Date post: | 31-Dec-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | johnathan-thornton |
View: | 214 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Frustration vs. Impracticability
Frustration is the older doctrine, impracticability the newer one
How to tell them apart—or does it matter?
3
Frustration: Before or After
5
Restatement 266(2): Where, at the time a contract is made, a party’s principal purpose is substantially frustrated
Restatement 265: “Where, after a contract is made, a party’s principal purpose is substantially frustrated
Impracticability: Before or After
6
Restatement 266(1): Where, at the time a contract is made, a party’s performance under it is impracticable
Restatement 261: “Where, after a contract is made, a party’s performance is made impracticable
The Restatement understanding
7
Time
Formation of Contract
MistakeImpracticabilityFrustration
ImpracticabilityFrustration
Examples of Impracticability
Death or Incapacity of a person: 262
Res extincta etc.: 263
Govt reg: 264
9
Examples of Frustration
Restatement § 265 Illustration 3: Res extincta: Hotel
destroyed Illustration 4: Govt reg
10
Impracticability: An economic focus
Teitelbam: “focus on greatly increased costs”
Traynor: expected value of performance is destroyed
11
Frustration:A psychological focus?
Teitelbaum: “focuses on a party’s severe disappointment caused by circumstances that frustrate his purpose in entering into the contract”
Traynor: performance is vitally different from what was expected
12
Impracticability vs. FrustrationWho are the parties?
Frustration: focus is on consumer of goods or services
Impracticabilty: focus is on provider of goods or services, where performance is impossible or vastly more expenses
13
Impracticability vs. FrustrationWho are the parties?
Frustration focuses on consumers? Taylor v. Caldwell Krell v. Henry
14
Impracticability vs. FrustrationWho are the parties?
Impracticabilty focuses on providers? Howell v. Coupland Aluminum v. Essex
15
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Was performance of the license impossible, in the sense of Taylor v. Caldwell?
20
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Was performance of the license impossible, in the sense of Taylor v. Caldwell? Was the purpose to take the room for
two days, or to take the room to see the Coronation procession?
21
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Suppose the agreement had been for a one-month lease and not a two day license?
22
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Suppose the agreement had been for a one-month lease and not a two day license? Is Paradine still good law?
23
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Why do you think the spectator did not seek the return of his deposit?
24
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Why do you think the spectator did not seek the return of his deposit? Is Stubbs v. Holywell on point?
25
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
I am a promoter and hire a hall for a musical show. On the date of the show a prominent politician dies and I cancel the show. Do I have to pay for the hall?
26
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
I hire a limo to take me to Baltimore, telling the driver I want to see the Orioles’ opening day. That morning I learn that the game is rained out. I cancel the limo.
27
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
I purchase tickets from a ticket-seller for a New York play, now in try-outs in New Haven. Subsequently, it is conceded, the play is discovered to be a bomb…
28
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
A builder undertakes to build a house but discovers that the land is unsuitable for a building. Stees and “Work before pay”
29
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
A builder undertakes to build a house but discovers that the land is unsuitable for a building. Cf. Restatement 263, illus. 4
30
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Who should bear the risk? Who was in the best position to predict
that the King would come down with appendicitis?
32
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Who should bear the risk? What’s wrong with applying Paradine and
assigning the risk to the spectator?
33
Frustration: Krell v. Henry
Who should bear the risk? What’s wrong with applying Paradine and
assigning the risk to the spectator? Why might the spectator argue that this
would amount to a windfall for the owner?
34
Lloyd v. Murphy
“The consequences of applying the doctrine of frustration to a leasehold involving less than a total or nearly total destruction of the value… would be undesirable”
“Litigation would be encouraged…”
40
Lloyd v. Murphy
Was the restriction to new car sales nearly total destruction of the purpose? Given the waiver… “It was just the location…”
42
Lloyd v. Murphy
Should the defendants on August 4, 1941 have anticipated Pearl Harbor? “It cannot be said the risk of war was so
remote a contingency” Surprise attack? What surprise?
45
Lloyd v. Murphy
Should the defendants on August 4, 1941 have anticipated Pearl Harbor? “It cannot be said the risk of war was so
remote a contingency“ 1940 National Defense Act and Detroit’s
response
46
Common Purpose Requirement
Is this consistent with Mayer at 768 Does it matter if the seller knew of the
plaintiff’s tax plans?
49