When dealing with contracts, it is important to understand that there are two possible general bodies of law that could come into play, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the common law of contracts. Because of the differences between the UCC and the common law, whether a contract falls under the UCC or the common law can make a huge difference in the outcome of a contract dispute. It could mean the difference between being able to collect punitive damages, discharge or modify a contract, being able to sue under a breach of contract, and whether there was actually a legally recognized contract at all.
Before discussing the differences between the two governing bodies of law, it is important to understand the type of contract governed by each body of law, you may want to get help from a Phoenix business law firm for this. The UCC applies to the sale of goods and securities, whereas the common law of contracts generally applies to contracts for services, real estate , insurance, intangible assets, and employment . If the contract is for both the sale of goods and for services, the dominant element in the contract controls. There are many subtleties in these general categories, and different states implement the UCC differently.
One of the big differences between the UCC and the common law of contracts is what is recognized as an “acceptance.” The common law follows the “Mirror Image Rule,” requiring an acceptance to be an exact mirror image of the terms of the offer for it to be a legally recognized acceptance. If any changes are made to the offer, there can be no acceptance because the offer has been changed. It then becomes a rejection and a counteroffer. However, under the UCC, only changes that affect the contract “materially” have an impact. If the changes are only minor, with little impact, and the additional terms do not create a conflict in terms, the offer is not voided. When determining the terms, the UCC focuses mainly on quantity, whereas the common law focuses on quantity as well as price, performance time, the nature of the work, and other issues.
