Contracts Flashcards
What is required of a goods contract?
Quantity
Intent of parties to create a contract
Prior extrinsic evidence to a final goods contract CANNOT be entered as evidence if:
- the evidence directly contradicts the terms of the contract as written
- the evidence would have certainly been included in the written contract
What is required for the right of reclamation of goods by seller?
- Buyer is insolvent at the time of receipt of the goods
- Seller must demand the return of goods within 10 days of receipt, or a reasonable time if buyer misrepresented his solvency to the seller
- Buyer still has the goods
What is true when an offeree begins performance of an unilateral contract?
- Offeror cannot revoke the offer
- Offerree will have a reasonable amount of time to complete performance
- Offeree cannot be required to complete the performance
- Unilateral contract is not formed until performance is complete
What is the UCC firm offer rule?
Offer to buy or sell goods is irrevocable if:
- Offeror is a merchant
- There is assurance that the offer is to remain open
- The assurance is contained in a signed writing from the offeror
Lasts for up to 90 days
What are the requirements of a quasi-contract?
- A measurable benefit is conferred by one party on another
- The benefit is conferred with the expectation of payment
- Retention of the benefit without compensation would be unfair
What is constructive revocation?
Offeree learns that offeror has taken an action that is absolutely inconsistent with continuing ability to contract.
Ex. Selling a house to someone else
A contract for the transfer of real property interest can satisfy the Statutes of Frauds if
Two of the following have been met:
- Payment
- Possession
- Improvements of the property
In a sale of goods for which there was a written offer and a written purported acceptance, if there is not a contract but the parties act as if there is, which of the following is true?
- Only the terms on which both writings agree become part of the contract
- Other terms are supplied by the UCC acting as default rules
What is required for waiver of express conditions?
- The party receiving the protection of the condition may waive the condition by words or conduct
- The other party wrongly interferes or hinders the occurrence of the condition (judged by a good-faith standard)
What is delegation?
One party outsources her duties under a contract to another party
Who can be sued in event of breach after delegation?
The delegating party
The delegatee, if they have received consideration from the delegating party
What is novation?
BOTH parties agree that a substitute person will take over the contractual obligations
What is true of novation?
The original promise is excused from performance
What is true of partial performance in bilateral contracts?
Commencement of performance operates as promise to render complete performance
Acceptance by silence
Not acceptance unless:
- Offeree has reason to believe offer could be accepted by silence
- Previous dealings make it reasonable to believe that offeree must notify offeror if he does not intend to accept
How does the mailbox rule apply where there is a rejection following acceptance?
Acceptance will control even if offeror receives the rejection first
However, if offeror detrimentally relies on rejection them offeree is estoppel from enforcing K
How does the mailbox rule apply for acceptance following rejection?
Mailbox rule does not apply; the first one received will prevail
When can new terms be added to a goods contract?
- Both parties are merchants
- The new term doesn’t materially alter the deal
- The initial offer did not expressly limit acceptance to its terms
- The offeror doesn’t object within a reasonable time to the new term
What is the preexisting duty rule?
Action does not qualify as consideration unless the promise gives something in addition to what is owed, or varies preexisting duty in some way
What is required for modification at common law?
New consideration
Or:
- Rescission of existing contract and entering into new contract
- Unforeseen difficulties arise and one party agrees to compensate other party for them
- New obligations arise on both sides
What is required for modification for goods contract?
Good faith
- No new consideration is necessary
What happens in the event of a breach of accord?
The other side can sue for either the original obligation or the new promise.
What are the requirements for unilateral mistake?
- Mistake existed when contract was formed
- Mistake relates to basic assumption of contract
- Mistake has material impact on transaction
- Adversely affected party did not assume the risk of mistake
- Mistake would make enforcement of contract unconscionable
- Non-mistaken party caused the mistake, had duty to disclose or failed to disclose mistake, and knew or should have known the other party was mistaken
Can misrepresentation be cured?
Yes, if cured before deceived party has avoided the contract
When is misrepresentation voidable?
- There was misrepresentation of fact
- The misrepresentation was material or fraudulent
- The misrepresentation was made under circumstances in which it was justifiable to rely on representation
What is true of illegal contracts?
When the parties are not equally at fault, the less guilty party may recover under restitution
A party who withdraws from an illegal contract before the improper purpose has been achieve may recover under restitution when the party has not engaged in serious misconduct
What is required for implied warranty of merchantability?
- Seller is a merchant dealing in the goods at issue
- Goods must be fit for their ordinary purpose
- Warranty can be disclaimed by use of “as is,” “with faults,” or similar language
- Disclaimer may be oral, but must use the term “merchantability” and be conspicuous if in writing
What is implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose?
- Seller has reason to know (from any source) that buyer has particular use for goods
- Seller does not have to be a merchant
- Buyer relies on a seller’s expertise to select a special type of good that is used for a special purpose
- Warranty can be disclaimed in conspicuous writing only
What is a recission?
The canceling of any contract so as to restore the parties to the positions they had before the contract was made.
Nondefaulting party or both paroles can rescind contract