Introduction of Contracts Flashcards
What does a contract do?
- Gives rise to rights and obligations between parties
- Legal contract recognized by the law, you are obligated and have rights, likewise the party you have contracted with has rights and obligations
Contract Definition
An agreement between two or more capable persons for legal consideration to do or not do some lawful and intended act
What are the 5 essential elements of a contract?
- Mutual agreement
- Capacity of the parties
- Legal consideration
- Lawful subject matter
- Genuine intention
Capacity of the parties: Infant facts?
- Infant - anyone under the age of 18 is unable to sign off on a contract
- If infant makes contract thought, they can choose to enforce it or make it voidable
- Different if contract of necessaries
- Food, shelter, clothing
- Liable if it is necessaries
Capacity of the parties:
Impaired or Mentally Challenged
- Prove that they were under the influence or mentally challenged
- Prove that there was evidence they should have known
Capacity of the parties:
Aliens
- Even if they are from a different country, they have the same responsibilities as any other party
- Enemy alien (at war with Canada) - voidable/suspended
What are the three types of businesses?
- Sole proprietor
- Partnership
- Corporation
Type of Business:
Sole Proprietorship
- One owns the business
- Personally liable to contracts
- Any personal asset can be listed as collateral if you owe $
- Responsible for all torts
- Unlimited personal liability
Capacity of Parties:
Sole Proprietor
Can enter into how many or whatever contracts they want, just remember there is unlimited liability
Type of Business:
Partnership
- Two or more people carry biz with a view of sharing profits
- Joint and several liability
- Fiduciary relationship
- Law of master and servant
- When employer hires employee, employer dictates what gets done and how
- When owner contracts with independent contractor, just can’t say how to do it - Law of principle and agent
- Agent represents the principle, steps in it shows the way of contract and carries it out on behalf till the end - No legal name, all are liable
Type of Business:
Corporations
- Cannot die
- Limited liability
- Public or private
Capacity of Parties:
Corporation
- As it is artificial and legit entity, nobody owns the corporation
- Two entities: individual person, and corporate person
- Corporate person can be sued as the entire entity
- Individual person is also sued
Type of Business:
Corporation - Articles of Association
- Simple set of documents that name the corporation
- Will require details office, number of shares going to have, and whether they are transferrable or not
- Encompassing:
- One page doc asking name of corp, registered office address, share office structure (authorized share capital), shareholders, directors, etc
Type of Business:
Corporation - Bylaws (Included in Articles)
- Rules that govern corp
i. e.. setting up board of directors, different officers, frequency of meetings, quorum specs, - Either unlimited right to contract to limited ability to contract
Capacity of Parties:
Corporation
- Corporation has full capacity to contract unless article or bylaw prohibits it
- Totally depends on the corp
Type of Business:
Corporation - Certification of Corp
- Once issued, corp is officially in existence
Type of Business:
Corporation - Debenture
- Essentially security as a type of document
- If corp were to ever go under, the people would have the first claim on assets
- AKA, corporate shield or corporate veil
Type of Business: Corporation - Advantages
- Limited liability, partnership joint
- Flexibility, shareholders can change if partner wants out, corp is a legal entity of itself
- Good form of management (S to D)
- Can be easily dissolved by the unanimous vote of the shareholders
- Tax implications more favourable as it is taxed on its own
- No fiduciary relationship between the shareholders and the corporation