Contracts Flashcards
(147 cards)
How to revoke offer
(1) Communicated. Effective on receipt if by mail.
(2) Offeree acquires reliable info that offeror has taken action inconsistent with intent to keep offer open.
Term of employment agreements
Assumed to be at will.
“Permanent” is too vague, means at will.
Limitations on power to revoke
(1) Option; needs consideration, unless merchant under UCC.
(2) Promissory estoppel: foreseeable reliance, to the extent necessary to avoid injustice.
(3) Partial performance: BUT offeree must have knowledge of offer when beginning performance.
(4) UCC firm offer: irrevocable if (i) offeror is merchant (type of goods/special knowledge); (ii) assurances that offer will remain open; (iii) authenticated writing.
Revocation of general offers
Must be at same level of publicity as original offer. Effective against everyone.
Mailbox rule
Acceptance effective upon mailing.
Rejection effective upon receipt.
Revocation effective upon receipt
(includes email, fax, etc.)
IF offeree sends acceptance then rejection, acceptance controls, UNLESS offeror detrimentally relies on rejection.
IF offeree send rejection then acceptance, the first to be RECEIVED will prevail.
Options: acceptance must be RECEIVED before option expires.
Counteroffers
Rejection + new offer.
BUT does not terminate option.
Notice of acceptance in unilateral K
Notice of starting performance only required if reason to know offeror would not learn of performance with reasonable certainty and promptness, UNLESS:
(1) reasonable diligence to notify offeror;
(2) offeror learns of performance in reasonable time;
(3) offer indicates notification not required.
Shipment of nonconforming goods
Acceptance + Breach.
UNLESS seller seasonably notifies buyer that goods are an accommodation –> counteroffer.
Silence as acceptance
(1) offeree intended to accept by silence;
(2) due to prior course of dealings, reasonable to believe that offeree must affirmatively decline to accept.
Mirror image rule
Common law: modification or addition of terms –> counteroffer.
UCC: modification or addition of terms is still acceptance, UNLESS:acceptance expressly conditioned on assent to new terms.
Additional terms in acceptance between nonmerchants
new terms are separate proposal, which must be separately accepted.
Additional terms in acceptance between merchants
K is under terms of the acceptance, UNLESS:
(1) terms materially alter the original K;
(2) offeror expressly limited acceptance;
(3) offeror has already objected to new terms or objects within reasonable time.
Acceptance w/ different terms
Knock-out rule (majority): different terms nullify each other, fill gap with default terms.
Last-shot rule (minority): different terms treated the same as additional terms.
UCC rules for auction sales
Each lot separate sale.
Sale is complete when auctioneer announces end.
In reserve auction, goods can be withdrawn at any time before completion of sale. Non-reserve, cannot withdraw unless no bid.
If sellers bids, then winner may cancel bid or take goods at price of last good faith bid, UNLESS (1) seller bid at forced sale or (2) seller gave notice that he would be bidding in auction.
Gift vs. valid consideration
Look to whether the offeree could have reasonably believed that the intent of the offeror was to induce the action.
Preexisting duty rule
Common law: promise to perform preexisting duty is not consideration UNLESS third party offer promise contingent upon performance by a party.
Partial payment of liquidated debt is invalid for lack of consideration, UNLESS compromise disputed in good faith (even if reason for dispute was invalid).
Past consideration
Past consideration invalid, BUT can be enforced to prevent injustice, UNLESS promisee intended act as gift. Promise enforceable only to the extent of the value received.
Modification
Common law: must have consideration, UNLESS: (1) rescission and entry into new K; (2) unforeseen difficulties, and one party agrees to compensate the other; (3) new obligations on both sides.
UCC: no consideration, good faith only.
Modification and SOF
Modification must comply with SOF if K as modified falls within SOF.
Oral modification in violation of SOF may be withdrawn, UNLESS other party relied.
Modification under installment Ks
Waiver can be withdrawn at any time by beneficiary, UNLESS retraction would be unjust because other party materially changed position based on waiver.
Accord K
Consideration required. Both parties surrender claims.
If creditor accepts lesser amount, original K is not cancelled UNLESS there is some dispute about validity or amount, or if payment is of different type than called for in original K.
Satisfaction
discharges both accord and original K.
if accord is not satisfied, then both accord and original K have been breached.
Voidable and unenforceable promises
NOT valid consideration
Req’t and output K
quanities may not be unreasonably disproportionate to estimates of prior course of dealings.