Short Questions Flashcards
MBE Tip: There is a valid contract. Which option is better for the party?
- Prevail by promissory estoppel
- Prevail by enforcing the contract
If there is a valid contract, always choose the option that say that is enforceable over the option that says that is enforceable with promissory estoppel
Unilateral contract (reward) is made by O, A performs without knowing about the reward, he later finds out. Enforceable?
No, O the offeror has no contractual right to give the reward to A
What is the distinction between an anticipatory repudiation and a prospective failure to perform?
Repudiation must be unequivocal, whereas prospective failure to perform is determined by the subjective beliefs of the other party.
What requirements need to have an offer by a Merchant to be a firm offer?
- Signed
- Give assurances that the offer will be held open
How do you fix in an UCC agreement:
- Vague Terms
- Missing Terms
- Vague Terms:
- Past performance
- Missing Terms
- Gap filling terms of UCC apply
- Presumption that the parties’ intent was to include a reasonable term
What is a constructive condition?
A condition that is implied by a court even though it is not explicitly stated in the contract.
Common examples of constructive conditions are the conditions of cooperation and notice. Constructive conditions are also known as implied conditions.
What is the key distinction between an anticipatory repudiation and a prospective failure to perform (insecurity)?
Repudiation must be unequivocal, whereas prospective failure to perform involves mere doubts.
The effect of Repudiation is that the non-breaching party can sue (it can also wait, suspend his performance, take the repudiation as rescission or urge performance)
The effect of a prospective failure is to allow the innocent party to suspend performance until she receives adequate assurances. She may treat this situation as a breach only if the assurances are not given. If a defaulting party regains his ability or willingness to perform, he must communicate that to the other party.
Is this correct?
Once an offeree of a unilateral contract has fully performed, the contract cannot be rescinded under any circumstances
No, normally the contract cannot be rescinded, but there is an exception:
Once an offeree of a unilateral contract has fully performed, the contract can be rescinded, but only if the rescission promise is supported by any of these:
- (i) An offer of new consideration by the nonperforming party;
- (ii) Elements of promissory estoppel; or
- (iii) Manifestation of an intent by the offeree to make a gift of the obligation owed to her.
A mutual rescission agreement must be in writing if the contract so provides it
Is this true?
A mutual rescission agreement may be oral, even if the contract to be rescinded expressly states that it can be rescinded only by a writing.
- However, note that UCC rules or SoF rules would require the rescission contract to be written in order to be enforceable
When should the nonbreaching party treat an otherwise minor breach as a material breach?
- When the breach is coupled with an anticipatory repudiation
- Contract by its terms provides that time is of the essence
In a sale of goods contract:
- Which party can recover incidental damages?
- Which party can recover consequential damages?
- Consequential damages: Only the buyer. Consequential damages are special damages over and above standard expectation damages. These damages result from the nonbreaching party’s particular circumstances and are recoverable only if a reasonable person would have foreseen them as a probable result of breach. Note that in contracts for the sale of goods, only a buyer may recover consequential damages
- Incidental damages: Both (nonbreaching) buyer and seller. Incidental damages include expenses reasonably incurred by the buyer in inspection, receipt, transportation, care, and custody of goods rightfully rejected and other expenses reasonably incident to the seller’s breach, and by the seller in storing, shipping, returning, and reselling the goods as a result of the buyer’s breach.
What is a suit for restitution? What can you recover with it?
Restitution is based on preventing unjust enrichment when one has conferred a benefit on another without gratuitous intent.
In a suit for restitution, the measure of recovery is the value of the benefit conferred.
Of these, what would not be included in the scope of a parol evidence rule?
- Evidence of a condition precedent
- Evidence of a contemporaneous oral agreement
- Evidence of a prior oral agreement
- Evidence of a condition subsequent
Evidence of a condition precedent.
Remember, the parol evidence rule prohibits admissibility of extrinsic evidence that seeks to vary, contradict, or add to an integration
The rationale is that one is not altering a written agreement by means of parol evidence if the written agreement never came into being. It should be borne in mind that parol evidence of such a condition precedent will not be admitted if it contradicts the express language of the written contract.
When are these warranties included?
- Warranty against infringement
- Warranty of title
- Implied warranty of merchantability
- Implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose
- Warranty against infringement: only on sale of goods made by merchant sellers
- Warranty of title: every contract for the sale of goods includes it
- Implied warranty of merchantability: only on sale of goods made by merchant sellers
- Implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose: the seller has reason to know the particular purpose for which the goods are to be used and that the buyer is relying on the seller’s skill and judgment to select suitable goods, and the buyer in fact so relies.
Is a promise conditioned on the promisor’s satisfaction an illusory promise?
No, is a valid condition, promise conditioned on the promisor’s satisfaction is not illusory because the promisor is constrained by good faith (for contracts involving personal taste) and a reasonable person standard (for contracts involving mechanical fitness, utility, or marketability).
One of these is not an exception to the preexisting legal duty rule (no consideration)
- A minor’s ratification of a contract upon reaching the age of majority.
- A compromise based on an honest dispute as to duty.
- Payment of a smaller sum to settle an existing debt.
- An acceleration of the performance of the duty.
A compromise based on an honest dispute as to duty.
In the case of an existing debt, payment by the debtor of a smaller sum than due will not be sufficient consideration for a promise by the creditor to discharge the debt. However, because courts are anxious to avoid the preexisting duty rule, payment of a smaller debt may be sufficient consideration if the payment was in any way different (e.g., stock instead of cash) or if the debt was honestly disputed. lmost any variation, such as accelerating performance, is considered adequate consideration. A promise to perform a voidable obligation (e.g., a minor’s ratification of a contract upon reaching the age of majority) is also enforceable despite the absence of new consideration. If the scope of the legal duty owed is the subject of honest dispute, then a modifying agreement relating to it will ordinarily be given effect.
Mutual mistake can be a defense to the formation of a contract if _____?
The mistake concerns a basic assumption on which the contract is made
Such a mistake renders the contract voidable by the adversely affected party if the mistake has a material effect on the agreed-upon exchange (not any effect on the agreed-upon exchange) and the party seeking avoidance did not assume the risk of the mistake.
In an Art 2 sale of goods, what is the effect when in an offer and acceptance between to merchants:
- The offeree includes Additional Terms
- The offeree includes Different Terms
Additional Terms: Additional terms that do not materially alter the original terms of the offer will be included in the contract. Unless they materially alter the original terms, the offer expressly limits acceptance to the terms of the offer, or the offeror has already objected to the particular terms or objects within a reasonable time.
Different terms may be knocked out of the contract. There is a split of authority on different terms. Some states follow the same rules as for additional terms, but others employ the knockout rule. Under the knockout rule, conflicting terms are knocked out of the contract and gaps are filled by the UCC gap-filler provisions.
Art 2 sale: What is the consequence of including terms that materially alter the original terms of the offer?
The contract is formed without the inclusion of the additional terms
Between merchants, additional terms proposed by the offeree in an acceptance automatically become part of the contract unless (i) they materially alter the original terms of the offer (e.g., they change a party’s risk or the remedies available); (ii) the offer expressly limits acceptance to the terms of the offer; or (iii) the offeror had already objected to the additional terms or objects within a reasonable time.
Merchant A calls Merchant B and offers him to sell goods for $1000.
Was a contract formed?
Is the contract enforceable?
The fact that this was an oral conversation does not prevent formation of the contract. To be enforceable, any contract for the sale of goods priced at $500 or more must be evidenced by a writing signed by the party to be charged. This affects enforceability, not formation. For this contract to be enforceable, some form of signed writing (e.g., a merchant’s confirmatory memo) would be necessary.
A letter of revocation of an offer becomes effective at the moment it is __________.
Received by the Offeree
At common law, a written communication is considered to have been “received” when it comes into the possession of the person addressed (or of someone authorized by him to receive it) or when it is deposited in some place authorized as the place for this or similar communications to be deposited.
Similarly, under the UCC, a person receives notice when it comes to his attention, or it is delivered at a place of business through which the contract was made or another location held out by that person as the place for receipt of such communications. An organization receives a communication at the time it is brought (or should have been brought) to the attention of the individual conducting the transaction.
What happens when you dispatch an acceptance of an offer, but you made a mistake on the offeror address? what happens if you included the correct address but the mail got lost?
if the acceptance is included in the mail with the proper address and when the Offeror had reasons to expect that that would be the reason that the offer would be accepted. Then even if the letter got lost in the mail, the offer would be deemed as accepted.
If the
Typical Hypo: Offeror sends an offer. Offeree accepts it by mailing it. But before Offeror receives it, he calls him and tells him that the offer acceptance is off.
Was a contract formed?
Yes, under the mailbox rule, acceptance of an offer by mail creates a contract at the moment the acceptance is posted, properly stamped, and addressed.
If the offeree sends both an acceptance and a rejection, whether the mailbox rule will apply depends on which the offeree sent first, the acceptance or the rejection If the offeree first sends an acceptance and later sends her rejection, the mailbox rule does apply. Thus, even if the rejection arrives first, the acceptance is effective upon mailing (and so a contract is formed) unless the offeror changes his position in reliance on the rejection. Here, the classmate first sent an acceptance, then called with her rejection. The mailbox rule applies, and because there is nothing in the facts to show that the nurse relied on the rejection, a contract was formed.
Schizophrenic acceptance: A sents offer to B. B mails rejection to A, but later changes her mind and sent acceptance. Which controls? What happens if A never reads the rejection and only reads the acceptance?
Whatever is received first. This is one exception of the mailbox rule
The fact that A did not read the rejection does not matter; it still was received by her before the acceptance.
The parties do not have a contract, because the mailbox rule does not apply when the offeree sends a rejection, followed by an acceptance. In such a case, whichever is received first controls. Under the mailbox rule, acceptance by mail or similar means creates a contract at the moment of posting, with a couple of exceptions not relevant here. Rejection, on the other hand, is effective when received. So, if the mailbox rule had applied, there would have been a contract, because the friend’s acceptance was mailed before his rejection letter was received. But because the mailbox rule does not apply here, and the matter is decided based on which letter was received first, there is no contract, because the friend’s rejection letter was received by the bicycle owner a day before his acceptance letter was received by her