Termination fo Contract Flashcards
How can a contract be discharge?
By performance
Frustration
Breach
How is a contract discharged by frustration?
Where is becomes impossible to perform a contract through no fault of either party
- destruction
- government intervention
- not classed as frustrated if it is more difficult
How is a contract discharged by breach?
Failure to perform the contract, this will lead to remedies for breach of contract
What are the rules of a contract being discharged by frustration?
- Contract must have been possible when entered into
- Contract includes a force majeure clause to deal with contracts that become impossible to perform
- It will not be discharged where another mode of performance is possible, even is more expensive/ difficult
what is quantum meruit?
the defendant to pay damages for the proportion of the contract price that the work is worth at this point
The Law Reform Act 1943
Regulates the rights and liabilities of each party following the frustration of a contract
- Any money paid under the contract before the frustrating event is to be payable
- Amounts outstanding are no longer due
- Set off any expenses before repaying any sums or deposits
What is a breach of contract?
Where a party does not perform his obligations, he is said to be in breach of contract
What are lawful excuses for a breach of contract?
- Where he has tendered performance but this has been rejected
- Where the other party has made it impossible for him to perform
- Where the parties have by agreement permitted non-performance
what is actual breach?
occurs at the time performance of the contract was due and happens when:
- one party fails to put forward any sort of performance
- the performance put forward is so inadequate the injured party is substantially deprived of the whole benefit of the contract
what is anticipatory breach?
takes place where, before the due date for performance of the contract, one party states or shows by his or her actions that he or she will not be performing the contract
what is expressed anticipatory breach?
one of the parties declares before the date of performance that he or she has no intention of carrying out his duties
what is implied anticipatory breach?
one of the parties do something which makes the performance of the contract impossible
How can the injured party treat an anticipatory breach?
- Treat the contract as discharged immediately and sue for damages
-Injured party may continue with his or her obligations under the contract until such time as there is an actual breach of the contractual terms
what is a repudiatory breach and how is it treated?
This one deprives an injured party of the main purpose of the contract.
Treat it as if
- the contract has ended
- he/she can affirm the contract
how is a less serious breach treated?
If the breach is less serious the injured party will be entitled to damages, but they cannot treat the contract as ended. This would apply when the injured party has received the main purpose of the contract but one of the incidental terms of the contract has been breached.
what are the lawful excuse for when no breach occurs?
-One party has offered to perform their obligations under the contract but the other party has refused.
- if one party makes it impossible for the other party to complete his or her obligations
- where the parties have agreed that certain obligations shall not be performed
what is an alternative dispute resolution?
parties with a dispute use any type of procedure to come to a resolution rather than going to court