contracts Flashcards
contract
an enforceable voluntary agreement between two or more parties
two terms in contracts
- express terms - conditions that have been discussed and agreed upon
- implied terms - conditions that have not been discussed and taken for granted
letter of intent
basic terms of future contract - not enforceable!!
Five ways to void a contract
- mistakes
- misrepresentation
- duress
- unconscionability
- frustration
three features to void mistakes
- must be significant and non-trivial
- must be mutual
- existed at the same time the agreement was made
three features of misrepresentation
- innocent
- negligent
- fraudulent (most serious type)
duress
improper pressure, threats or coercion to get a party into a contract
unconscionability
a contract so unfair, oppressive or one sided that the court will not enforce
waiver
an act or instance of waiving a right or claim
estoppel
- one party relies on actions of another instead of the contract
- principle that prevents someone from arguing something or asserting a right that contradicts what they previously said
- the action that the court can use to prevent a party from enforcing the strict wording of the contract that puts the other party at a disadvantage
quasi-contract
obligation of one party to another imposed by law independently of an agreement between parties
quantum meruit
- company must be paid the amount the work is worth even without a contract
- when a service ahs been requested and performed with out a payment agreement in place
change order vs change directive
change order: paperwork for changes to contracts
change directive: additional work paid at cost-plus. ordered by consultant NOT owner
privy
a condition where only parties to the contract can enforce the contract
four conditions for a breach of contract
- inability to perform
- inadvertence - unintentional
- disagreement
- lack of profit
specific performance
court order to perform a specific act that would remedy the damages (sell property)
injunction
prohibits a party from starting or continuing to do something that is threatening or invading the legal rights of another
three limitations of damage recovery
- mitigation - injured party takes steps to reduce loss
- damages cant be speculative - must have proof
- remoteness - loss must be reasonably foreseeable
consequential vs liquidated damages
consequential damages: indirect loss - loss of business
liquidated damages: estimates of loss written in contract
3 ways a contract termiantes
- it ends once both parties complete their obligations
- when its agreed to end early or if on party ends it (breaches)
- completion of performance
fundamental breach
- a breach that goes to the root of the contract and deprives the innocent party of all or most of the benefit of contract
- one party is not keeping their party of the deal by failing to complete contractual terms forcing the other party to not complete their own responsibility
- if a party does not perform an obligation, the injured party CAN terminate the contract and sue
Simple breach
a breach that does not entitle the innocent party to treat the contract as ended in order to permit the innocent party to stop performing their part of the contract
- injured party CANT terminate the contract but can sue
repudiatory breach
- when one party lets the other know that they do not intend to perform their obligations without justification
- innocent party can terminate the contract
anticipatory breach
- one party declares to the other party before the time of performance of an obligation they intend to breach
restrictive by express conditions
- contracts have special or supplemental conditions, which are assigned greater importance. Special meaning takes precedence over standard form
contra proferentem
a contract is ambiguous (vague), the courts choose the interpretation that favours the party who did not write the contract