This chapter discusses the concepts of unilateral acts, acquiescence, and estoppel, and the relation between the three. All three are rooted in the principle of good faith, but unilateral acts are in their essence statements or representations intended to be binding and publicly manifested as such, whereas acquiescence and estoppel are more general categories, consisting of statements or representations not intended as binding nor amounting to a promise, whose binding force depends on the circumstances.
Chapter
18. Unilateral acts, acquiescence, and estoppel
Chapter
8. The Terms of the Contract
A contract is composed of terms, the number of which depends upon the importance of the transaction. The terms of the contract are of great significance to the parties because they define their rights and liabilities. This chapter examines two preliminary issues, the first of which relates to the identification of the terms of the contract. How do the courts decide what is and what is not a term of the contract? The second issue concerns the entitlement of the parties to lead evidence of terms not to be found in their written contract. Where the parties take the time, trouble, and expense of reducing their agreement to writing, are they still entitled to adduce evidence of terms other than those found in the written document, or is the written document the sole source of the terms of their contract?
Chapter
11. Identifying the terms of a contract
This chapter discusses the terms of a contract. It first examines the distinction between a ‘term’ and a ‘representation’, before considering how those terms can be incorporated into a contract. It then discusses the nature of the contract being examined—even if the relevant term is not to be found in the ‘main’ contract, it may be found in a ‘collateral’, or ancillary, contract. Finally, the chapter addresses the ‘parol evidence rule’, which essentially states that where there is a written contract, extrinsic evidence cannot be used to establish other terms. This rule is riddled with exceptions and often dismissed, although it is suggested that it should not be entirely discarded.
Chapter
8. Proprietary Estoppel
The chapter explores the doctrine of proprietary estoppel—a means by which a person may acquire a proprietary interest in another’s land. If made out, a claim to proprietary estoppel allows for the informal creation and acquisition of rights in land. Rather than just being raised as defence against legal claims (as is the case for example in promissory estoppel), it is this that sets proprietary estoppel apart and represents its major point of distinction from other estoppels. This chapter considers the requirements for establishing an estoppel claim and the effect of an estoppel on third parties. You come to the law of proprietary estoppel at a time when it is has hit something of a fertile patch. With a bounty of case law including the recent Supreme Court judgment in Guest v Guest (2022) and new decisions seemingly handed down almost monthly, proprietary estoppel is having its moment in the sun and remains one of the liveliest and most productive areas of land law today.
Chapter
11. Equitable Estoppel
The Concentrate Questions and Answers series offer the best preparation for tackling exam questions. Each book includes typical questions, bullet-pointed answer plans, suggested answers, and author commentary. This book offers advice on what to expect in exams and how best to prepare. This chapter covers questions on equitable estoppel.
Chapter
8. The Terms of the Contract
A contract is composed of terms, the number of which depends upon the importance of the transaction. The terms of the contract are of great significance to the parties because they define their rights and liabilities. This chapter examines two preliminary issues, the first of which relates to the identification of the terms of the contract. How do the courts decide what is and what is not a term of the contract? The second issue concerns the entitlement of the parties to lead evidence of terms not to be found in their written contract. Where the parties take the time, trouble, and expense of reducing their agreement to writing, are they still entitled to adduce evidence of terms other than those found in the written document, or is the written document the sole source of the terms of their contract?
Chapter
8. Proprietary Estoppel
This chapter explores the doctrine of proprietary estoppel—a means by which a person may acquire a proprietary interest in another’s land. If made out, a claim to proprietary estoppel allows for the informal creation and acquisition of rights in land. Rather than just being raised as a defence against legal claims (as is the case, for example, in promissory estoppel), it is this that sets proprietary estoppel apart and represents its major point of distinction from other estoppels. This chapter considers the requirements for establishing an estoppel claim and the effect of an estoppel on third parties. With a bounty of case law—new decisions seemingly handed down almost monthly—proprietary estoppel is having its moment in the sun and remains one of the liveliest and most productive areas of land law today.
Chapter
5. Proprietary estoppel
Titles in the Complete series combine extracts from a wide range of primary materials with clear explanatory text to provide readers with a complete introductory resource. This chapter on proprietary estoppel discusses the following: the principle of estoppels; the key elements of proprietary estoppel; the importance of the principle of unconscionability; the need for a clear representation or acquiescence; the different types of detriment; the flexibility of an equitable remedy; and the similarities and differences between a proprietary estoppel and a constructive trust. Estoppel seems to offer an exception to the normal rules of legal formality—ie transactions involving land require writing—and so provides a classic example of equity moderating the harshness of the law.
Chapter
7. Express and implied terms
This chapter looks at the creation of express and implied terms. In particular, it deals with spoken statements becoming express terms and the different types of implied terms. Terms implied in fact, in law, and by custom are addressed. The traditional ‘business efficacy test’, and ‘officious bystander test’ are looked at in relation to terms implied in fact, and developments leading up to and including the recent Supreme Court judgments of Marks and Spencer plc v BNP Paribas Securities Services Trust Company (Jersey) Ltd and Wells v Devani. Consideration is given to the requirements for terms to be implied in law, at common law, and the growing recognition that, despite references to ‘necessity’, the implication of such terms is concerned with issues of fairness, reasonableness, and social policy.
Chapter
6. Assembling the contract
Representations, terms, and incorporation
This chapter considers how the courts determine what the terms of the contract are, both where the contract is in writing and where it is oral. It first examines unwritten contracts, focusing on oral negotiations and how the courts identify which statements, out of everything the parties said and did, were intended to have contractual force. It then discusses three categories of statements made by the parties: statements that are ‘mere puff’, statements that are factual ‘representations’, and statements that are intended to be contractual terms. It also describes written documents, and more specifically what impact the existence of a written contract has on other terms which a party argues were agreed, but which were not written down in the contract. The chapter concludes by looking at incorporation and the criteria the law sets for holding that external terms were validly incorporated into a contract.
