Business Law Flashcards
Which of the following actions requires an agent for a corporation to have a written agency agreement?
Purchasing an interest in undeveloped land for the principal
The statute of frauds only requires a writing for contracts for sale of goods of $500 or more, real estate, contracts impossible to perform in one year, a promise to answer the debt of another, and an executor’s promise to be personally liable for the debt of an estate.
Noll gives Carr a written power of attorney. Which of the following statements is correct regarding this power of attorney?
A power of attorney usually limits an agent’s authority to specific transactions.
Thorp was a purchasing agent for Ogden, a sole proprietor, and had express authority to place purchase orders with Ogden’s suppliers. Thorp placed an order with Datz, Inc. on Ogden’s behalf after Ogden was declared incompetent in a judicial proceeding. Thorp was aware of Ogden’s incapacity. Which of the following statements is correct concerning Ogden’s liability to Datz?
Ogden will not be liable because Thorp’s agency ended when Ogden was declared incompetent.
Death or insanity of either the principal or the agent will end an agency immediately.
Which of the following would not have capacity to create an agency relationship?
An unincorporated association does not have capacity, because it is not an individual or an entity, and therefore has no contractual capacity.
How is apparent authority created?
By perceptions of third parties that have been created or allowed by the principal
Creation of an Express Agency Relationship.
Consideration—An agency relationship can be created with or without consideration and is called a gratuitous agency relationship. However, an agent who serves without consideration in a gratuitous agency can quit at any time.
Accompanying Implied Authority that Goes with Express Authority
- When a principal creates an express agency relationship, the agent holds whatever authority is provided for in the agreement.
- In addition, the agent has whatever authority is customary for his or her position—whatever authority can be implied because of the position.
Agency by Estoppel or Ostensible Authority
For the purposes of the exam, this agency relationship is another form of apparent authority agency that is created when the principal acts as if another is his or her agent.
Apparent Agency
Agency relationship in which the agent does not have an express agreement but still has authority to act as an agent for a principal because of the appearance of having that authority.
Which of the following duties is owed by a principal to an agent?
Indemnification-The principal is obligated to indemnify the agent for any contracts entered into on the principal’s behalf with express, implied, or apparent authority or an agreement ratified by the principal.
The apparent authority of a partner to bind the partnership in dealing with third parties
Apparent authority depends on how things appear to a third party dealing with the agent. Usually if it appears the agent was authorized, apparent authority will exist.
Sol, an agent for May, made a contract with Simon that exceeded Sol’s authority. If May wishes to hold Simon to the contract, May must prove that
May ratified the contract before withdrawal from the contract by Simon.
A principal is liable for contracts made by an agent on its behalf if the agent had some type of authority (actual or apparent). If the contract was unauthorized, the principal will be liable only if the principal ratifies. The principal must ratify prior to the third party’s withdrawal from the contract. Thus, if May ratifies prior to Simon’s withdrawal, Simon will be bound by the contract.
Pell is the principal and Astor is the agent in an agency coupled with an interest. In the absence of a contractual provision relating to the duration of the agency, who has the right to terminate the agency before the interest has expired?
Principal-NO
Agent- YES
Baker sold an automobile to Bob’s Old Autos, where Fuller is a manager. Fuller took $100 from Baker for encouraging the sale. What duty to Bob’s Old Autos did Fuller violate?
Loyalty.
Duties of principal to agent:
- To comply with agency agreement
2. To reimburse reasonable expenses
Duties of agent to principal:
- Fiduciary duty (trust)
- Duty of obedience-follow instructions
- Reasonable care
- Accounting for all funds of principal
- Duty of disclosure
- Duty of loyalty (no competition, conflict of interest, disclosure of confidential information)
Termination of relationship by acts of parties:
- By fulfillment- duty fulfilled
- by lapse of time
- by specified event (ex. wedding planner)
- by mutual agreement
- by unilateral act of one party (does not resolve breach of contract issue)- principal CANNOT terminate agency coupled with interest
Termation by act of parties terminates ONLY express and implied authority, how must apparent authority be terminated?
- Principal has duty to notify 3rd parties
2. Agent has duty to honor termination and not use apparent authority
Termination by operation of the law:
- Death of principal or agent
- Insanity of principal
- By bankruptcy of principal
- Change in law that makes relationship illegal
- Loss/destruction of subject matter (selling a building that was then destroyed by a fire)
Easy Corp. is a real estate developer and regularly engages real estate brokers to act on its behalf in acquiring parcels of land. The brokers are authorized to enter into such contracts but are instructed to do so in their own names without disclosing Easy’s identity or relationship to the transaction.
If a broker enters into a contract with a seller on Easy’s behalf,
The broker will have the same actual authority as if Easy’s identity had been disclosed.
Kent, without authority, contracts to buy computer equipment from Fox Corp. for Ace Corp. Kent tells Fox that Kent was acting on Ace’s behalf.
For Ace to ratify the contract with Fox,
Ace must know all material facts relating to the contract at the time it is ratified.
Which of the following rights will a third party be entitled to after validly contracting with an agent representing an undisclosed principal?
Normally, an agent is not bound by a contract signed on behalf of his principal. However, this question illustrates the exception to the rule, because the principal is UNDISCLOSED. In such a situation, the agent can be made to honor the agreement.
Liability of disclosed principle:
- Disclosed principle, agent has actual authority (express or implied)- ONLY principal is liable
- Disclosed principle, agent has apparent authority-ONLY principle is liable
- Disclosed principle, agent has not authority-ONLY agent liable
Liability for partially disclosed principles:
Agent has actual authority but does not identify principles, BOTH are liable
Liability for undisclosed principles
Agent has actual authority but does not disclose existence of principle, BOTH are liable but agent entitled to reimbursement by principle for damages
Your client, Sanitary Dairies, Inc., employs Harold Stone as a milk-truck driver. Stone negligently runs the truck into the car of Ronald Green, injuring Green, his wife, and damaging Green’s car. Stone is also injured in the collision. Which of the following is correct?
If Green is shown to have been contributorily negligent, he cannot recover for his injuries, or for the damage to the car.
Generally, a disclosed principal will be liable to third parties for its agent’s unauthorized misrepresentations, if the agent is an
Employee-YES
Indep Contractor-NO
A principal is liable for ALL AUTHORIZED misrepresentations, but not for all UNauthorized misrepresentations.
Under agency law, which of the following statements best describes ratification?
A principal’s affirmation of an agent’s unauthorized act
North, Inc. hires Sutter as a purchasing agent.
North gives Sutter written authorization to purchase, without limit, electronic appliances. Later, Sutter is told not to purchase more than 300 of each appliance.
Sutter contracts with Orr Corp. to purchase 500 tape recorders. Orr had been shown Sutter’s written authorization.
Which of the following statements is correct?
The written authorization given to Sutter constitutes actual authority. Actual authority exists whenever an agent acts under direct orders, or takes steps reasonably necessary to complete specific directives. For the first 300 of the 500 recorders, Sutter has actual authority. Further, he has apparent authority to buy the other 200, because Orr can reasonably believe that Sutter is authorized to make such a purchase after seeing his authorization.
An agent has apparent authority to act whenever a third party reasonably believes the agent has authority to act.
Janice Gwinn is having an in-floor vacuum system put in her new home. The cost of the components for the system and installation is $22,000. She has signed a contract with Jill’s Permanent Vacuum Systems for that amount with installation to be completed as the phases of construction of the home proceed and allow. Which of the following statements is correct about this contract?
Because the contract is one predominantly for installation, it is governed by common law.
Susan Worth has a lease for two years at the Bedford Arms apartment complex. Susan has the opportunity to study at Oxford for one year and has agreed to sublease her apartment to Karen Knight. Karen is to take over the lease on August 1, 2010, and finish the term of the lease, which ends May 31, 2011. Susan and Karen execute an agreement for the lease takeover. In January 2011, Karen misses her rent payment and then moves out of the apartment. The Bedford Arms owner wants to recover from Susan. This contract:
Real property interests, including leases, are under common law.
Contract
An agreement supported by consideration between two or more persons with competent capacity for a legal purpose.
Sources of contract law
Common law and Article 2 of UCC
UCC Article 2 applies to:
Contracts that involve the sale of goods.If a contract involves providing both goods and services, then the UCC applies if the purpose of the contract is primarily the sale of the goods
Sales of growing crops or timber are the sale of goods regardless who severs.
“Things” attached but not deemed fixtures, which can be severed without material harm to realty, are goods.
Which of the following would be an example of an implied contract?
John being treated by a doctor without first agreeing to the charges for the service.
Kay, an art collector, promised Hammer, an art student, that if Hammer could obtain certain rare artifacts within two weeks, Kay would pay for Hammer’s postgraduate education. At considerable effort and expense, Hammer obtained the specified artifacts within the two-week period. When Hammer requested payment, Kay refused. Kay claimed there was no consideration for the promise. Hammer would prevail against Kay based on
Unilateral contract
This is a unilateral contract because it can only be accepted by performing an act. Hammer cannot accept with a promise. Instead, Hammer has to do an act, which results in total performance of the contract. A unilateral contract is formed if the required action is completed.
Express contract
A contract formed wholly by oral and/or written words.
Implied or Implied-in-Fact Contract
A contract formed, at least in part, based on the conduct of the parties or based on the factual circumstances.