High Court, in a modular trial to determine, inter alia, whether the defendant purchaser of the plaintiff's loans/indebtedness is entitled to include default surcharge interest and the costs of enforcement in a redemption figure to be paid to the defendant in order for the said loans to be redeemed, grants a declaration that the general conditions of the loan agreement contractually permit such surcharge interest, but that it represents an unlawful penalty used to deter the borrower from breach of contract and is therefore unenforceable and cannot be included in the eventual redemption figure.
Plenary proceedings - modular trial - declaratory and other reliefs - precise redemption figure that should be paid to defendant in order for certain loans to be redeemed - whether defendant entitled to include default surcharge interest and the costs of enforcement - loan facilities provided to second-named plaintiff and defendant for purchase of shares now acquired by the State - defendant subsequently purchased plaintiff's debt pursuant to loan facility - demand for payment made by defendant as a precursor to appointment of receiver - subsequent proceedings holding that purported calling in of loans and appointment of receiver invalid - plaintiffs awarded 70% of their costs - plaintiffs' solicitors wrote to defendants seeking information on redemption figure and associated daily rate of interest - clause of general terms and conditions of agreement - disagreement between parties - figures for 'costs of enforcement' - can defendant contractually claim 'surcharge interest' - superficial attraction to subclauses of agreement - is surcharge an unlawful penalty - never applied retrospectively - unenforceable - estoppel and waiver - dependant on whether provision a penalty clause - defendant could claim surcharge interest on date from which there was a clearly communicated articulation of such an interest rate - whether defendant can charge 'enforcement' costs - correct redemption figure at today's date - injunctive reliefs - liberty to apply - summary - parties to be heard on costs.