Contract 5 - Terms of the contract Flashcards
What are the types of statements made in negotiations?
- Term = statements of fact parties intend to be binding
- Representation = statements of fact/law which parties don’t intend to be binding but help induce making of the contract
How can you determine if a statement is a term or representation?
By the intention of the parties
Objective = reasonable person test
What factors will the courts take into account when deciding if a statement is a term or representation?
- Importance of the statement (would the contract exist without it)
- What stage in the negotiations was it made?
- Whether the party making the statement had specialist skill and knowledge
Explain the remedy available for terms and representations
- Terms = breach of contract = damages
- Misrepresentation = depends on circumstance and damages likely to be lower
What are the 3 types of terms?
- Condition
- Warranty
- Innominate term
What are the main principles of conditions?
- The root of the contract - without the term the contract does not work
- Repudiatory breach = repudiates contract if condition breached
- Innocent party can terminate and claim damages
- If innocent party continues and affirms contract = can only claim damages not terminate
What are warranties?
A term that’s incidental to the main terms of a contract
If breach a warranty =can only claim damages
What’s an innominate term?
Unclear at outset if it’s a condition or warranty = not clear how severe the consequences of a breach would be
How do courts determine if an innominate term is a condition or warranty?
Will look at effect of breach
If innocent party loses whole benefit of contract = term
If incidental = warranty
How does ‘Time of the essence’ relate to conditions and warranties?
If a party doesn’t perform obligations when required by the contract
If time is of the essence of obligation = condition and can terminate and claim damages
Presumption commercial contracts that time is of the essence if a delivery time has been agreed
If time is not of the essence = warranty and only claim damages
When will a term form part of the contract?
When parties have reasonable notice of it
What is the parol evidence rule?
General presumption that external evidence cannot add to or vary terms of a written contract
What are the exceptions to the parol evidence rule?
- Implied terms
- Collateral contracts
- Contract was always partly written and party oral
What is an entire agreement clause?
Where the written document constitutes entire agreement except if its seen to try and reduce liability for misrepresentation
How can a contract term be implied?
- Statute
- Courts
- Custom and usage
- Course of dealings between the parties