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Wrong Deck. Penny hires Jackson to paint the back deck on her house. She agrees to pay him $200 for the job and he accepts, sight unseen. They enter into the agreement on Tuesday, and he is to paint the deck on Saturday. When Jackson arrives, neither Penny nor her neighbor is at home. He mistakenly paints the neighbor’s deck. Penny calls him the next day and asks him why he did not paint her deck. He informs her that he did paint the deck. It is then realized that he mistakenly painted the neighbor’s deck. Penny tells him not to worry because the neighbor will be required to pay him. Jackson says that if the neighbor does not pay, he expects all of his funds from Penny. What was the status of the agreement between Jackson and Penny as of Tuesday when they agreed upon the price for the job?

What was the result in the Peerless case referenced in the textbook in which there were two ships named Peerless and the parties disagreed over which ship was the subject of the contract?

Shady lawyer. Brice had a number of ethical issues come up in law school involving alleged cheating but managed to graduate because nothing was ever proven. Upon obtaining his law license, Brice enjoyed living “on the edge” and engaged in tactics that were at least questionable. One of his clients was an older gentleman, Sam, with significant assets and significant legal issues involving a messy divorce stemming from his involvement with a local dog groomer, Susie. Brice told Sam that he felt certain that he could arrange matters so that Sam could live happily in the Caribbean with Susie but that, in addition to paying a hefty legal fee, Sam would need to name Brice as a significant beneficiary in his will and give Brice power of attorney over his assets. Sam agreed to do so. He gave Brice power of attorney and changed his will to reflect that upon his death, Brice would receive half his estate. The other half went to Susie. Sam also paid the hefty legal fee Brice demanded. At that point, Brice agreed to proceed with negotiations in the divorce. Shortly after the divorce, Sam had an unexpected heart attack and died immediately. Susie, the executor of the will, told Brice that she was reporting him to the state bar association and that he was not entitled to any assets from the estate. Brice told Susie that he knew that Susie had failed to pay income tax for all her dog grooming and that he was reporting her unless she kept her mouth shut and consented to the terms of the contract. Brice also said that in return for keeping his mouth shut, he wanted additional sums purportedly for his work on Sam’s divorce. Assuming that Sam had paid all amounts validly due from the divorce proceeding, which of the following is true regarding Brice’s attempt to obtain additional fees?

Creaky and Toady. Beverly decides to go on a great trip to Hawaii. She needs someone, however, to take care of her two dogs, Creaky and Toady, while she is gone. Creaky has hives, and Toady passes gas frequently because of a digestive problem. Beverly hires Frank three months in advance, and they reach a contractual arrangement whereby he will be paid $200 for keeping the dogs for two weeks. Frank comes over two months before Beverly is set to leave, takes one look at Creaky and Toady, and declares that they are too creepy to be around. Beverly then hires Alice who agrees to care for Creaky and Toady. Two weeks before Beverly is set to leave, however, Alice calls and tells her that she just broke both her legs in an automobile accident, sustained other injuries, and has been put on bed rest for two months. Finally, Alice hires Betty to care for the dogs and heads off to Hawaii, where she has a great time. Unfortunately, when Beverly returns home, she finds that Betty fell in love with Creaky and Toady and has absconded with them. It was a month before Beverly was able to get a court order requiring their return. Which of the following is true regarding Alice’s refusal to keep Creaky and Toady?

Which of the following articles of the Uniform Commercial Code governs lease contracts?

The most frequently awarded damages in a breach of contract action are consequential damages.

Which of the following is a correct statement regarding past consideration?

In the Hamer v. Sidway case cited in the textbook, the New York Court of Appeals concluded that:

A new agreement to pay less than the creditor claims is owed is called a(n) ________.

Wally wants to sell his used computer to Susan for $400. Susan says that she will think about it. Wally tells Susan on Monday that if she wants the computer, she must call him on his cell phone by 6 p.m., the next day. That next morning Susan decides she does want the computer, but she has misplaced Wally’s cell phone number. She finds his address in an old campus directory. Therefore, she drops a note to him through the United States Postal Service telling him that she wants the computer. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, before he gets Susan’s acceptance, Wally sells the computer to Alice. When Wally calls Susan to tell her the bad news, Susan tells Wally that she accepted the contract and that under the Mailbox Rule, he is liable to her for damages computed by the difference between $400 and the amount it costs her to obtain a similar computer. Who will win in the dispute between Wally and Susan and why?