給付不能與訴訟時效的起算──最高法院100年度台上字第1833號民事判決

Impossibility of Performance and Running Moment of Prescription

中國大陸法上訴訟時效的起算點採取的是主觀標準，即從權利人知道或者應當知道權利被侵害之日起算，這是因為普通訴訟時效期間很短，僅有兩年。就非金錢的合同債務的履行而言，如果債務人給付為法律上或者事實上不能時，應當承擔損害賠償責任。在合同確定了履行期限時，從履行期限屆滿之日起算；如果對履行期限沒有約定或約定不明的，則先應當依據法律的補充性規範加以確定；仍無法確定的，訴訟時效期間從債權人要求債務人履行義務的寬限期屆滿之日起計算，但債務人在債權人第一次向其主張權利之時明確表示不履行義務的，訴訟時效期間從債務人明確表示不履行義務之日起計算。

Since the general period of prescription is very short, only two years, the running moment of prescription in Chinese civil law is the time that the right holder knew or should have known the infringement of the right. For the fulfillment of contractual obligations on non-pecuniary terms, if the debtor cannot perform in law or in fact, he should be liable for damages. For a contract without an agreed performance period, if the performance period may be determined in accordance with Articles 61 and 62 of the China Contract Law, the statute of limitations shall be run from the moment of expiration of the performance period; otherwise, the statute of limitations shall be run from the moment of expiration of the grace period during which the creditor requires the debtor to perform the obligation. But if the debtor clearly states that it will not perform the obligation when the creditor claims the right against the debtor for the first time, the statute of limitations shall be started from the date when the debtor clearly states that it will not perform the obligation.