The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United Kingdom and New Zealand and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject.(February 2017) |
A set of heads of agreement, heads of terms, or letter of intent is a non-binding document outlining the main issues relevant to a tentative sale, partnership, or other agreement. [1]
A heads of agreement document will only be enforceable when it is adopted into a parent contract and is subsequently agreed upon, unless otherwise stated. Until that point, a heads of agreement will not be legally binding. However, such documents can become legally binding if the agreement document contains terms or language which explicitly indicates an intention to be legally bound. Equally, a letter which contains no expression of whether its terms were intended to be binding can be found to be binding due to language used. This is also dependent on the circumstances of the transaction and includes the conduct of the parties themselves. [2] [3]
A key function of Heads of Terms is to assist in the identification of critical issues as early as possible during negotiations which could stop a transaction going ahead.
In a commercial property transaction in the UK, a heads of agreement is often known as the heads of terms (HOTS). The main purpose of the heads of terms is to identify and highlight the requirements of both the seller and the purchaser of the property. There are a number of advantages of using the heads of terms. For instance, by carrying this out, both parties will fully understand what they are subject to, and can reduce or abolish any misunderstandings from either party. [4] The heads of terms normally contains the following information:
An agreement made in writing, signed by all parties, including the terms expressly agreed by the parties and evidencing offer, acceptance, consideration and intention to create legal relations is likely to be treated as a binding contract because such contents reflect the requirements of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, which states (in section 2) that "a contract for the sale or other disposition of an interest in land can only be made in writing and only by incorporating all the terms which the parties have expressly agreed in one document or, where contracts are exchanged, in each". [5] [6]
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), first published in 1952, is one of a number of uniform acts that have been established as law with the goal of harmonizing the laws of sales and other commercial transactions across the United States through UCC adoption by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Territories of the United States.
In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of real property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien. A typical conveyancing transaction has two major phases: the exchange of contracts and completion.
In business or commerce, an order is a stated intention, either spoken or written, to engage in a commercial transaction for specific products or services. From a buyer's point of view it expresses the intention to buy and is called a purchase order. From a seller's point of view it expresses the intention to sell and is referred to as a sales order. When the purchase order of the buyer and the sales order of the seller agree, the orders become a contract between the buyer and seller.
A letter of credit (LC), also known as a documentary credit or bankers commercial credit, or letter of undertaking (LoU), is a payment mechanism used in international trade to provide an economic guarantee from a creditworthy bank to an exporter of goods. Letters of credit are used extensively in the financing of international trade, when the reliability of contracting parties cannot be readily and easily determined. Its economic effect is to introduce a bank as an underwriter that assumes the counterparty risk of the buyer paying the seller for goods.
A standard form contract is a contract between two parties, where the terms and conditions of the contract are set by one of the parties, and the other party has little or no ability to negotiate more favorable terms and is thus placed in a "take it or leave it" position.
Offer and acceptance are generally recognized as essential requirements for the formation of a contract. Analysis of their operation is a traditional approach in contract law. This classical approach to contract formation has been modified by developments in the law of estoppel, misleading conduct, misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, and power of acceptance.
A letter of intent is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term sheet or memorandum of understanding. Merger and acquisition agreements, joint venture agreements, real property lease agreements and several other categories of agreements often make use of a letter of intent.
Commercial property, also called commercial real estate, investment property or income property, is real estate intended to generate a profit, either from capital gains or rental income. Commercial property includes office buildings, medical centers, hotels, malls, retail stores, multifamily housing buildings, farm land, warehouses, and garages. In many U.S. states, residential property containing more than a certain number of units qualifies as commercial property for borrowing and tax purposes.
A term sheet is a bullet-point document outlining the material terms and conditions of a potential business agreement, establishing the basis for future negotiations between a seller and buyer. It is usually the first documented evidence of a possible acquisition. It may be either binding or non-binding.
Rose & Frank Co v JR Crompton & Bros Ltd [1924] is a leading decision on English contract law, regarding the intention to create legal relations in commercial arrangements. In the Court of Appeal, Atkin LJ delivered an important dissenting judgment which was upheld by the House of Lords.
A contractual term is "any provision forming part of a contract". Each term gives rise to a contractual obligation, the breach of which may give rise to litigation. Not all terms are stated expressly and some terms carry less legal gravity as they are peripheral to the objectives of the contract.
In law, an equitable interest is an "interest held by virtue of an equitable title or claimed on equitable grounds, such as the interest held by a trust beneficiary". The equitable interest is a right in equity that may be protected by an equitable remedy. This concept exists only in systems influenced by the common law tradition, such as New Zealand, England, Canada, Australia, and the United States.
A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of those at a future date. The activities and intentions of the parties entering into a contract may be referred to as contracting. In the event of a breach of contract, the injured party may seek judicial remedies such as damages or equitable remedies such as specific performance or rescission. A binding agreement between actors in international law is known as a treaty.
The Law of Property Act 1989 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament, which laid down a number of significant revisions to English property law.
British Steel Corp v Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co Ltd [1984] 1 All ER 504 is an English contract law case concerning agreement.
RTS Flexible Systems Limited v Molkerei Alois Müller GmbH[2010] UKSC 14 is an English contract law case, concerning how it will be judged whether an agreement is reached.
An asset purchase agreement (APA) is an agreement between a buyer and a seller that finalizes terms and conditions related to the purchase and sale of a company's assets. It is important to note in an APA transaction, it is not necessary for the buyer to purchase all of the assets of the company. In fact, it is common for a buyer to exclude certain assets in an APA. Provisions of an APA may include payment of purchase price, monthly installments, liens and encumbrances on the assets, condition precedent for the closing, etc. An APA differs from a stock purchase agreement (SPA) under which company shares, title to assets, and title to liabilities are also sold. In an APA, the buyer must select specific assets and avoid redundant assets. These assets are itemized in a schedule to the APA. The buyer in a SPA is purchasing shares of the company. In this case, itemization is not necessary due to transfer of company's ownership occurs as is. The APA is the legal mechanism for executing a corporate merger or acquisition.
The South African law of sale is an area of the legal system in that country that describes rules applicable to a contract of sale, generally described as a contract whereby one person agrees to deliver to another the free possession of a thing in return for a price in money.
The South African law of lease is an area of the legal system in South Africa which describes the rules applicable to a contract of lease. This is broadly defined as a synallagmatic contract between two parties, the lessor and the lessee, in terms of which one, the lessor, binds himself to give the other, the lessee, the temporary use and enjoyment of a thing, in whole or in part, or of his services or those of another person; the lessee, meanwhile, binds himself to pay a sum of money as compensation, or rent, for that use and enjoyment. The law of lease is often discussed as a counterpart to the law of sale.
Herbison v Papakura Video Ltd [1987] 2 NZLR 527 is a cited case in New Zealand regarding the enforceability of Exclusion clauses.