Contracts Flashcards
(193 cards)
When Ks contain
services & goods?
1: K LANGUAGE
DETERMINE APPLICABLE LAW BY PREDOMINATE PURPOSE OF K
Offer?
MANIFESTATION
of a willingness to enter into an agreement
(by offeror)
that creates a power of acceptance
(in offeree).
Pre-existing Duty?
cannot be deemed consideration
for a K
OR
modification of a K
[CL] Pre-existing Duty re: Modification:
Exceptions?
- Parties agree to performance different than required by original K
- Unforeseen Circumstances: performance rendered substantially more burdensome than reasonably anticipated** **by the parties when they entered K
Risk of loss:
Merchant? Non-merchant?
Breach?
- Merchant seller: risk passes to buyer when he receives[physical possession]
- Non-merchant: upon tender of delivery
- Effects of Breach:
- Seller breaches: risk remains with him
- Buyer breaches before risk passes–seller may-to extent of any deficiency in his insurance–treat risk of loss as resting on the buyer for commercially reasonable time
[Common Law] Acceptance?
Must:
- Mirror offer &
- Communicate to offeror
*Offer silent re: method communication? reasonable
- same means that offeror used,
- means ordinary in the trade, OR
- means equivalent in expeditiousness & equivalence
Accord & Satisfaction?
- A: K where oblige promises to accept substituted performance in satisfaction of obligor’s existing duty.
- Requires consideration SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT from that required in original K. **[Creditors allowed to accept partial payment as an A&S, if GF dispute as to amount owed.] **
- A alone will not discharge the original duty, but _suspend it until S is completed. _
- S: performance of accord that will discharge original debt.·
Calculating lapse of time in offers?
- Date for offer termination: **Midnight on that date **
- Specified # of days for offer termination: Time starts to run from time offer received
[Statute of Frauds]
[UCC]
Partial Performance?
re: Divisible Goods?
Indivisible?
K enforceable re: goods
- **“paid for & accepted” or “received & accepted.” **
- actions by both parties indicate K existence
- Divisible goods: **PP secures enforcement quantity ALREADY **
- Paid for by buyer OR
- Delivered by seller
- Indivisible: enforces entire K
Ks governed by the Statute of Frauds?
M. SOUR:
- Consideration of Marriage
- Suretyship/Guarantee • Exceptions: (1) creditor discharged original debt on faith of guarentee by 3rd party OR (2) main purpose of guarontor’s promise is to protect own economic interest–not debtor’s interest–then not w/in SoF
- Longer than One Year [from creation of K to performance; if at all possible CAN end w/in a year, than iSoF (i.e., excludes lifetime employment K b/c can die w/in 1 year)]
- UCC- Sale of Goods over $500 [doesn’t have to be $ can be goods worth over $500]
- REAL PROPERTY - Sale of Interest in Land [future sale/lease not current] • Real estate brokerage agreements: service Ks not governed by SoF
Defense:
Incapacity:
Mental Incompetence?
Need not be insane, but must be incompetent at time of K formation. FACTORS:
- Adjudicated incompetent & guardian appointed
- No judicial declaration:
- Cognitive defects: unable to reasonably understand nature & consequences of transaction [on drugs]
- Volitional defects:
- person unable to act reasonably in relation to transaction; &
- other party knows of condition [manic depression when K-ing]
Misrepresentation: Fraudulent Nondisclosure?
∆’s silence where there is a duty to disclose
- nondisclosure was MATERIAL
- REASONABLE RELIANCE on nondisclosure&
- **Following circumstances: **
i) RELATIONSHIP of TRUST & CONFIDENCE ii) made an assertion that was true but rendered untrue by intervening events
iii) if GF would require that party disclose info
Quantum Meruit?
Right to reasonable value of benefits
conferred
- Means of enforcing both implied-in-fact & implied-in-law contractual obligation
- measure of damages for services performed w/o a binding or enforceable contract
Battle of the Forms?
“DEFINITE & SEASONABLE EXPRESSION OF ACCEPTANCE will operate as an acceptance EVEN THOUGH it states ADDITIONAL or DIFFERENT TERMS”
- Exception: Conditional Acceptance [Acceptance expressly made CONDITIONAL on ASSENT to ADD’L or DIFFERENT TERMS]
Impossibility Exceptions?
- parties allocated for risk of contingency & provided remedial measures in event of occurrence
- performance rendered ONLY TEMPORARILY IMPOSSIBLE, then will typically only suspend obligations of parties until impossibility ended
3rd-party beneficiary does not have the
right to sue until her rights __________.
VEST
- Parties to K free to modify or rescind it by mutual consent & may modify or rescind 3rd-party beneficiary provision w/o beneficiary’s consent unless & until beneficiary’s rights under the K have vested. Unlike INTENDED beneficiaries, incidental beneficiaries: have no Standing to sue.
Is 3rd-party beneficiary’s right to sue subject to any defenses promisor may have to enforceability of K?
- 3rd-party beneficiary’s rights are entirely dependent on underlying K; thus, defenses had against original party are transfered.
- Defenses that cannot be asserted: based on separate transactions.
FREE ALONGSIDE
seller must deliver goods along side the vessel
Statute of frauds:
time of writing?
Does not need to be written
at time promise is made
Offer: Revocation?
Termination of offer; Offeror may revoke for any reason, if:
- Revoked before offer acceptance; &
- Effectively communicated
2 forms of revocation:
- a) Direct revocation: through direct communication
- b) Indirect revocation (Constructive revocation)
Detrimental Reliance?
When offeree detrimentally relies on offeror’s promise, offer may become irrevocable; promissory estoppel
- PROMISE
- REASONABLE & FORESEEABLE RELIANCE
- ACTUAL RELIANCE
- INJUSTICE w/o ENFORCEMENT
Liquidated Damages Clause:
Penalty
provision to punish a breaching party to prevent them from breaching. You have a right to breach & pay damages.
Factors:
- intention of parties, benign or punishment.
- reasonableness of liquidated clause; anticipated damages; possible to forecast damages.
- breach vs. actual harm; is it reasonable comparable?
- *Burden of Proof: On party calling it a penalty. *if the court concludes the liquidated damages clause is a penalty: the aggrieved party, takes out the provision and we’re left w/ CL.
Assignment of Rights?
owner of right MUST
- manifest intention to assign, AND
- make “a present transfer”
Contrast with a promise to make a future transfer of a right you expect to come into existence at a later date: Not an assignment.
Incapacity:
MINOR:
EXCEPTIONS?
Necessaries: such as food, clothing, shelter, & medical [autos/educ. depends] are VOIDABLE;
Merchant’s relief is quasi-contractual only;
May ONLY receive reasonable value NOT K price.