SECTION: 3 Formalities and Terms of a Contract TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Section 3 Formalities and Terms of a Contract Page 60 Overview 62 3.1 Contracts where formalities are required 63 3.2 Terms of a Contract 66 3.3 Conditions of a Contract 71 3.4 Clauses of a Contract 77 3.5 Summary 81 61 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG Overview Learning Outcome The following is the Learning Outcome of this Section: 3. Conceptualise the Formalities and Terms of a Contract. Learning Objectives The Learning Objectives are as follows: On completion of this Section, you will be able to: 3. Assessment Criteria Conceptualise the Formalities and Terms of a Contract by: Recognising Contracts where formalities are required Comprehending the terms of a Contract Comprehending the conditions of a Contract Comprehending the different clauses of a Contract To demonstrate the achievement of the Learning Objectives, you are required to meet the criteria and/or provide the following evidence: Recognising Contracts where formalities are required List Contracts that include formalities required by law Describe formalities included by parties to a Contract Comprehending the terms of a Contract Identify the terms of a Contract Differentiate between express and implied terms Comprehending the conditions of a Contract Differentiate between a resolutive and a suspensive condition Differentiate between a supposition and a modus Comprehending the different clauses of a Contract List the clauses that may form part of a Contract 62 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract 3.1 Contracts where formalities are required Introduction To determine whether a valid Contract has come into existence, one needs to establish whether compliance with any formalities is prescribed for the formation of a particular type of Contract. Formalities are requirements relating to visible form in which the agreement must be cast in order to create a valid Contract. These requirements may be predetermined by the law or by the Contracting parties themselves. In most cases, compliance with formalities consists of reducing the Contract to writing with or without the signatures of the parties. If the law requires that certain formalities must be observed, these requirements must be fulfilled in order to create a valid and enforceable Contract. In the same way, one or both Contracting parties must also comply with the required formalities. The general rule The general rule is that no formalities are required for the formation of a Contract. In the majority of cases, an informal Contract is binding and Contracts are validly concluded without the observation of any formalities. tacit = understood or implied without being stated EXAMPLE: You go to the supermarket and remove items from a supermarket shelf. Without saying a word, you offer money for the goods at the pay point. The shop assistant accepts the money and allows you to take the items. In this case, a Contract of sale arises tacitly through conduct. The parties in a Contract are normally free to choose the way they wish to create a Contract. Can you recall the ways in which one can conclude a Contract? 63 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Formalities required by law As discussed, the prescription of formalities is the exception to the rule. However, when concluding certain types of Contracts, Parliament has laid down certain requirements, which must be satisfied. These requirements are mainly aimed at: Preventing fraud Reducing uncertainties and problems As discussed, the most common requirement is that certain Contracts must be in writing and should be signed by all the parties in order to render it valid. Examples are: Contracts for the alienation of land. In terms of the Alienation of Land Act, 68 of 1981, no Contract for the alienation of land is valid unless it is contained in a “Contract of Alienation” and signed by the parties to the Contract or by their authorised agents. Contracts of suretyship. In terms of the General Law Amendment Act, 50 of 1956, a Contract of surety is only valid if it is in writing and signed by or on behalf of the surety. (Suretyships are discussed in “Suretyships”.) Contracts of donation in terms of which performance is due in the future. In terms of the General Law Amendment Act, 50 of 1956, a Contract of donation under which performance is due, is valid only if the terms thereof are contained in a written document which is signed by either the donor or by an appointed authorised person. Credit agreements In other instances, although legislation requires that the Contract must be in writing and signed, non-compliance thereof will not automatically lead to the invalidity of the Contract. For example, in terms of the Credit Agreements Act, 75 of 1980, any credit agreement must be in writing and signed by or on behalf of every party thereto. But, a provision of the Act is that a credit agreement which does not comply with the requirements, shall not for that reason be invalid, although it will constitute an offence. Another formality, which must be adhered to, is the one of registration. In terms of the Deed Registries Act, 47 of 1937, an Antenuptial Contract must be registered in the manner and within the time mentioned in the Act. (Credit agreements are discussed in detail in “Introduction to Credit Agreement Law”.) 64 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Formalities required by parties While legislation may require compliance with certain formalities to create a valid Contract, the parties to a Contract may also themselves prescribe formalities. The offeror may set the requirement that acceptance of an offer must be in writing. The acceptance of the offer will result in a valid Contract only if the acceptance is in writing. It may also happen that the parties negotiate the contents of the Contract orally and agree that the final agreement will be in writing. If an oral agreement precedes the written agreement, it must be determined from the Contract whether the parties intended the written agreement to be a requirement for validity or proof of their oral Contract. If writing is a requirement for the validity of the Contract, the “Contract” remains invalid until it is put in writing. If the parties intended the written agreement to only be proof of the oral agreement’s terms, the oral Contract becomes binding immediately upon conclusion, even though nothing has been put in writing. Relate the discussion around “Contracts where formalities are required” back to your own workplace. List all the Contracts in your work environment that must adhere to formalities. These formalities could either be required/prescribed by law or by THE BANK policy. 65 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract 3.2 Terms of a Contract Introduction A term in a Contract is a provision which imposes on a Contracting party one or more contractual obligations to: Act in a specific manner. Refrain from performing a specific act. Qualify the contractual obligations. It defines the contractual obligations to which the parties bind themselves and which they can enforce against each other. It also stipulates the time when or the circumstances in which the obligations become enforceable or are terminated. Terms and statements Terms, are statements which are made seriously and deliberately and with the intention that they should be enforceable in law. These statements must be distinguished from statements regarding the Contract made with no intention that it should have legal consequences. Sales talk (puffing) is merely excessive praise of performance and is not a term of the Contract. EXAMPLE: You undertake to buy a car from General Motors for R50 000. This is a contractual term and imposes an obligation on you to pay a certain amount to General Motors to deliver a specific vehicle. The sales person informs you that the car will be delivered the following week. This is also a contractual term as it qualifies General Motor’s obligation. The sales person informs you that the car is the most economical one of the range. This is not a term but sales talk. 66 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Special/important terms In the 1st Section we discussed that the law will enforce an agreement, as long as it is not: Illegal Immoral Impossible The law will not interfere in Contracts between parties or question any terms since it is assumed that the parties are in equal bargaining positions and are not forced to enter into the Contract. It is assumed that whatever terms are agreed upon, are mutually acceptable and the parties have agreed to it voluntarily. However, this is not always the case. Banks will impose certain terms and conditions on all applications for loans or credit. This will make it easier for the money to be recovered in the event of the debtor’s failure to pay. The applicant is “forced” to agree to these terms or else the bank will not enter into the Contract. These terms are binding even though the applicant may regard them as onerous or would not have agreed to them if he/she had freedom of choice. Financial institutions impose conditions in their favour, and place the other party in a position that he/she has no choice but to accept the conditions. However, the client still has the choice of agreeing to the loan or not. Another example of imposed terms are those displayed on notices in parking garages, shopping malls, etc. which limit the liability of the party displaying them. Enter on own risk! 67 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Special/important terms, continued In the above cases, there is no documentation signed, as for example, with a credit agreement or loan. Where it is necessary to bind somebody to imposed terms and conditions, it is advisable to get the other party to sign an acknowledgement that he/she agrees to be bound to the terms and conditions. This means that the person who signs the Contract, whether he/she knows the contents thereof or not, is treated as having agreed thereto and will be bound by the terms in the Contract. When a person is presented with a Contract, it is his/her responsibility to read the contents. If he/she does not read it, or it contains technical words or phrases that he/she does not understand, he/she must ask the person imposing the terms to explain the terms. It is the signatory’s responsibility to request an explanation of any contractual terms, which he/she does not understand. The person who wants to impose special terms in a Contract should ensure that the other party is made aware of the terms. EXAMPLE: When you park in a parking garage there is normally a sign reading “At owner’s risk”. You will be bound by the special terms if it can be shown that you saw and understood it or that it was brought to your notice. If you did not see or not understand the notice, then the owner cannot rely on the imposed terms unless he take steps to bring the contents to your notice. In the financial environment, the imposition of the bank’s terms to various transactions is standard procedure and all banks are well protected in this regard. REMEMBER: Take care to explain provisions contained in any document clearly, correctly and adequately. Failure to do so could allow the other party to escape liability of the Contract. 68 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Relate the following statement back to your own work environment: “In the financial environment, the imposition of the bank’s terms to various transactions is standard procedure and all banks are well protected in this regard.” Do you, in your duties in the credit department, explain the terms and conditions of a credit agreement, lease or loan to the customer before he/she signs the Contract? Use the space below and note the procedure when explaining the above to the customer. List 2 examples of “terms and statements” contained in a Contract. 69 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Express and implied terms In any Contract, there are terms that are deliberately stated. EXAMPLE: In a Contract of sale the description/identity of the item sold and the price must be expressly stated. (The requirements of an agreement will be discussed in detail in “Introduction to Credit Agreement Law”.) In many cases, however, not all terms are deliberately stated. There are implied terms, which are deemed included unless they are expressly excluded. EXAMPLE: In a Contract of sale it is assumed that the seller is guaranteeing that the item being sold is free from any defects, unless he expressly states that the item is being sold “voetstoots”. In other words, the item being sold may have defects for which he cannot be held liable. As mentioned earlier, to bind another person to imposed terms and conditions, the best way to do so is to get the person to sign an acknowledgement that he/she agrees to be bound to the terms and conditions. Use the space below and note 2 types of Contracts from your workplace, which contain “express and implied terms”. You may note the terms contained in the Contracts or paste a copy thereof in the space provided. 70 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract 3.3 Conditions of a Contract Introduction Normally speaking, the word condition is often used to refer to what in reality is the all-inclusive concept “term”. However, a condition is a particular kind of term and does not include all the terms generally found in Contracts. A condition can be described as a contractual term which renders the operation (the coming into operation or the termination of the contractual obligations) and consequences of the Contract dependent on the occurrence, or non-occurrence, of a specified uncertain event. The event must be specified, in other words, there must be no doubt which event will render the obligations operative or terminate them. The event must also be uncertain, in other words it must be uncertain whether the event will indeed occur. EXAMPLE: Mike makes an offer to buy John’s bike “if the sun rises tomorrow”. He does not refer to an uncertain event because the rising of the sun will certainly take place. The reference to the sun’s rising cannot, therefore, constitute a condition. If, however, Mike agrees to buy the bike “if THE BANK grants him a loan within 2 weeks”, he does refer to an uncertain event because it is uncertain whether or not THE BANK will grant the loan. In this case, Mike attaches a condition to his offer. The purchase is subject to a condition and the Contract becomes operative only if the condition has been fulfilled. 71 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Suspensive conditions A suspensive condition is a contractual term which suspends the operation of the contractual obligations in terms of the Contract until the condition has been fulfilled. Upon conclusion of an agreement containing such a condition, a valid Contract arises and a binding contractual relationship exists between the parties. However, the operation of the contractual rights and duties are suspended until the conditions have been fulfilled. Although conditional, the rights and duties exist and they can: Be ceded Are transferable upon death Are acknowledged in the event of insolvency A creditor can protect his/her conditional rights by means of an interdict. The contractual rights and duties will come into operation and enforceable only when the condition is fulfilled. The condition will be fulfilled when the uncertain future event takes place. If this event does not take place, the condition is not fulfilled and the contractual obligations does not become operative and is terminated. Let us look at the example on the previous page: EXAMPLE: Mike makes an offer to buy John’s bike if THE BANK grants him a loan within 2 weeks. If John accepts the offer, a contractual relationship between Mike and John comes into existence and they are bound to keep to the provisions of the Contract BUT the Contract does not come into operation. Its operation is suspended until the condition is fulfilled. Only when the condition is fulfilled, namely that THE BANK grants Mike the loan, may John claim payment for the bike and Mike can claim delivery of the bike. If the condition is not fulfilled, the Contract is dissolved and neither of the parties has an obligations towards the other. 72 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Resolutive conditions A resolutive condition is a contractual term which renders the continued existence of the Contract dependent on the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of a specified uncertain future event. If an agreement contains such a condition, a binding Contract comes into existence when a Contract is concluded. Unlike the case of a suspensive condition, the contractual rights and duties become operative and are immediately enforceable. If the condition is fulfilled, the Contract is dissolved and the contractual rights and duties cease to exist. In other words, the Contract comes into operation when concluded and is undone by the fulfilment of the condition. However, complete restitution (compensation) of performance subsequent to the fulfilment of the conditions is not required in all types of Contracts. In the event of Contracts which create continuous obligations (regular performance by the party/parties over a period of time) and not a single performance, complete compensation does not occur upon fulfilment of the resolutive condition. EXAMPLE: Sipho lets his house to David subject to the Contract being dissolved if David is transferred. When David’s employer transfers him, the Contract is dissolved. The obligations which would have been due in the future are terminated. However, Sipho need not repay the rental which David had paid in respect of the completed period during which David occupied the house. In these circumstances, the contractual obligations which have already been complied with are not undone, and the rental previously paid cannot be reclaimed. 73 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Discuss suspensive and resolutive conditions with your Manager/Coach. Can suspensive and resolutive conditions be applied within THE BANK? If yes, state why and note 2 examples of Contracts in which such conditions are contained. If no, motivate why such conditions cannot be contained in a Contract. 74 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Supposition The terms which render the existence of the Contract dependent on an event which has already taken place, or on a state of affairs which exists at the time of concluding the Contract, is known as a supposition (belief or assumption). In Contract, suppositions are often referred to as “conditions”, for example “ …… conditional upon ……”. An example of a supposition is: EXAMPLE: Joe owns a plot in a coastal town. Sam wants to purchase the plot only if it has a sea view. Joe does not know if this is the case and is not willing to give a guarantee in this regard. They agree that Sam will purchase the plot provided it has a sea view. If the plot has indeed got a sea view, obligations are created from the beginning. However, the Contract creates no obligations if the plot does not offer a sea view. This is not a condition, as it does not relate to the happening of an uncertain future event. It is a supposition as the Contract depends on existing state of affairs. Discuss a supposition with your Manager/Coach. Can a supposition be applied within THE BANK? If yes, state why and note 2 examples of Contracts in which such conditions are contained. If no, motivate why a supposition cannot be contained in a Contract. 75 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Modus This is a contractual term which burdens a Contracting party’s right to the performance made to him/her in terms of the Contract. This burden can be to perform against a 3rd party, to do something, or to refrain from doing something. The burden will always relate to something that has to happen in the future. EXAMPLE: Lisa donates a house to Tendile, subject to the modus that she must use part of the house as a nursery school. The Contract is unconditional and Tendile can enforce Lisa’s performance immediately, even if she has not yet complied with the modus. Tendile can therefore claim delivery of the house immediately. However, if she does not carry out the modus, namely, to use part of the house as a nursery school, she is guilty of breach of Contract. Discuss a modus with your Manager/Coach. Can a supposition be applied within THE BANK? If yes, state why and note 2 examples of Contracts in which such conditions are contained. If no, motivate why a modus cannot be contained in a Contract. 76 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract 3.4 Clauses of a Contract Introduction Contracts normally include, in addition to terms and conditions, also certain clauses. Below are 5 examples of clauses that could be included in a Contract, namely: 1. The Cancellation Clause 2. The Penalty Clause 3. The Forfeiture Clause 4. The Rouwgeld Clause (Rouwkoop Clause) 5. The Entrenchment Clause The Cancellation Clause The inclusion of this clause in a Contract entitles a Contracting party to cancel the Contract under certain circumstances if the other party is in breach of Contract. If this clause is included in a Contract, the party in whose favour the Cancellation Clause is stipulated can cancel the Contract in accordance with its terms as soon as the other party breaches the Contract. If the contract stipulates it, it is not necessary to send a letter of demand or a notice, warning the other party of the intended cancellation of the Contract. The Penalty Clause The common law attaches certain consequences to breach of Contract by affording certain remedies to the innocent party. Depending on the type of breach committed, the innocent party can: Claim execution of the Contract Cancel the Contract Claim damages However, the parties may find these remedies insufficient and include their own “remedies” into the Contract in order to further penalise the party who is in breach or to discourage him/her from breaching the Contract by the threat of a further penalty. Usually, a Penalty Clause consists of the payment of a sum of money. EXAMPLE: In building Contracts, the owner and the Contractor agree that the work must be done on or before a certain date. A Penalty Clause is added in terms of which the Contractor must pay the owner a certain sum of money for each day the operations exceed the date of completion as agreed upon. If the Contractor breaches the Contract by failing to complete the work in time, the clause becomes operative and he must pay the sum of money stipulated. 77 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Basically, the Penalty Clause is a calculation of damages in advance (substitute for damages), and serves to discourage non-compliance with the obligation agreed upon. Legislation was put in place to ensure some measure of control over the use of Penalty Clauses. The Conventional Penalties Act 15 of 1962 applies to the following kinds of clauses: Section 1 of the Act stipulates that Penalty Clauses, which are defined as a stipulation in a Contract that provides, that on breach of Contract, a debtor shall be liable to pay a sum of money, deliver or perform something, shall be enforceable. Section 4 of the Act applies to a Contract that provides for a party’s continued liability despite the other party’s cancellation. EXAMPLE: Subject to an express clause to this effect, if Sipho is entitled to cancel the Contract, Daniel remains liable for his own performance despite the fact that the Contract has been cancelled and despite the fact that Sipho did not render any performance. The benefits for the penalty credit gain from the Penalty Clause is: The penalty is recoverable on the ground of the debtor’s breach of Contract. The extent of the penalty is predetermined. Penalty is only recoverable on the grounds that the debtor has committed breach of Contract. The creditor does not need to prove the damage or the extent thereof. In order to hold the debtor liable for payment of the penalty, he/she only needs to prove that the debtor did in fact breach the Contract. The penalty is intended as a substitute for damages. The Act prohibits the creditor from claiming damages as well as the stipulated penalty. The Act allows the parties to stipulate in the Contract that the creditor will have a choice between claiming a penalty and claiming damages. If the Contract provides for such a choice, the creditor is entitled to hold the debtor liable on either of these two grounds. However, if the Contract does not provide for such a choice, the creditor is limited by the Act to enforce the penalty and the right to claim damages is lost. 78 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract The Forfeiture Clause The provisions of Section 4 of the Conventional Penalties Act 15 of 1962 are also applicable to Forfeiture Clauses. A party, who is entitled to cancel a Contract in specified circumstances, will normally be entitled to compensation as well. The right to compensation entitles the party who cancels the Contract to claim the return of everything he/she has already performed in terms of the Act. By including a Forfeiture Clause in the Contract, the parties can agree that one or both of them will lose this right to compensation in certain circumstances. In this way a Forfeiture Clause makes provision for a party who is in breach of Contract to lose the right to compensation. The party, who is in breach of Contract, forfeits all performances he/she has already rendered in terms of the Contract. EXAMPLE: A Contract of sale can provide for a purchaser who commits breach of Contract to forfeit all instalments already paid. The Rouwgeld Clause (Rouwkoop Clause) This clause must be distinguished from a Penalty Clause. Where a Penalty Clause only becomes operative in the event of breach of Contract, a Rouwgeld Clause is not connected with breach of Contract. A Rouwgeld Clause is also not subject to the provisions of the Conventional Penalties Act. If a Contract contains terms that a person may withdraw from the Contract upon the payment of a sum of money, we are dealing with a Rouwgeld Clause. If the clause relates to a Contract of sale, it is called a Rouwkoop clause. The amount payable is known as Rouwgeld Money (or Rouwkoop money), because it represents the amount to be paid for the right to dissolve the agreement. A Rouwkoop clause which normally forms part of Contracts for the sale of land is a provision that the purchaser must pay a deposit when signing the Contract and, if he/she wishes to withdraws from the Contract, he/she can do so on the condition that the deposit is forfeited as Rouwkoop. The Entrenchment Clause The term which provides that the agreement may be altered only by means of a written amendment is known as an Entrenchment Clause. This term has the effect that the Contract may not be varied by an oral agreement, even if the parties are in complete agreement about the proposed amendment. 79 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Discuss the clauses with your Manager/Coach. Ensure that you understand all the concepts. Are any of these clauses included in Contracts concluded with THE BANK’s clients? If yes, state the type of Contract and the clause(s) included in the Contract. If no, motivate why such clauses are not included. 80 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract 3.5 Summary Summary Below is a summary of the key learning points of this Section. Read through them carefully and ensure that you understand all the concepts. Discuss any uncertainties with your Coach before you move on to the next Section. Formalities are requirements relating to visible form in which the agreement must be cast in order to create a valid Contract In the majority of cases, an informal Contract is binding and Contracts are validly concluded without the observation of any formalities. The law requires that certain Contracts must be in writing, namely: Contracts for the alienation of land Contracts of suretyship Contracts of donation in terms of which performance is due in the future Any credit agreement must be in writing and signed by or on behalf of every party thereto. The parties to a Contract may themselves prescribe formalities. The terms in a Contract imposes on a Contracting party obligations to: Act in a specific manner Refrain from performing a specific act Qualify the contractual obligations Terms are statements which are made seriously and deliberately and with the intention that they should be enforceable in law. Terms may be imposed on a person, for example the terms that a bank imposes on all applications for loans or credit. The person who wants to impose special terms in a Contract should ensure that the other party is made aware of the terms. Any Contract contains terms that are deliberately stated. A condition is a particular kind of term and does not include all the terms generally found in Contracts. A suspensive condition is a contractual term which suspends the operation of the contractual obligations in terms of the Contract until the condition has been fulfilled. A resolutive condition is a contractual term which renders the continued existence of the Contract dependent on the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of a specified uncertain future event. 81 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG 3. Formalities and Terms of a Contract Summary, continued The term which renders the existence of the Contract dependent on an event, which has already taken place, or on a state of affairs which exists at the time of concluding the Contract, is known as a supposition (belief or assumption). A modus is a contractual term which burdens a Contracting party’s right to the performance made to him/her in terms of the Contract. There are 5 types of clauses that could be included in a Contract, namely: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The Cancellation Clause The Penalty Clause The Forfeiture Clause The Rouwgeld Clause (Rouwkoop Clause) The Entrenchment Clause Use the space below and draw a mind map of the learning points in this Section. 82 Version: 03/2004 IB CP2 LG
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