K Course TOTAL Flashcards
Elements of K Formation
Offer, acceptance, AND consideration
Steps to analyzing K formation
- Formation of contract with all elements
- What were the terms exactly?
- Did a party break a promise from the K?
- Was there a good excuse (legally recognized excuses)?
- What will make the party whole again?
What is a K?
A contract is a promise or set of promises, for the breach of which the law gives a remedy, or the
performance of which the law in some way recognizes as a duty.
Subject Matter of the Contract
Sale of goods? UCC Art. 2
Everything else? Common Law
What are goods?
Moveable things
In a mixed K, how does a person figure out which law to apply; CL or UCC?
Predominate purpose of the K
Offer; General
A communication that creates a reasonable expectation in the offeree that the offeror is willing to enter into a K on the offered terms
–> DOES NOT REQUIRE WORDS
* K formation follows OBJECTIVE intent
MUST MANIFEST A COMMITMENT TO DO SOMETHING. It must contain a promise to undertake a promise to do or refrain from doing something in exchange for something else.
* Have enough of the essential terms been provided so that a K including them would be capable of being enforced
Negotiations
If the parties to a K discuss details BUT MAKE NO COMMITTMENT, they are negotiating
Advertisements and Offers
Advertisements are not offers because it can be accepted by EVERYONE THAT SEES IT
–> THEREFORE Unreasonable
EXCEPTION: An Ad that LIMITS the number of people that can accept.
What is an advertisement?
An invitation to make an offer
Statements made in Jest
Would a reasonable person interpret the statement as a genuine offer? Look at the objective intent
UCC; Offer
In an offer for the sale of goods, there must be a QUANTITY TERM for the offer to be certain
* if quantity is omitted, there is not a legally valid offer
UCC; Offer (Quantity)
The quantity in a K under UCC can be stated as:
* The Seller’s Output (crops)
OR
* The Buyer’s Requirement (buy all I need)
–> “ALL” works for this
Land; Offer
Must have:
* Price
AND
* Description
Offer; Services
Description of the type of work being committed required
* Does not need to have a timeframe, courts will infer a reasonable time
Revocation
A person that made the offer can try to take it back
- At any time BEFORE the offer is accepted
- Via –> Direct Revocation: Offeror tells offeree the offer is rescinded
- -> Indirect Revocation: where a reliable 3rd party indicates to the offeree that the offeror is no longer willing -OR- isn’t able to K
Types of Offers that CANNOT BE Revoked
4 Specific Situations: IRREVOCABLE OFFERS
- Option K: Promise to hold the offer open for certain period of time PLUS CONSIDERATION
- Merchant’s Firm Offer Rule: Applies ONLY to UCC Art. 2 (SOG)
- Detrimental Reliance
- Beginning of Performance under a UNILATERAL K
Merchant
Anyone who either regularly deals in goods of the kind being sold -OR- has knowledge or skill peculiar to the practices or goods involved
- Almost anyone in business IF acting on behalf of their business
- OR *
- Dealer of goods of kind sold
What is the merchant firm offer rule?
- -> UCC Art. 2: A type of Irrevocable Offer
- If a merchant promises in writing to keep an offer open and signs the promise, the offer CANNOT be terminated for the time stated
- If not time is stated, for reasonable time BUT NO LONGER THAN 3 MONTHS
- Do NOT NEED CONSIDERATION
- If not time is stated, for reasonable time BUT NO LONGER THAN 3 MONTHS
- If longer than 6 months, still irrevocable for ONLY 3 months
K: Detrimental Reliance
An offer will be irrevocable for a reasonable time by way of detrimental reliance if the offeror makes a promise in the offer and should expect the offeree will rely on that offer to his detriment
–> Subcontractor Bid: b/c the contractor detrimentally relied on the offer to make their bid
Unilateral K
A K that can be accepted ONLY BY PERFORMANCE
- Cannot be revoked once the party begins performance
- Become irrevocable in order to finish performance ONCE THE PERFORMANCE HAS BEGUN
- The person performing can stop at any time
Rejection of Offer
Offeree terminates the offer
Types of Rejections
- Basic –> “No.”
- Counteroffer
- Conditional Acceptance
- Acceptances that contain NEW OR ADDITIONAL TERMS
- Termination through LAPSE OF TIME
- Termination by OPERATION OF LAW
Counteroffer
A response to an offer that rejects the offer BUT proposes a NEW OFFER
Mere Inquiry AFTER an Offer
The offeree does not effectively say, “no” and is just putting out feelers to see whether the offeror has any interest in changing the deal
- -> NOT A COUNTEROFFER
- -> Original offer is NOT KILLED
Conditional Acceptance
Has the same effect as a COUNTEROFFER
* Rejects the original offer AND proposes NEW OFFER
Acceptances Containing NEW OR ADDITIONAL TERMS
UNDER CL:
* Count as rejections and counteroffers; LIKE CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE
–> Mirror Image Rule
UNDER UCC
* Acceptance can contain new or different terms
–> NO Mirror Image Rule
–> UNLESS the acceptance is expressly made conditional on consent to the additional or different terms (“BUT ONLY IF…”)
Mirror Image Rule
K under CL:
- The acceptance MUST MATCH (or mirror) each and every term of the offer
- Cannot add any new terms
- If there are additional terms, the offer is dead
UCC Art. 2 §2-207
A seasonable expression of acceptance operates as an acceptance
–> UNLESS acceptance is made EXPRESSLY CONDITIONAL on assent to additional or different terms
Termination Through Lapse in Time
Offeree MUST ACCEPT offer within time period specified
* OR *
If no time specified, Offeree must accept offer within a REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME
–> Reasonable is fact dependent
Termination by Operation of Law
- Death or incapacity OF EITHER of the offeror -OR- the offeree
- -> INSTANTLY KILLS THE OFFER
- -> EXCEPTION
- Irrevocable offers DO NOT TERMINATE with the death or incapacity of one of the parties
* The offer survives through the term of the IRREVOBLE offer
- Irrevocable offers DO NOT TERMINATE with the death or incapacity of one of the parties
- Subject Matter of the K has become ILLEGAL
- Subject Matter of the K is DESTROYED
K: Acceptance
An acceptance is a timely manifestation of assent to the terms of the offer.
- -> Terms MAY INCLUDE terms of how to accept
- -> Only the person to whom the offer was addressed can accept
- BUT offers are not limited to a singe offeree THEREFORE can be made to more than one person
- -> Only a person who IS AWARE of the offer can accept the offer.
K: Acceptance: How to Accept an Offer
RULE OF THUMB: The offeror is the master of their offer.
- -> Therefore, the offeror gets to dictate how the offeree is accepted.
- -> When not set in terms
- No method specified THEREFORE by any reasonable means
- -> GENERALLY, offers may be accepted EITHER BY:
- A promise
- OR *
- Performance
K: Acceptance: Silence
Silence: Saying nothing in response to the offer typically cannot be considered acceptance
–> EXCEPTION: If the recipient of an offer knows services are being rendered with the expectation of compensation AND BY A WORD could prevent the mistake AND DOES NOT, silence can be an acceptance
–> EXCEPTION: If the parties agree that silence will constitute an acceptance, OR if they have been dealing with each other for a while and it is their custom that acceptance is through silence
=====> THERE IS AN ACCEPTANCE
K: Acceptance: UCC
An offer to buy goods for CURRENT OR PROMPT shipment can be accepted:
- By a promise to ship
- OR *
- Through actual prompt shipment
K: UCC: Non-Conforming Goods
Goods that do not conform to the description under the K (buyer is entitled to “perfect tender” which is the product exactly as described)
* The shipment is both an acceptance AND breach
–> UNLESS the buyer notified that nonconforming goods offered as an accommodation
=====> If they do this, it is considered a COUNTEROFFER, which the buyer may reject
K: UCC: Battle of the Forms (§2-207)
The terms of the acceptance DO NOT have to match the terms of the offer.
* When the terms of the acceptance DO NOT MATCH:
–> If BOTH parties are merchants
=====> Additional terms become part of the K UNLESS:
* They materially alter the original terms
* The offer expressly limits acceptance to the original terms
* OR *
* The offeror has already objected to that particular term OR objects in a REAONSABLE time
–> If one party is NOT a merchant: The K consists of the terms offered. If the offeree changes a terms in the acceptance, the terms in the OFFER apply.
UCC: Battle of the Forms: What constitutes a MATERIAL ALTERATION
- Something that changes a party’s risk OR the remedies available (FOR EXAMPLE: Adding a clause DISCLAIMING a warranty)
- -> An additional material term DOES NOT automatically become part of the K b/c the offeror MUST AGREE to add it
Battle of the Forms; Knock-Out Rule
The conflicting terms knock each other out of the K and the UCC will substitute a reasonable term in its place
When is Acceptance Effective: The Mailbox Rule
Rejections and revocations are effective WHEN THEY ARE RECEIVED.
FOR ACCEPTANCE: Mailbox Rule
* Acceptances are effective UPON DISPATCH when PROPERLY POSTED
–> When there is a rejection AFTER acceptance, the acceptance is EFFECTIVE
–> When there is an acceptance AFTER a rejection, NO MAILBOX RULE
=====> Whichever the offeror receives first is effective
* Mailbox rule DOES NOT APPLY
–> If the offeror OPTS OUT of the mailbox rule (FOR EXAMPLE: must be received to be accepted)
–> Option K: An acceptance under an option K is effective ONLY upon receipt.
–> If the offeree uses UNAUTHORIZED means to accept
=====> Acceptance upon receipt
K: Consideration
Bargained for exchange of something of legal value
* Benefit to the promisor OR determinant to the promisee
K: Consideration: LEGAL V
A promise to do something OR the actual doing of something one is NOT ALREADY LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DO
- OR-
A promise to refrain from doing something OR refraining from doing something that ONE IS LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DO
* Does NOT need to have FINANCIAL V
K: Sham Consideration
AS A POLICY: Courts will not police the adequacy of consideration
Sham Consideration: Something that’s not really intended to serve as consideration –> THERFORE, is NOT CONSIDERATION
* $1 for a car –> SHAM Consideration
* BUT the real possibility that something COULD have V is SUFFICIENT
K; Past Consideration
Past Consideration is considered NO CONSIDERATION.
* It would have been considered consideration IF IT HAD BEEN BARGAINED FOR –> THEREFORE, it will not support a K
K: Preexisting Duty Rule
A promise to perform something a party is ALREADY LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DO –> NOT CONSIDERATION
- A K CANNOT be modified WITHOUT consideration
- There are EXCEPTIONS (See card)