantageous to him.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A directs B to sell A's estate. B buys the estate for himself in the name of C. A, on discovering that B has bought the estate for himself, may repudiate the sale, if he can show that B has dishonestly concealed any material fact, or that the sale has been disadvantageous to him.
(b) A directs B to sell A's estate. B, on looking over the estate before selling it, finds a mine on the estate which is unknown to A. B informs A that he wishes to buy the estate for himself, but conceals the discovery of the mine. A allows B to buy, in ignorance of the existence of the mine. A, on discovering that B knew of the mine at the time he bought the estate, may either repudiate or adopt the sale at his option.
169 Principal's right to benefit gained by agent dealing on his own account in business of agency cite [+]
If an agent, without the knowledge of his principal, deals in the business of the agency on his own account instead of on account of his principal, the principal is entitled to claim from the agent any benefit which may have resulted to him from the transaction.
ILLUSTRATION
A directs B, his agent, to buy a certain house for him. B tells A it cannot be bought, and buys the house for himself. A may, on discovering that B has bought the house, compel him to sell it to A at the price he gave for it.
170 Agent's right of retainer out of sums received on principal's account cite [+]
An agent may retain, out of any sums received on account of the principal in the business of the agency, all moneys due to himself in respect of advances made or expenses properly incurred by him in conducting such business, and also such remuneration as may be payable to him for acting as agent.
171 Agent's duty to pay sums received for principal cite [+]
Subject to the deductions specified in section 170, the agent is bound to pay to his principal all sums received on his account.
172 When agent's remuneration becomes due cite [+]
In the absence of any special contract, payment for the performance of any act is not due to the agent until the completion of the act; but an agent may detain moneys received by him on account of goods sold, although the whole of the goods consigned to him for sale may not have been sold, or although the sale may not be actually complete.
173 Agent not entitled to remuneration for business misconducted cite [+]
An agent who is guilty of misconduct in the business of the agency is not entitled to any remuneration in respect of that part of the business which he has misconducted.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A employs B to recover RM100,000 from C, and to lay it out on good security. B recovers the RM100,000 and lays out RM90, 000 on good security, but lays out RM10,000 on security which he ought to have known to be bad, whereby A loses RM2,000. B is entitled to remuneration for recovering the RM100,000 and for investing the RM90,000. He is not entitled to any remuneration for investing the RM10,000, and he must make good the RM2,000 to A.
(b) A employs B to recover RM1,000 from C. Through B's misconduct the money is not recovered. B is entitled to no remuneration for his services, and must make good the loss.
174 Agent's lien on principal's property cite [+]
In the absence of any contract to the contrary, an agent is entitled to retain goods, papers, and other property, whether movable or immovable, of the principal received by him, until the amount due to himself for commission, disbursements, and services in respect of the same has been paid or accounted for to him.
Important Notice: Legislation from this website is not a copy of the Gazette printed by the Government Printer, Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad, for the purposes of section 61 of the Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967 [Act 388] and does not constitute prima facie evidence of the contents of the Gazette by virtue of the section.
|
