Contracts Flashcards
contract
- legally binding agreement
what is required to initiate a contract
- intention
- mutual consideration
- offer and acceptance
1) offer may only be accepted by the party whom the offer is made
2) an offer must be communicated before acceptance
Advertisement is not an offer–it is an invitation to do business
Competition Act
4 main points
[1] applies to private business, not government
[2] restraint of trade is illegal
— price fixing
— mergers/acquisitions to create monopoly
— agreements not compete
Exceptions:
- agreement by a seller of a business, which includes goodwill, covenants not to compete on reasonable terms -5 year max -business area
- agreement by a key employee not to compete on reasonable terms
[3] offence to advertise fraudulently (bait and switch)
[4] offence not to sell at the lowest ticketed price
terminator of an offer can happen via ______
- death, bankruptcy, mentally incompetent
- revocation (can revoke offer up until the moment it’s accepted)
- rejection (or counteroffer)
- expiry of a preset time
- expiry of a reasonable time
unilateral contract
- one party is bound (-reward, -commercial promote)
bilateral contract
- two parties are bound to each other
mutual consideration
- exchange in the present or future (trade)
- adequacy of consideration is not an issue–as long as it’s something for something
no mutual consideration, therefore no contract
- gratuitous -given or done free of charge
- (promise for) past consideration
- gratuitous reduction of a debt (bank case)
seal
- a contract under seal is a formal contract which does not require any consideration and has the seal of the signer attached
- a contract under seal must be in writing or printed on paper.
injurious reliance
- term commonly used to force another to perform their obligations under a contract
- institution or charity
- incurs significant cost (athletic centre in GP name case)
quantum meruit
- “amount merited”
- obligation to pay going rate
capacity
who lacks capacity
how does lack of capacity impact a contract
- determines whether they may make binding amendments to their rights, duties and obligation
- minor
- substance impaired
- mental incompetence
Executed contracts:
- fully performed contract
- part lacking capacity may repudiate contract only if they have been taken advantage of
Unexecuted contracts:
- not fully performed contract
- party lacking capacity may repudiate, EXCEPT
———responsible only for willful damage
———necessaries (food, shelter, station in life)
———beneficial contracts of employment
legality
- courts do NOT enforce or reverse illegal contracts
insurable interest
- when loss or damage to it would cause financial loss or certain other kinds of losses
- family
- economic (employees)
Statute of Frauds
these contracts have to be in writing:
1) Guarantee - agreement to be responsible for the contractual obligation of another party
2) Agreements to be responsible for the tort obligations of another party
3) Agreements by executors to be personally responsible for the debts of an estate
4) Marriage agreements
- prenuptial agreement -separation agreement
5) Long-term agreement (over 1 year)
6) Land
Exception - Doctrine of Part Performance
doctrine of part performance
- when there is an oral agreement that is otherwise governed by the Statute of Frauds, the doctrine of part performance treats partial performance in reliance on the oral agreement and acceptance of such performance as evidence of an enforceable contract
Must contain all of the following to apply:
1) Land only
2) Clear, otherwise enforceable verbal agreement
3) One the parties performs acts of the land consistent only with the contract (mortgage payment does not count)
4) HARDSHIP
minimum requirements of a memorandum in writing
- identify the parties
- basic terms -mutual consideration
- signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought