Did either party fail to perform its part of the deal, and if so, was that non-performance excused? Flashcards
Condition precedent
Required performance = non-occurrence of which terminates other party’s performance, occurrence of which triggers other party’s performance
(uncertain event which must occur before one party’s performance is due)
How do you satisfy express conditions precedent?
Strict compliance
How do you satisfy constructive conditions precedent?
Substantial performance
Express condition precedent
Parties agree
How do you satisfy an express condition of obligee’s satisfaction?
- Services that do not require personal taste = whether reasonable person would be satisfied (objective)
- Services that do require personal taste = whether obligee in good faith would be satisfied (subjective)
How do you satisfy an express condition of 3P’s satisfaction?
Whether 3P in good faith would be satisfied (objective)
Constructive condition precedent
Court applies based upon what is reasonable under circumstances
In interpretating, what do courts give greater weight to?
- Specific terms over general terms
2. Negotiated or added terms over standard terms
How do courts construe: against or for drafting party?
Against drafting party
How would a court construe terms like
- “if”
- “provided that”
- “on condition that”
- “subject to”?
As evidence of condition
What are some terms that could be evidence of an express condition?
“If”
“Provided that”
“On condition that”
“Subject to”
If performances can be due simultaneously, how does a court prefer to construe them?
To be due simultaneously
If one performance is expressly due at a specific time and other performance has no express deadline, when would court likely construe performance to be due? (At the same time, specific deadline first, no deadline first)
The performance with the express deadline is due prior to performance without express deadline.
What are the excuses for non-occurrence?
- Acceptance of performance despite non-occurrence
- Other party is bad faith cause of breach
- Impracticality/impossibility
- Disproportionate forfeiture
What is required for impracticality or disproportionate forfeiture to excuse non-occurrence?
Non-occurring condition must not have been a material term
If breach is not material, who can sue on the contract?
Either party
If breach is material, who can sue on the contract?
Non-breaching party
If breach is material, how can non-breaching party sue?
Limited to a remedy in quasi-contract with damages measured by excess of benefits conferred over/above harm caused
If breach is material, how can breaching party sue?
On the contract with any defects in performance recompensed by a setoff for the damages caused
Factors in determining whether failure to render performance is material
- extent to which injured party will be deprived of benefit which he reasonably expected
- extent to which the party failing to perform or to offer to perform will suffer forfeiture
- likelihood that the party failing to perform or to offer will cure his failure, taking account of all the circumstances including any reasonable assurances and
- extent to which the behavior of party failing to perform or to offer to perform comports with standards of good faith and fair dealing
Generally, when is a delay in performance material?
Only if time is of the essence (it operates to significantly deprive the other party of the benefit of the contract)
When is time is of the essence?
It operates to significantly deprive the other party of the benefit of the contract
In determining whether time is of the essence, what is the presumption?
Time is not of the essence, unless made apparent by contract or conduct
UCC perfect tender rule
Close performance is not good enough = buyer has right to reject any imperfect tender
Buyer’s right under UCC perfect tender rule
right to reject any imperfect tender
Under the UCC Perfect Tender Rule, when does the seller have an opportunity to cure and how long for each?
- Reasonable grounds to believe imperfect delivery would be allowable (ex. by past conduct) = seller gets reasonable time to cure
- Still time left for delivery = seller gets rest of contracted-for date to cure
Under UCC Perfect Tender Rule, what options does a buyer have for an imperfect delivery of goods?
- Reject the whole
- Accept the whole
- Accept any commercial unit or units and reject the rest
Under UCC Perfect Tender Rule, once goods are accepted, may the buyer reject the goods?
No
When does acceptance of goods occur?
- After reasonable opportunity to inspect the goods signifies to the seller that the goods are conforming or that he will take or retain them in spite of their non-conformity or
- Fails to make an effective rejection after buyer has had reasonable opportunity to inspect them or
- Does any act inconsistent with the seller’s ownership
When may a buyer revoke his acceptance?
- If non-conformity substantially impairs its value to him and
- He accepted it on reasonable assumption that its non-conformity would be cured and it hasn’t been seasonably cured or
- Without discovery of such non-conformity if his acceptance was reasonably induced either
a. by the difficulty of discovery before acceptance or
b. by seller’s assurance