MBE Contracts Flashcards
Offer
objective manifestation of a willingness by offeror to enter into agreement that creates power of acceptance in offeree.
Offer: Intent
statement is an offer only if:
• Person to whom it is communicated could reasonably interpret it as an offer
• Expresses present intent of a person to be legally bound by a contract
Offer: Knowledge
offeree must know of the offer in order to have the power to accept.
Offer: Terms
must be certain and definite or the K fails for indefiniteness
• Under common law (CL)
o Essential terms (parties, subject matter, price, quantity) must be covered in K
o If the parties intended to create a K, the court may supply missing terms
• Under UCC
o Only essential term is quantity
Exception—requirements or output Ks (UCC implies “good faith”)
UCC “fills the gap” if other terms are missing
o K formed if both parties intend to K and reasonably certain basis for giving remedy
Offer: Language
offer must contain words of promise, undertaking, or commitment, and be
targeted to a number of people who could actually accept
• If a return promise is requested—bilateral K
• If an act is requested—unilateral K
Invitation to Deal
advertisements are only an invitation to receive offers (but may
qualify as an offer if sufficiently specific and limit who can accept or if associated with a
stated reward)
Termination of Offer
- Lapse of time—specified termination date or reasonable period of time if none stated
- Death/mental incapacity of offeror
• General rule—offer terminates, even if offeree does not learn of offeror’s death until
after the offeree has sent what he believes is an acceptance
• Exception—offers for option Ks do not terminate because consideration was paid to
keep the offer open - Destruction/illegality—offer terminated
- Revocation
• Offer can be revoked any time prior to acceptance (even if it states it will be open for
specific amount of time)
• Not effective until communicated
• Revocation sent by mail not effective until received
Limitations on offers
Option K—offeree must generally give consideration for option to be enforceable
• UCC firm offer rule
Offer irrevocable (for reasonable time but no more than three months) if offeror is a merchant (or any business person), and assurances (in authenticated writing) are
made that offer will remain open
o No consideration needed to keep offer open
• Promissory estoppel—if offeree reasonably and detrimentally relies on offer it may
become irrevocable
• Partial performance—for all Ks, offeree must have knowledge of offer when performance begins
o Unilateral K—offeror cannot revoke once offeree has begun performance
o Bilateral K—commencement of performance operates as promise to render complete performance
Revocation of general offers (large number of people)
revocable only by notice given at least same level of publicity as offer (effective even if potential offeree acts in
reliance on offer
Rejection by offeree
Offeree clearly conveys to offeror that he no longer intends to accept the offer
• Rejection usually effective upon receipt
• Counteroffer—acts as rejection of original offer and creates new offer
Acceptance
Objective manifestation by the offeree to be bound by the terms of the offer.
Acceptance for Bilateral vs unilateral
Bilateral K
Exchange of promises that render both enforceable
Unilateral K
Promise to do something by one party in return for an act of the other party
Starting to perform is not enough, but it will make offer irrevocable for a reasonable
period of time to complete performance
Offeree must be aware of offer before acting
Silance as acceptance
not acceptance unless offeree has reason to believe offer could be
accepted by silence or previous dealings make it reasonable to believe that offeree must notify offeror if he does not intend to accept
Acceptance: Shipment of goods
Buyer’s request that goods be shipped is inviting acceptance either by seller’s
promise to ship or by prompt shipment of goods
Nonconforming goods shipped—both an acceptance and a breach, unless seller seasonably notifies buyer that goods are an accommodation (counteroffer); buyer may then accept or reject the nonconforming goods.
Mailbox Rule
(applies only to acceptance; almost exclusively applies to bilateral Ks)
Acceptance—effective when sent (not upon receipt), unless offer provides otherwise
Rejection following acceptance—acceptance will control even if offeror receives rejection first (but if offeror detrimentally relies on rejection then offeree estopped from enforcing K)
Acceptance following rejection—mailbox rule does not apply; first one received (i.e., in possession of offeror or her agent, or deposited in mailbox) will prevail; offeror need not actually read the received communication
Revocation—effective upon receipt
Options and other irrevocable offers—mailbox rule does not apply; acceptance
must be received by offeror by a certain date or before offer expires
Notice
Unilateral K
Offeree not required to give notice after completing performance, unless:
Offeror wouldn’t learn of performance with reasonable certainty and
promptness; or
Offer requires notice.
o Notice required but not provided—offeror’s duty is discharged, unless:
Offeree exercises reasonable diligence to give notice;
Offeror learns of performance within reasonable time; or
Offer indicates notice of acceptance is not required.
Bilateral K—offeree must give notice of acceptance
o Mailbox rule—acceptance valid when sent (even though offeror hasn’t received it)
o UCC—if acceptance is made by beginning performance, notice is required within a
reasonable time; failure to give notice results in offer’s lapse
Common law mirror image rule
acceptance must mirror the terms of the offer, so any change or
addition to the terms acts as a rejection and a new counteroffer
Conditional acceptance terminates the offer and acts as new offer from original offeree
UCC Additional or different terms
—acceptance containing additional or different terms generally
treated as acceptance
• One or both parties not merchants—definite and seasonable expression of acceptance sent within a reasonable time is usually acceptance of original offer, and
new/different terms are treated as proposed additions to the K that must be separately accepted by offeror
o Exception—an acceptance expressly conditioned on assent to new/different terms is
treated as a counteroffer
• Both parties are merchants (battle of the forms)
o Additional terms—automatically included in the K, unless:
Term materially alters original K (i.e., would result in surprise or hardship);
Offer expressly limits acceptance to terms of the offer; or
Offeror objects to new terms within a reasonable time after notice of new terms is received.
If one of these exceptions is met, original terms of offer control
o Different terms (“knock-out” rule)—different terms in offer/acceptance nullify
each other, and court uses Article 2’s gap-filling provisions to patch holes in K
• Acceptance based on conduct—if offer and purported acceptance differ too much to create a contract, but the parties begin to perform anyway, then UCC allows for a contract to be recognized with the following terms:
o Any terms actually agreed upon in the parties’ writings, and
o Any supplementary terms filled in by the UCC
Consideration
must be a bargained-for legal detriment to the promisee
To constitute sufficient consideration, must be bargained-for in exchange for the promise, promise must induce the detriment, and detriment must induce the promise
Consideration can be return promise to do or refrain from doing something, or
performance of or refraining from doing some act
Gift
Test to distinguish gift from valid consideration is whether offeree could reasonably believe intent of offeror was to induce the action (if YES, then there is consideration and promise is enforceable)
Promissory estoppel—if promisor/donor knows that promise to make a gift will induce substantial reliance by promisee and failure to enforce it would cause substantial injustice, promise is enforceable
Preexisting Duty Rule
o CL—does not qualify as consideration unless promisor gives something in addition to what is owed, or varies preexisting duty in some way
o Exception for third party—party’s promise to a third party to perform an act the party is contractually obligated to perform for another is sufficient consideration
Modification
CL—must be supported by consideration, and agreements to modify K are enforceable if:
Rescission of existing K and entering into of new K
Unanticipated difficulties arise and modification is fair and equitable, or
New obligations arise on both sides
UCC
Requires only good faith
No consideration is necessary
Accord and Satisfaction
o Accord—one party agrees to accept a different performance from the other party to satisfy the other party’s existing duty
o Satisfaction—performance of the accord agreement will discharge both the original K and the accord K
o Original K not discharged until satisfaction is complete
o An unliquidated or disputed claim may be discharged by negotiable instrument (e.g., a check with the note “Payment in full”)
Illusory promise
Non legally binding bc it is vague or promisor can choose whether or not to honor it.