Legal Duties& resp., Agency, Contract Flashcards
(85 cards)
Five Elements of “Actual Fraud” (mnemonic)
● A - Actual and justifiable reliance
by plaintiff
● S - Scienter (intent to deceive)
MAIDS
- Misrepresentation - This means that a false statement or a misleading omission
was made. knowingly or recklessly
- Actual and justifiable Reliance by Plaintiff - The reliance on the misrepresentation must be justifiable. This means that the deceived party had a reasonable basis for believing the misrepresentation.
- Intent to Induce plaintiffs
reliance - The deceived party must have relied on the false statement or misleading omission when making a decision.
- Damages - The deceived party must have suffered some harm or loss as a result of their reliance on the misrepresentation.
- Scienter (Intent to Deceive) -
The party making the misrepresentation must have an
intention to deceive the other party
Minority Rule : Some jurisdictions have expanded the scope of liability. Under the minority rule, a tax return preparer may
be liable to third parties who the preparer could foresee
would rely on the information. This means even if there’s no
direct contractual relationship, if the preparer should have
reasonably foreseen that a third party would rely on their
work and suffer harm due to negligence, the preparer could
be held liable.
Constructive Fraud:
Intent: Constructive fraud does not require an intent to
deceive. It typically arises from a breach of a legal or
equitable duty, which, irrespective of the breaching party’s
intent, the law expressly declares to be fraudulent because
of its tendency to deceive others, to violate public or private
confidence, or to injure public interests.
Example of Constructive Fraud: An agent responsible for
purchasing property for a client fails to disclose that they
also have a personal financial interest in the sale of that
property. Even if the agent believed the purchase was in the
client’s best interest and had no intent to deceive, the failure
to disclose the personal interest can constitute constructive
fraud because of the breach of duty.
What is an agent
A person given authority by the principal to act on their behalf to a 3rd party
name the types of agency relationships and their subs
A. Actual Authority - given d directly or implied by principal
1. Express Authority - principal tells agent explicitly
2. Implied Authority - good example is principal gives agent authority to sell a house, so the agent has implied authority to hire an appraisal
B. Apparent Authority - principal creates the appearance to 3rd party of agent having authority
Apparent Authority - This can happen even if the agent doesn’t have actual authority.
It’s based on the third party’s reasonable belief stemming from the principal’s representations (which can be by actions, words, or
through the customary roles of the agent in the industry).
the power an agent appears to have based on the principal’s actions, allowing a third party to reasonably believe the agent has authority to act on their behalf,
Agency By Estoppel
“agency by estoppel” is the legal concept where a principal is prevented from denying an agent’s authority due to their conduct that created the impression of agency in a third party’s mind,which is sometimes grouped under apparent authority or
treated similarly, is a legal doctrine that may come into play when an agent lacks actual authority. It occurs when the principal’s actions lead a third party to believe that the agent has the authority to act, even if the agent does not have such authority
Agency By Estoppel
In such cases, the principal is “estopped” (prevented) from
denying the agent’s authority if a third party has changed
their position based on a reasonable belief that the agent
was authorized.
How does Agency by estoppel work
Here’s how agency by estoppel works:
● Representation by the Principal: The principal must
have represented, through actions or neglect, that the
agent has the authority to act on their behalf.
● Third-Party Reliance: The third party must have relied on the principal’s representation, and that reliance must have been reasonable under the circumstances.
● Change of Position: The third party must have been induced to change their position as a result of the agent’s purported authority – for example, by entering into a contract or transaction.
● Detriment: The third party usually needs to demonstrate
that they would suffer a loss or detriment if the agent’s
acts are not binding upon the principal.
Ratification
Example with agency relationship:
An employee (agent) at a tech firm, without authority, signs a
contract with a supplier for computer parts. The CEO
(principal) later learns of the contract and decides to honor it.The CEO’s decision to ratify the unauthorized act creates an
agency relationship retroactively.
the person didnt have authority but after the principal finds out, they say its ok, they ratify the act
Inherent Authority
Example with agency relationship: A vice president (agent) of operations for a large corporation enters into a contract with a cleaning service for office maintenance, even though the Board of Directors did not grant this specific power. Given the vice president’s position,
it’s reasonable for the cleaning service to assume they have
the authority to make such decisions. This could be viewed
as inherent authority.
as per your position you should have authority naw. its reasonable for the 3rd party to believe u have authority
Agency by Estoppel
Example with agency relationship:
A principal who owns a store allows an individual (agent) to
manage all operations, including placing orders for goods,
for several years. One day, the principal secretly revokes the
manager’s authority but does not inform the suppliers. The
suppliers continue to fill orders based on the prior apparent
authority. The principal is estopped from denying the
manager’s authority because the suppliers relied on their
belief that the manager was still authorized, which the
principal had previously cultivated.
What are the duties of an agent
- Duty of Loyalty - Agent must act in best interest of principal, cannot compete with principal, cant have dual agency without informing principal
- Duty of Obedience
-Duty of Care and skill
-Duty to Inform - Duty of Accounting
-Duty of good conduct
What are the liabilities of an agent
- Contractual Liability: If an agent enters into a contract on
behalf of a disclosed principal and within the scope of their
authority, the principal is liable, not the agent. However, if the principal is partially disclosed or undisclosed, the agent may
become liable on the contract. - Tort Liability: Agents are personally liable for their own
torts, even if the acts were performed on behalf of a
principal. If the agent’s tortious conduct was directed,
authorized, or ratified by the principal, then the principal may
also be liable
-Liability for Breach of Duty:
-Liability for Misrepresentation: - Liability for Negligence: I
Duties of Principals
indemnify - to compensate for harm/loss, reimburse for, repay for
Duty to compensate
Duty to reimburse
Duty to Indemnify: The principal must indemnify the agent
against losses incurred while carrying out authorized duties.
This could include legal liabilities or other losses that the
agent suffers as a result of acting on behalf of the principal.
Duty to cooperate
Duty to provide safe working conditions
Principal Liabilities
- contractual liability- principals are bound by the contracts their agents get into as long as agent acted within scope of his/her authorit-
-liability for agents torts - liability for failure to perform
- Direct liability: principals can beheld liable for negligent/false info if agent does something based on false info given to the agent by the principal
-liability for agent misrepresentation
-liability for wrongful termination
What has to be included to be a contract
Offer
Acceptance
Consideration
Intention to create legal relations
Note: parties have to be legal. No minors or mentally incapacitated. Also it can’t be for illegal purpose or against public policy
State and explain the types of contracts
-Express contract: terms stated clearly in writing or orally, like purchase of a car.
- implied contracts: implied not written or orally stated.
-implied in fact- like if u visit a doctor it’s implied u will pay for the services
-implied in law contracts (quasi contract) : like if u receive goods u didn’t ask for but u used and didn’t return, the law can say u must pay coz contract is implied by keeping the goods
-Bilateral contracts- performance promise to do for performance promise to do. Most businesses and personal contracts.
-unilateral contracts: promise for another party’s performance, like $50 for finding lost dog
Diff btw executed and executory contract
Executed- contractual obligations done.
Executory - contractual obligations almost all done. Like signing a lease but haven’t moved in yet
Void vs voidable contract
Void contracts are not legal from the beginning, they lack the elements necessary to be a contract or they are illegal. Voidable contracts are valid but can be voided by one of the parties like a contract with a minor
In order to reach the stage of an executed contract, the parties involved must fulfill their performance obligations according to certain rules and principles:
- Performance According to Contract Terms Complete Performance
- Substantial Performance
performance. - Material Breach
- Time of Performance
Time Is of the Essence: If the contract specifies that performance
by a certain date is critical, then any delay may constitute a
breach. If time is not of the essence, reasonable delays might be
acceptable. - Excuses for Non-Performance
Performance According to Contract Terms Complete Performance
Performance According to Contract Terms Complete Performance: The parties must perform exactly as
specified in the contract.
Substantial Performance:
If a party performs most of the contract terms but falls short in some minor way, this may still be considered substantial The other party is still obligated to perform (usually to pay), but may be entitled to
damages for the minor deviation.