Contracts and Sales Flashcards
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3 Questions when Getting a K Problem
- Has an enforceable K been formed?
- No? no legal rights
- Yes? go to Q2 - Has the K been performed or had perf. been excused?
- Yes? all good
- No? go to Q3 - What are the remedies for breach?
Def of a K
A legally enforceable agreement.
Agreement + bargained for consideration
When Common Law Applies
When a K deals w/:
- real estate
- services
- hybrid K where predominant purpose results in service being main purpose
When UCC Applies
K deals w/:
- goods
- hybrid K where predominant purpose results in goods being main purpose
> UCC governs all parties who enter into a goods K, not just merchants
Hybrid K (aka Mixed Ks)
- All or Nothing Rule: mixed Ks must fall into either C.L or UCC UNLESS:
>EXCEPTION: Divisible Ks: agreement is divided into two mini Ks - Predominant Purpose TEST: look for the main reason party entered into the K and whether the good or service plays a bigger part in K
Q1: Has an enforceable K been formed? (four questions)
“ACDS” (“All Contracts Don’t Stink”)
- Agreement (offer + acceptance)
- Consideration (and P.E.)
- Defenses to formation (incapacity, duress, etc.)
- Statute of Frauds (deals w/ enforceability)
Offer (caterpillar)
A manifestation by the offeror of a willingness to enter into an agreement that creates a power of acceptance in the offeree.
Must (usually) be directed at a specific offeree. Exception: contest offers or reward offers that promise something to anyone who accomplishes a task.
Convey’s the power of acceptance to the other side.
TEST for Offer and Acceptance
Objective Test: the outward appearance of words or actions, not secret intentions UNLESS:
- offeree knows offeror won’t go through with it
- humor or anger: prob not a serious intent to be bound
- expressions of opinions
Offer in C.L.
All ESSENTIAL TERMS must be covered in the agreement.
Ex: parties, subject, price, quantity
Offer in UCC
Only need quantity. Don’t need price, ct will use market/reasonable rate.
UCC uses GAP FILLERS for all other terms
Requirements K
Buyer offers to buy 100% of X from seller, so quantity isn’t really set. Can still sue for breach under UCC b/c the quantity is 100% even though it’s not more specific than that.
Output K
Seller offers to 100% of whatever amount is produced to this individual buyer. Like requirements K, this works under UCC b/c there is a formula for determining breach
“Invitation to Deal” Fact Pattern
A preliminary comm. that reserves a final right of approval w/ the speaker. Does not convey a power of acceptance to the other side.
“Advertisement” Fact Pattern
Usually understood as an invitation to deal BUT two exceptions:
- Advertisements that offer a reward
- Ads that are VERY specific and leave nothing open to negotiation, including how acceptance can occur
Terminating the Offer (6 fact patterns)
GENERAL RULE: Offeror can usually revoke any time prior to acceptance
- Express Revocation: Offeror REVOKES the offer by express comm. to the offeree
- Constructive Revocation: offeror takes action that is absolutely inconsistent w/ the ability to K
- Rejection: offeree rejects the offer
- Counteroffer: offeree makes a counteroffer. is a rejection + new offer
- Death: offeror dies so the OFFER dies w/ them (diff. for Ks)
- Reasonable amount of time passes: usually look for a delay of several weeks of months. Offeror can REVIVE the offer by giving a new offer w/ same terms as squashed one.
Irrevocable Offers (4 situations)
- Option K
- Firm Offer
- Unilateral K: offeree has started perf.
- Detrimental Reliance: usually in construction context
Option K
Leave offer open for a certain amount of time. Consideration is paid to keep offer open.
Firm Offer
MERCHANT (someone who regularly deals in the type of good at issue, transaction is commercial in nature) can make a firm offer to buy or sell goods.
Binding but free, no consideration needed.
Time period is either stated in offer or is for a reasonable period no longer than 90 days.
Must Be:
1. written
2. signed by the offeror
3. contain an explicit promise by merchant not to revoke
Unilateral K: Offeree has started Perf.
Cannot be revoked by the offeror if the offeree has started to perf.
Unilateral K
Promise that requests acceptance by an action of the promisee. Can only be accepted by perf., so promisee has the right to finish before offer can be revoked
Bilateral K
A promise that requests a promise in return (instead of performance in return)
Detrimental Reliance
When the offeree reasonably and detrimentally relies on the offer in some foreseeable manner. Variant of Promissory Estoppel. Usually in the contractor/subcontractor context.
Acceptance
A manifestation of a willingness to enter into the agreement by the offeree.
Objective TEST.
The offeree must accept the offer according to the rules of the offer.
Even w/ an open-to-all offer, you must know about that offer in order to accept it.
Must communicate acceptance to other party.
Modern Approach to Uni and Bi K
If there is an ambiguity about whether the offer is uni or bi, acceptance can be by either perf. or a return promise.
Seller tries to accept by shipping the wrong goods?
TRICK!
UCC treats this as an acceptance + breach
Mailbox Rule
Acceptance sent by mail is effective when the letter is sent/posted.
Does NOT apply:
1. Offeree sends something else back first (e.g. rejection/counteroffer)
2. to other types of comm.-revocations, rejections, etc.
3. to option Ks
4. unclear if it applies to media like email
Acceptance via Silence
Applies in:
- Unilateral rewards offers or contests
- Uni offer where offeror can see that perf. has occurred
- When parties that do business together all the time and silence is the norm
- Offeror says that acceptance must come by silence and the offeree intends to accept the offer by silence
Implied-in-Fact K
Comm. acceptance through gestures or actions (haircut ex.)
C.L. Mirror-Image Rule
Terms in the acceptance must match the terms of the offer exactly or it is not an acceptance and instead is a counteroffer.
C.L. Conditional Acceptance
Is a counteroffer. Look for:
“if” “only if” “on the condition that” “but”
UCC 2-207
PARTIES DO NOT NEED TO BE MERCHANTS. When an acceptance has different terms than the offer.
“A definite and seasonable expression of acceptance (or written confirmation) which is sent w/i a reasonable time operates as an acceptance even though it states terms additional to or different from those offered or agreed upon, unless acceptance is expressly made conditional upon assent to the additional of different terms.”
UCC 2-207 Additional Term
New term MAY control if: (AND)
- both parties are merchants
- the new term does not materially alter the deal
- the initial offer did not expressly limit acceptance to its terms
- the offeror does not reject or object w/i a reasonable time to the new term
UCC 2-207 Knock Out Rule
WHEN THERE ARE DIFFERENT INSTEAD OF ADDITIONAL TERMS.
The first offer’s terms control unless the knock out rule applies.
Maj.: Knock out both of the diff. terms and let UCC gap fillers apply.
Min.: when diff. term does not govern then initial offer controls the terms
UCC 2-207 Acceptance Based on Conduct
Parties might not actually make a K but act as though they did. Only the terms both writings agree on become part of the K and all other terms are gap filled by UCC.
UCC 2-207 Confirming Memo
Arises when the parties have a K (usually verbal) and one party sends a confirming memo w/ add.L terms. New terms will very rarely come in.
Consideration
Bargained for Consideration. A deal in which the parties exchange promises involving a legal detriment OR benefit [i.e. something of value or a legal right]. Parties should think they are making a deal when they exchanged the promises. Not doing something you are legally entitled to do is a legal detriment.
>Gift promises and conditional gifts are NOT bargained-for consideration.
> pretense of consideration is insufficient, need some value even if its subjective
Illusory Promise (consideration)
Have to clearly commit to the deal, aka there must be a way to breach. Not consideration to say you’ll buy it “if you feel like it.”
>Look for facts where one side is not really committing to the deal under the objective test (“I would like to buy X when I have more money” “when economy gets better I’ll buy X”)
Satisfaction Ks
not illusory, real K that depends on the offeror’s satisfaction
Past Consideration
Is not enough to count as consideration in the deal now
Promising Not to Sue (Consideration)
Settling a legal claim can be sufficient consideration, only if:
- P has a good faith belief in the validity of the claim OR
- there is reason to doubt the validity of the claim due to uncertain law