Elements of Negotiability Flashcards
Negotiability
Elements of Negotiability
(1) An unconditional
(2) promise or order to pay
(3) a fixed amount of money, with or without interest
(4) payable to order or to bearer
(5) payable on demand or at a definite time and
(6) does not state any other promise or instruction, except to (a) give, maintain, or protect collateral; (b) authorization to confess judgement or collect collateral; or (c) waivers of rights designed to protect obligor
WOOPS FUN (Negotiability)
W = Writing ( part of "promise" and "order" O = Order or Bearer O = On demand or at a Definite Time P = Promise or Order to Pay S= Signed (part of "promise" and "order") F = Fixed amount of money with or without interest U = Unconditional N = No authorized undertaking or instruction
Promise
A written undertaking to pay money signed by the person undertaking to pay
Order
A written instruction to pay money signed by the person giving the instruction
Signed
Any symbol or writing executed or adopted with the present intention to adopt or accept a writing
Payable at a definite time
Payable at a fixed date or dates including on elapse of a definite period of time and extensions to a definite time at the option of the maker or acceptor or automatically upon or after a specified act or event. If payment date is uncertain it is not negotiable.
If an instrument is undated
The effective date is the date of issuance.
Issue
The first delivery of an instrument by the maker or drawer, whether to a holder or non holder, for the purpose of giving rights on the instrument to any person
Payable to Bearer
An instrument is payable to bearer if it
(1) states that us payable to bearer;
(2) does not state a payee; or
(3) states that is payable to or to the order of cash or otherwise indicates that it is not payable to an identified person
Payable to Order
An instrument is payable to order if it is payable to (a) the order of an identified person or (b) to an identified person or order
Payable on Demand
An instrument is payable on demand if it does not state any time of payment
Express v. Implied Condition
An express condition defeats negotiability of an instrument but an implied condition does not
Defeats negotiability
(a) the note is subject to a contract, (b) the note is subject to the security agreement executed by the parties contemporaneously herewith, or (c) rights and obligations fo the parties with respect to this note are stated in the contract
Does not make conditional
A promise or order is not made unconditional by
(a) the reference to another record for statement of rights with respect to collateral, prepayment or acceleration;
(b) because payment is limited to resort to a particular fund or source; or
(c) a waiver of the benefit of any law intended for the advantage or protection of an obligor
Interest Rate
The amount or rate of interest may be stated or described in the instrument in any manner and may require reference to information not contained in the instrument
Order Language
Order language is needed on notes intended to be negotiable; however no order language is needed for an instrument in bearer form
Certified Check
A check accepted by the bank which it is drawn.
Acceptance means the drawee’s signed agreement to pay a draft as represented. It must be written on the draft and may consist of the drawee’s signature alone
Cashier’s Check
A draft with respect to the which the drawer and drawee are the same bank or branches of the same bank
Teller’s Check
A draft by a bank on another bank or payable through a bank
Incomplete Instrument
a signed writing, whether or not issued by the signer, the contents of which show at the time of signing that it is incomplete but that the signer intended it to be completed by addition of words or numbers
Signed but payee omitted
An incomplete instrument that is a negotiable instrument payable ‘to bearer’ since it identifies no payee
Payee’s name is filled in
Ig an incomplete instrument is a negotiable instrument it may be enforced according to its terms if it is not completed, or according to its terms as augmented by completion
Signed but amount left blank
Results in an incomplete instrument BUT it is not a negotiable instrument because it is not an order to pat a FIXED AMOUNT OF MONEY
The agreed upon amount is filled in
If incomplete instrument is negotiable, it may be enforced according to its terms if it is not completed, or according to its terms as augmented by completion
Person Entitled to Enforce
(a) the holder of an instrument
(b) a non holder in possession of the instrument who has the rights of a holder
(c) a person not in possession of the instrument who is entitled to enforce the instrument pursuant to Section 3-309 or 3-418(d) [The lost instrument provision]
Holder
The person in possession of a negotiable instrument that is payable either to bearer or to an identified person that is the person in possession
Holder of Bearer Paper
Have possession of the instrument
Holder of Order Paper
Have possession of the instrument AND be the identified person
Negotiation
Means a transfer of possession, whether voluntary or involuntary of an instrument by a person other than the issuer to a person who thereby becomes its holder
Negotiate Instrument Payable to an Identified Person
Negotiation requires:
(a) transfer of possession of the instrument; and
(b) its indorsement by the holder
Negotiate Instrument Payable to Bearer
Negotiation requires either voluntary or involuntary transfer of possession
Holder of Order Paper
Holdership requires:
(a) having possession of the instrument; and
(b) being the identified person
Holder of Bearer Paper
Holdership requires:
(a) having possession of the instrument
Indorsement
A signature, other than that of the signer as a maker, drawer, or acceptor, that alone or accompanied by other words is made on an instrument for the purpose of (a) negotiating the instrument …for the purpose of determining whether a signature is made on an instrument, a paper affixed to the instrument is part of the instrument
Special Indorsement
Indorsment identifies a person to whom it makes the instrument payable to
Blank Indorsement
When endorsed in blank, an instrument becomes payable to bearer and may be negotiated by transfer of possession alone until specially indorsed
Delivery
Voluntary transfer of possession
Shelter Principle
Transfer of an instrument, whether or not the transfer is a negotiation, vests in the transferred any right of the transferor to enforce the instrument. (Ex. a non holder in possession fo the instrument who has the rights of a holder)
Allows transferee to become PETE when negotiation fails for lack of indorsmsent
IF an instrument is transferred for value and the transferee does not become a holder because of the lack of indorsement by the transferor,
THEN, the transferee has a specifically enforceable right to the unqualified indorsement of the instrument, but negotiation of the instrument does not occur until the indorsement is made
Unauthorized Signature
is ineffective except as the signature of the unauthorized signer in favor of a person who in good faith pays the instrument or takes for value.
Forged Indorsement on Order Paper
Makes any further purported indorsement ineffective
Unauthorized signature
Means signature made without actual, implied, or apparent authority. Term includes forgery
What happens when an indorsement is forged?
Forgery of a necessary indorsement breaks the chain of title and makes any further indorsement ineffective
Misspelled Indorsement
The person to whom payment is to be paid is the person to whom the signer intended even if misspelled
Alternatively Payable
If an instrument is payable to two or more people alternatively, it is payable to any of them and may be negotiated, discharged, or enforced by any or all of them in possession of the instrument
Not Alternatively Payable
If an instrument is payable to two or more persons not alternatively, it is payable to all of them and may be negotiated, discharged, or enforced only by all of them.
Payable to Two or More ambiguously
If an instrument payable to two or more persons is ambiguous as to whether it is payable to the persons alternatively, the instrument is payable to the persons alternatively.
Primary Liability
Liability of makers and acceptors is called “Primary” because there are no conditions for liability
Secondary Liability
Liability of drawer and indorser. However, the liability is not triggered until dishonor occurs.
Liability of Issuer
Obliged to pay the instrument according to its terms at the time it was issued to PETE. Issuer = Maker
Two or more Persons Liable on Instrument
If two or more persons have the same liability on an instrument as makers, drawers, acceptors, indorsers who indorse as joint payees or anomalous endorsers are jointly and severally liable in the capacity in which they sign.
Liability of an Acceptor
A signed agreement to pay the draft as presented obliges the acceptor to pay the draft:
(a) according to its terms at the time it was accepted; and
(b) the obligation runs to the PETE
When is a person liable on an instrument?
A person is not liable on an instrument when:
(a) the person signed the instrument; or
(b) the person is represented by an agent or representative who signed the instrument and the signature is binding on the represented person.
Who can bring a “wrongful dishonor” claim?
Only the customer of the bank may have a claim for wrongful dishonor.