Exam 4 Flashcards
Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
model code aiming to simplify and modernize the law overseeing commercial transactions, common rules for commercial law, provides gap fillers when contracts are ambiguous/not in writing, adopts common law of contracts
Commercial Transactions
transactions regarding personal property: sales, commercial papers, bank deposits, letters of credit, bulk transfers, warehouse receipts, bills of lading, documents of title, investment securities, secured transactions
Article 6 (UCC)
governs bulk transfers, doesn’t address agriculture - only those who manufacture what they sell
Article 2 (UCC)
governs sales, addresses farm transactions
Merchant
whan a farmer is familiar with the marketing practices in the industry: length of time goods sold, business knowledge, farm market knowledge
Contract
legally binding promise or set of promises between two or more parties, both legally obligated to perform, each can go to court for non-performance
Elements of a Contract
legally competent parties, legal or proper subject matter, offer, acceptance, consideration
Legally Competent Party
no lack of maturity or mental capacity to exercise good judgement, ex: children, insane, mentally retarded
Voidable Contract
contract which may be either affirmed or disaffirmed at the option of one or more of the contracting parties, ex: emancipated minors
Disaffirmance
avoids/destroys the legal relationship
Affirmance
ratifies and makes enforceable
Illegal Agreement
ex: creation of monopoly or illegal gambling contracts
Adhesion Contract
“take it or leave it”, weaker party at mercy of stronger, eliminates bargaining power: numerous terms, drafted by one party to the contract, contracting is routine for drafting party and not for adherent, signed by adherent, adherent’s key obligation is money
Unconscionable Contract
problem in substance and formation of contract, lopsided obligations and rights, bargaining power unequal
Offer
promise or commitment to do some act, intentionally not do some act, or promise some return performance, good for a time period or “resonable” period of time, must be received to be legally effective
Elements of Offer
a manifestation of words or acts to make a contract, definite in terms, communicated to offeree
Lucy vs Zehmer
Zehmers sold to Lucy for $50,000, wrote up contract while drunk, lost farm - definite in terms
Acceptance
made to a specific person (cannot be accepted by another), effective as soon as the offer leaves offeree’s possesion
Meeting of the Minds (MOM)
both members understand what they’re contracting to, reached through process of offer and acceptance-counter offers, changing conditions
Qualified or Conditional Acceptance
counter-offer, rejection of original
Consideration
something given in exchange for a promise, benefit to one party, detriment to other, something of value
Unilateral (Contracts)
one party makes a promise and the other party does or does not do an act, promise for act
Bilateral (Contracts)
promises made on both sides, promise for promise
Express (Contracts)
contracts definitely set out in words, oral or written
Implied (Contracts)
contracts worked out or inferred from the acts and conduct of parties, implied in fact or implied in law
Implied in Fact
based on conduct, no mention of a contract, no written or spoken words, ex: wrong barn gets painted and owner sits and watches
Implied in Law
facts lead court to claim that regardless of parties wishes, they will be treated as though they made a contract, ex: barn painted by mistake while owner on vacation, owner may have to pay for paint
Statute of Frauds
certain contracts must be in writing to be enforced, include contracts taking over one year to perform, involving transfer of real estate, for sale of goods $500 or more
Partial Performance
enforcement of oral contracts, conduct by a party that is sufficient enough for courts to remove a contact from Statute of Frauds
Straatmann vs Straatmann
son receives farm equipment/land
Promissory Estoppel
a promise reasonably expected to induce action and does, ex: aunt offers to pay for neice to live in nunnery
3 Excuses of Contractual Performance
substantial performance, impossibility of performance, frustration of purpose
Substantial Performance
allows a partial or substantially similar performance to stand in for the performance specified in the contract
Impossibility of Performance
item’s destruction is no fault of contracting parties