The Uniform Commercial Code and the Zabriskie Chevrolet case

Business Law

Law of sales and Uniform Commercial Code

Business law in most cases deals with the laws governing sale of goods and the implications making sales. This paper aims to concentrate on the explanations regarding the UCC, which is the Uniform Commercial Code, and its effects on the governing of sale of goods in general. The article will also identify and critically explain the applications of the Uniform Commercial Code, which are relative to the Zabriskie Chevrolet Inc. Vs. Smith case. There will also be immense discussions related to the public policy considerations that are supportive of the Zabriskie case.

Law of sales and Uniform Commercial Code

The Uniform Commercial Code is an instituted committee that has the obligation to provide timely data and information together with providing training opportunities to the people engaging in commercial law, otherwise known as Business law. The code deals especially with the commercial transactions, and also the commercial practices, which are covered with the Uniform Commercial Code. The code narrows down more and tackles the issues relating to sales and leasing of goods and property, the payment of the goods in either monetary value or kind, issuing of credit letters, transactions related to security and investments and many others. The code also covers the transactions related to unincorporated entities and the law of guarantees together with international transactions, which have business nature.

How the UCC governs the Sale of goods

The section covering the sales of goods is found in article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code and provides that the sale of goods is a contract. The duty of the UCC in this case is to set and implement the guidelines that ought to be utilized in controlling commercial transactions. There is a provision by the code for uniform standards to be adopted when transacting commercial business. Different articles explain and address diverse issues. For instance, the fourth chapter addresses bank deposits and the third focuses on negotiable instruments.

The subject of any given contract has to meet certain criteria to be deemed a good. The subject has to be movable to be a good. This is in accordance with the UCC. The subject has to be movable on the period of entering a contract. This is effectuated to meet the criteria for defining a good according to law of contract. According to the second article of the UCC, the installment contract is also a contract. The installment contract is under the sale of goods, and may be defined as a contract that authorizes or requires that the delivery of goods after sale be made in separate amounts and have to be accepted separately. In this case, each delivery is taken as a separate contract. An instance is when a supplier's agrees with the purchaser to deliver 10,000 envelopes in installments of one thousand envelopes every month.

Another incidence where the UCC governs the sale of goods is when there is a consumer contract. The UCC has a definition of the consumer contract, as a contract in which there has to be a merchant and the consumer. The merchant sells the goods to the consumer. A merchant is anyone who purports to have the skill and ability, and also the knowledge of goods. In situations where persons have no skills or knowledge of goods, then the contract cannot be valid, as the person is not a merchant according to law of the UCC.

The UCC uses the abbreviation TARR to enact its provisions to over 50 countries in the United States. TARR is a representation of Tender, Acceptance of an offer, Rejection and Revocation. For the case of Tender, the UCC provides that a buyer can lawfully reject any goods that hardly conform to the requirements of the contract. However, buyers of new cars are neither at a good spot of verifying the technical ability and internal working of the car. In this case, judgment of conformity to the contract is limited to the manufacturer and not the buyer. Acceptance provides that when a buyer purchases a good, there is the belief that the manufacturer will take care of any repairs during the warranty period. Rejection allows that in case the buyer notices any defects during the first miles of the newly purchased car, then the buyer can rightfully reject the product. The discovery has to be within a reasonable time of inspection, though the time is not specified. Revocation happens when the buyer realizes that the goods do not conform to the contractual provisions, because it was difficult to discover or in case the buyer is assured that any non-conformities will be repaired. Any conformity has to be remedied.

Public Policy Considerations

The UCC provides protection for the public. There is provision of both implied and express warranties of quality in case of sale of goods. In most cases, the warranties are meant to delineate the remedies and rights of the consumer with regards to the purchase of goods. The UCC provides for express warranties in case of a promise or any affirmation of fact. The Code also recognizes implied warranties of fitness and merchantability for a purpose. The warranty provides that the goods in question have to be fit for the ordinary purpose for the good's use. The Code also provides the seller can disclaim warranty liability or modify remedies of the public (Consumer) from the breach of warranty. There is a necessity for disclaiming warranties for the reason of protecting buyers from unbargained and unexpected language of disclaimer(s).

Conclusion

The UCC has been efficient to ensure there is prompt reaction to cases relating to business law. As seen in the case of Zabriskie v. Smith, the case was decided in accordance to the UCC. Aspects such as acceptance, tenders, revocation and rejection must be considered to ensure decisions in court are effective in accordance to the UCC, especially in cases similar to the Zabriskie Chevrolet, Inc. Vs. Smith case.