Formation Flashcards
4 elements needed for a contract
Offer
Acceptance
Intention to create legal relations
Consideration
Advertisements
General rule - invitations to treat
Exception - Unilateral offers (an ad. can constitute an offer to the world).
Exception - Advertisement of reward will be classes as an offer
Self - service and shop windows
General rule - invitations to treat. The contract is formed when the goods are presented at the desk
Auctions
General rule - Invitations to treat
Exception - an auction without reserve is an offer to sell to the highest bidder and creates a unilateral contract
Invitations to tender
General rule - invitations to treat
Exception - person making the tender states they will accept highest offer or to accept lowest offer = offer
Mere statements of price
General rule - invitation to treat
Exception - the form of words used can render it sufficiently precise to be an offer capable of acceptance
Communication of offers
MUST be communicated to the offeree
Termination of offers - revocation - General rule
An offer can be revoked at any time before acceptance
Termination of offers - revocation - Exception
Paying a deposit (consideration) - usually can’t revoke
Termination of offers - revocation - Communication - General rule
Revocation must be communicated
Termination of offers - revocation - Communication - Exception
Revocation is effective if it’s left at the last known address and if the offeree simply chooses not to read it. Revocation can be made by a reliable 3rd party
Termination of offers - revocation - Offer made to the public
To revoke an offer made to the public - publish a sufficiently prominent notice of withdrawal
Unilateral contract general rule - can revoke until act is complete
Exception - implied promise not to revoke specified act is stated within reasonable
Termination of offers - rejection by the offeree
Expressly or implied. E.g suggesting something different - counter offer
Termination of offers - lapse of time
Lapse after a reasonable time
Termination of offers - failure to comply with a condition
Breach
Termination of offers - death of one of the parties
If offeree dies before accepting the offer terminates. However if they die after acceptance it passes to personal representatives
Counter offer
Regards acceptance - doesn’t amount to acceptance as it introduces new terms or tries to vary them - invalid
Requests for new information
Enquiry which isn’t acceptance but also isn’t a no