FL Commercial Paper Flashcards
Commercial paper is governed by what articles of the UCC?
Articles 3 & 4
What are the fundamental issues that arise in commercial paper?
- person with negotiable instrument wants to get paid
- person obligated on instrument does NOT want to pay; OR
- person who pays the instrument will now want to recover the money from the person who has paid or someone else
What are the steps to attacking a commercial paper MCQ?
- ID type of paper
- ID parties
- determine whether instrument negotiable
- determine whether instrument property negotiated
- determine whether transferee is HDC (holder in due course)
- determine P’s cause of action (contract, warranty, tort, or not properly payable claim)
- determine D’s defenses
- if D liable, can D pass liability to another party?
What are the types of instruments/paper of commercial paper?
1 - NOTE
- promise to pay $$
- examples: promissory note & certificate of deposit
2 - DRAFT
- an order to pay
- example: check
Who are the parties to a NOTE?
2 party instrument
1 - MAKER
- person who promises to pay
- example: promisor or obligor
2 - PAYEE
- person entitled to payment
- example: promisee
Who are parties to a draft?
3 party instrument
1 - DRAWER
- person ordering payment
2 - DRAWEE
- person to make payment
- if check, also called payor bank
3 - PAYEE
- person to receive the payment
When will a draft qualify as a check?
- bank is the drawee
- instrument is payable on demand
What are the types of checks?
1 - CERTIFIED CHECK
- regular check bank has accepted (bank agreed to pay)
2 - CASHIERS CHECK
- draft where drawer & drawee are same bank (person buying check = remitter)
3 - TELLERS CHECK
- draft drawn by one bank on another bank (person buying check = remitter)
4 - TRAVELERS CHECK
- demand instrument requiring a counter signature by a person whose signature already appears on instrument
What happens if an instrument does NOT meet all elements to be negotiable?
Still valid, but governed by contract law NOT UCC article 3 or 4
What does negotiability refer to?
The form of the instrument, determined at the time of issuance
What elements are required to make an instrument negotiable?
- written instrument
- signed by maker or drawer
- promise or order to pay unconditional
- principal a sum certain in money (NOT goods/services)
- payable on demand or at definite time
- contains words of negotiability (bearer or order language)
- no unauthorized undertakings or instruction by person promising or ordering payment
When is a promise or order to pay conditional?
An instrument is conditional if:
1. it contains an express condition to payment (i promise to pay if)
2. states promise or order “subject to” or “governed by” another record; OR
3. rights or obligations with respect to promise or order are state in another record
What items do NOT make promise or order conditional?
- states consideration required for payment
- referes to another record (NOT conditioned on terms of K)
- incorporates rightst hat would NOT hurt holder
- limits payment to particular fund or source
- requires countersignature of a speciment signature (travelers check)
- contains statement required by law that holder subject to claims/defenses of payee
What money amount must be fixed?
Principal amount
interest rates do NOT need to be fixed
If an instrument is silent as to interest, what is the presumption?
There is no interest
When dealing with the amount of money listed in an instrument, if there is a conflict between the words of money and the figure of money what prevails?
The words
What undertakings or instructions are authorized by UCC to be on an instrument?
- promise to give, maintain, or protect collateral
- party agrees to let another enter judgment
- waiver of law meant to benefit obligor/maker/drawer
any other render instrument non-negotiable
When is instrument payable on demand?
IF:
1. states “on demand”, “at sight”, etc.
2. fails to state a date or time for payment
example: ordinary check
When is an instrument payable at a definite time?
If payable:
1. on a fixed date (Aug 1, 2024)
2. on a fixed periof after sight or acceptance (90 days after sight)
3. at a time readily ascertainable when instrument issued
What are words of negotiability & when are they present?
1 - TO BEARER
- instrument states “payable to bearer”
- instrument does NOT name payee
- instrument states payable to “cash” or indicates that it isn’t payable to an identified person
2 - TO ORDER
- instrument states identified person as payee
If instrument contains both bearer and order language what happens?
Bearer language controls
What happens if check is missing words of negotiability?
Requirement WAIVED, if it meets every other element required
Who is a holder?
A person:
1. in possession of negotiable instrument; AND
2. who has Good Title
When does holder have good title?
Depends on words of negotiability used
1. BEARER PAPER –> good title = possession
2. ORDER PAPER –> good title = possession + indorsement
Explain the types of indorsments
1 - BLANK INDORSMENT
- payee signature only, bearer paper created
2 - SPECIAL INDORSMENT
- payee signature + designation of new person to who instrument is payable
- indorsee MUST sign for instrument to be further negotiated
3 - QUALIFIED INDORSMENT
- without recourse included
- limits contract liability imposed on indorsers
4 - RESTRICTIVE INDORSMENTS
- “for deposit” or “for collection”
- an instrument with required words MUST be paid consistently with indorsment by any person or the first bank into which instrument deposited or deemed converted
5 - ANOMALOUS INDORSMENT
- indorsement made by person who is NOT holder
What determines who the initial payee is?
Intent of issuer
Can an instrument be payable to more than 1 payee?
YES! Either:
1. jointly –> each must indorse (“pay to order of Bob & Sid”)
2. severally –> any may indorse (“pay to order of Bob OR Sid”)
What happens if payee’s name is mispelled? How do they indorse?
Payee may indorse with either:
1. real name; OR
2. incorrectly written name
Is negotiation effective even if payee lacking capacity?
YES, negotiation effective even if payee was a minor, incompetent, or unduly influenced, or subject to duress
What are the steps for determining whether someone has HDC (holder in due course) status?
- STEP 1 –> is person a holder?
- STEP 2 –> does person hold in due course?
What are the requirements for holder in due course (HDC) status?
- instrument negotiable
- person has holder status (possession + good title)
- authenticity of instrument NOT apparently questioned (no evidence of forgery, alteration, or no irregularities to question authenticity)
- holder pays value
- instrument taken in good faith
- without notice of certain facts
last 3 = “due course”
Who has burden of proof in establishing HDC status?
Person claiming HDC status
What does “due course” require?
Requires the holder to take:
1. for value
2. in good faith
3. without notice of certain facts
What constitutes value?
- performance of agreed consideration
- acquisition by holder of a lien or a security interest in instrument (other than judicial lien)
- taking the instrument as payment of or security interest for an antecedent debt
- trading a negotiable instrument for another instrument
- giving instrument in exchange for incurring an irrevocable obligation to a 3rd person by person taking instrument
If holder satisfies all requirements to be an HDC, when will they still NOT be an HDC?
If the holder:
1. purchases the instrument at judicial sale or takes it under legal process;
2. acquires instrument taking over an estate; OR
3. purchases instrument as part of bulk transaction NOT in regular course of business of transferror
What facts must holder take without notice?
- notice that instrument overdue
- notice that check bounced
- notice that instrument altered or had unauthorized signatures
- notice that there are claims to instrument
- notice of defenses or claims in recoupment by obligor
if holder takes with notice of any, NOT a HDC
What does the shelter rule do?
Gives rights to a holder that doesn’t qualift as an HDC, if sheltered by previous HDC
- HDC transfers instrument to transferee & any that come after will get original HDC’s rights (doesn’t make transferee an HDC)
What is an exception to the shelter rule?
No HDC rights given to persons who were parties to Fraud or illegality, affecting the instrument
What are rights of a HDC?
HDC can enforce an instrument subject ONLY to real defenses
- HDC takes free of personal defenses & claims
What are real defenses?
FAIDS x 2:
1. Fraud in the factum (i didn’t know what i was signing)
2. forgery (of names necessary to title)
3. adjudicaated incompetent (through judicial proceeding)
4. alteration (partial defense to $ altered)
5. illegality (if void; if voidable its a personal defense)
6. infancy (if in simple contract action voidable)
7. discharge in bankruptcy proceedings
8. duress (if 1 party acts involuntarily in K situation under extreme duress)
9. surety defenses (HDC must know of accomodation)
10. SOL (5 years)
When is fraud in the factum present?
Fraud that causes obligor to sign an instrument:
1. without knowledge of instrument character or essential terms; AND
2. without reasonable opportunity to learn of the instruments character or essential terms
What are personal defenses?
Defenses that CANNOT be asserted against HDC:
1. lack of consideration
2. breach of warranty
3. fraud in inducement (party knew what was signed, but lied)
4. claims or defenses of another (other than accomodation party claims)
5. unconscionability
6. failure of condition precedent
When is contract liability invoked, as opposed to warranty liability?
- contract liability –> invoked to get payment
- warranty liability –> invoked to get money paid back
What is the primary basis for contract liability on an instrument?
A persons signature:
- NO ONE can be held liable unless their signature or the signature of an authorized representative is on instrument
When is principal liable for signature of its agent?
- principal bound if agent had authority to sign
- principal bound if principal ratifies signature
- principal bound if principals negligence contributed to the making of the unauthorized signature (ESTOPPEL)
can be liable even if signature of principal NOT on paper