business law

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© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Quote of the Day

“The whole duty of government is to prevent crime and to preserve contracts.”

Lord Melbourne,

British Prime Minister

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The Purpose of a Contract

• Contracts exist to make business matters more predictable.
• Frequently, a series of contracts may become mutually dependent.

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Elements of a Contract

• Agreement

One party must make a valid offer, and the other party must accept it

• Consideration

There has to be bargaining that leads to an exchange between the parties.

• Legality

The contract must be for a lawful purpose.

• Capacity

The parties must be adults of sound mind.

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Contracts

• Definition

A promise that the law will enforce.

• Development of Contract Law

Common law once required all contracts to be in writing, with a seal affixed.

Later, some payment was required before a contract could be enforced.

Mutual promises became enforceable in the 1600’s.

By the 1900’s, courts began to consider the fairness of contracts before enforcing them.

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© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Types of Contracts
(or Agreements)

DO NOT CLICK! Let slide “build” on its own.

Bilateral

Unilateral

vs.

Express

Implied

vs.

Executory

Executed

vs.

Valid

Unenforceable

Voidable

Void

vs.

vs.

vs.

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© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Types of Contracts
(or Agreements)

• Bilateral and Unilateral Contracts

Bilateral: both parties make a promise (to do something) to each other.

Unilateral: one party makes a promise to the other that the other party can accept only by doing something specific.

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Types of Contracts (cont’d)

• Express and Implied Contracts

Express: the two parties to the contract explicitly state all of the important terms of their agreement.

Implied: the words and conduct of the parties indicate that the parties intended to make an agreement.

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Types of Contracts (cont’d)

• Executory and Executed Contracts

Executory: when one or more parties has not fulfilled its obligations under the contract.

Executed: when all parties to the contract have fulfilled their obligations under the contract.

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© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Types of Contracts (cont’d)

• Valid, Unenforceable, Voidable, and Void Agreements

Valid: satisfies the law’s requirements.

Unenforceable: when the parties intend to form a valid bargain but some rule of law prevents enforcement.

Voidable: when the law permits one party to terminate the agreement.

Void: one that neither party can enforce, usually because the purpose is illegal or one of the parties had no legal authority.

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Promissory Estoppel

• Even when there is no contract, a plaintiff may use promissory estoppel to enforce the defendant’s promise if he can show that:

The defendant made a promise knowing that the plaintiff would likely rely on it.

The plaintiff did rely on the promise; and

The only way to avoid injustice is to enforce the promise.

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• Even when there is no contract, a court may use quasi-contract to compensate a plaintiff who can show that:

He gave some benefit to the defendant.

He reasonably expected to be paid for the benefit and the defendant knew this; and

The defendant would be unjustly enriched if she did not pay.

• The damages awarded are called quantum meruit, meaning that the plaintiff gets “as much as he deserved.”

Quasi-Contract

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Sources of Contract Law

• Common Law
• Uniform Commercial Code

UCC Article 2 governs the sale of goods. “Goods” means anything moveable, except for money, securities, and certain legal rights.

In a mixed contract, Article 2 governs only if the primary purpose was the sale of goods.

• Restatement (Second) of Contracts

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Four Theories of Recovery:
Express Contract
Implied Contract
Promissory Estoppel
Quasi-Contract