美国纽约州律师资格考试复习笔记 合同法

Contracts1ContractsOutlineKeyIssue#1:ApplicableLawMBEtests2kindsofKlaw:thecommonlaw&Art2ofUCC.oUCCArt2:appliestoallsaleofgoodsregardlessofhowsmallthepriceandwhothepeopleare(canbeconsumers,merchants…etc).Realestateisnotgoods,CLapplies.Serviceisnotasaleofgoods,CLapplies.Loansandothercreditarrangementsnotsaleofgoods,CLapplies.InmixedKs(wheresaleofgoodsandnonsaleofgoodsareinvolved),ifthesaleofgoodselementismoreimportant,thenUCC2applies;ifKisprimarilyaboutservices,thenapplyCL.Exception:IfKitselfexpresslydividespayment,theapplyUCCtosaleofgoodspartandcommonlawtotherest.NYpartofthebartests3bodiesoflaw1)CLwithNYvariations2)Art2forsaleofgoods3)Art2AofUCCforleasesofgoods.oLeaseofgoodsUCCArt2A:leasinganairplaneUCCArt2AappliesAppliestoleaseofbusinessleaseorconsumerlease(leaseacarfromAvis)BUTdoesn’tapplytoleasingabuilding(realpropertynotgoods).KeyIssue#2:ContractformationTerminologiesdefined:oK:alegallyenforceableagreement(noteveryAisaK)(1)IsaKformed–offer/acceptance;(2)whethertheAgreementislegallyenforceable(aretheredefenses?)]ExpressK:createdbyparties’wordseitheroralorwrittenImpliedK:createdbyparties’conduct//属于implied-in-fact;判断标准是客观的，不论双方主观上是否有合意形成oQuasiK:anequitableremedyProtectsagainstunjustenrichment.(likelytobetestedonMBE)属于impliedinlawPcanrecoverfromquasiKthereasonablevalueofthebenefitconferred(notKprice)–willusuallynotbeasmuchasKprice,butnotmorethanthecontractprice.oBilateralK:offercanbeacceptedinanyreasonablewayoUnilateralK:offercanonlybeacceptedbyperformanceNote:AllKsarebilateralunlesstheoffersaysitcanONLYbeacceptedbyperformance.oVoid,voidable,andunenforceablecontractsAvoidcontractisonewithoutanylegaleffectfromthebeginning(e.g.,anagreementtocommitacrime);Contracts2Avoidablecontractisonethatapartymayelecttoavoidorratify(e.g.,acontractbyaminor);Anunenforceablecontractisoneotherwisevalidbutforwhichsomedefenseexistsextraneoustoformation(e.g.,theS/F)1STSTAGEOFTHEAGREEMENTPROCESS:OFFER公共要约只有行为人知道要约的前提下去完成任务才构成接受两份内容相对一致的交叉要约并不构成合同如果信息在传递中有错误，即按错误的生效，除非另一方知道或有理由知道该错误A)Offer:manifestationofanintentiontobebound,createdbywordsorconduct.Thebasictestiswhetherareasonablepersoninthepositionoftheoffereewouldbelievethathisorherassentcreatesacontract.(validoffer?Lookatcontext&content)Context:adsareusuallyNOTanoffer(lookforthementionofnewspaper,onstorefront)Adsarenotoffersb/cthereisnoquantitytermandanunlimited#ofpersonscanaccept.Narrowexception:whentheadsays“1bluedressjustlikeMonica’s,only$1!Firstcome,firstserved.”Anofferb/citspecifiesthequantityandwhocanaccept.Content:vagueorambiguousterms,like“reasonable”or“fair”or“appropriate”=NOTanofferSagreestosellcarforreasonableprice=NOOffer.Factorstobeconsidered:languagesused,surroundingcircumstances,priorrelationship,industrialcustom,degreeofdefiniteandcertainterms,andmethodofcommunication.B)RequirementK:Kwherequantitybesoldismeasuredbybuyer’srequirementsorneeds一个例外//UCC要求也只要求必须要有关于数量的条款//此种合同的数量取决于买家的善意需求//此种合同在assignment时也有特别规定，通常不能assign,因为会影响义务人的履约，但若收转让人保证其要求和转让人基本一致，即可转让。LookoutforwordslikeALLitsrequirements,ONLY,SOLELY(commitmenttoexclusivity=offertoenterintorequirementsK).Anyincreaseinbuyer’srequirementhastobeinlinewiththebuyer’spriordemands–ruleofthumb10%oAnexcessiveincreasewillbereducedbythecourt;oDecreasewillnotbetestedbecauselawisuncertain.C)Openpriceterm(missingpriceterm)(commonlawdiffersfromArt2)CommonLaw(e.g.,intheinstanceofsellingland):thereisNOofferunlessthewritingbothdescribesthepropertyandstatestheprice.//但若是服务合同，没有价格也可能成立合同Contracts3Art2:thereisofferifpartiessointend,it’sstillagoodoffereventhoughitdoesn’tstateprice可以用某种方式确定Remember:vaguepricetermisNOofferunderbothCL&Art22NDSTAGEOFAGREEMENTPROCESS:TERMINATIONOFOFFERoEffect:anoffercan’tbeacceptedifithasbeenterminatedFourwaysoftermination:1)LapseofTime:Ifofferstatesthelastdateofacceptance,can’tacceptafterthatdate.Evenifnodeadlineisstated,offersdon’tlastforever.Offerslapseafterareasonabletime(factspecificfinding,ruleofthumb30days).2)Offeror’sRevocation:a)Revocationmaybedirectorindirect:Directrevocation:astatementbytheofferortotheoffereeindicatingunambiguouslythattheofferorhaschangedhermind(anystatementindicatingthisintentionwilldo)Indirectrevocation:conductbyofferorunambiguouslyindicatingunwillingnessorinabilitytocontractwithoffereeandtheoffereeisawareoftheconduct.oThemerefactthattherearesimilarofferstootherpeopledoesnotrevokeaprioroffer.b)RevocationofanofferisonlyeffectiveifitisreceivedbeforeacceptanceoRevocationiseffectiveonthedayofreceipt.oIfoffereeacceptsbeforeherreceiptofmyrevocationthentoolatetorevokeanAisformed!MailboxruleonlyappliestoACCEPTANCE.c)Generally,offerorcanrevokeatanytimebeforeacceptance,unlessthefollowingFOURsituationsoccur,thentheoffercan’tberevoked:受要约人如果先拒绝了，如果还在期限内，受要约人仍然可以接受，只要要约人并没有对拒绝产生信赖。oOption:apromisetokeeptheofferopenthatisPAIDfor(consideration):considerationyouhavebargainedawayyourrighttorevokegeneral-contractor和sub-contractor之间的关系就是等于形成了一个unilateraloptioncontract.oDetrimentalreliancethatisreasonable&foreseeable(PromissoryEstoppel)此种信赖必须是承诺人所能预期，若