Lecture Dynamic business law - Chapter 19: Third-party rights to contracts

The main contents of the chapter consist of the following: What is an assignment? What are the rights and duties of an assignor? What are the rights and duties of an assignee? What is a third-party beneficiary contract? What are the differences among donee beneficiaries, creditor beneficiaries, and incidental beneficiaries?

Chapter 19 Third­Party Rights to  Contracts Copyright © 2015 McGraw­Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw­Hill Education Obligor and Obligee (Definitions):  Obligor:  Contractual party who owes duty to other  party in privity of contract  Obligee:  Contractual party owed duty from other  party in privity of contract   19­2 Assignment (Definitions):  Assignment:  Transfer of rights under a contract to a  third party  Assignor:  Party to contract who transfers his/her  rights to a third party  Assignee:  Party (not in privity of contract) who  receives transfer of rights to a contract   19­3 Contractual Rights That Cannot Be Assigned  Rights that are personal in nature  Rights that would increase obligor’s risks/duties  Rights in a contract that, by its terms, expressly forbids  assignments  Rights whose assignment prohibited by law/public policy   19­4 Delegation (Definitions):  Delegation:  Transfer of duty under a contract to a  third party  Delegator:  Party to a contract who transfers his/her  duty to a third party  Delegatee:  Party (not in privity of contract) who  receives transfer of duty to a contract   19­5 Contractual Duties That Cannot Be Assigned  Duties personal in nature  Duties resulting in performance substantially different from  that which obligee originally contracted (i.e., delegatee’s  performance will vary significantly from delegator’s)  Duties in a contract that expressly forbids delegation   19­6 Third Party Beneficiary Contracts (Definitions):  Intended Beneficiary:  Third party to contract whom contracting parties intended to benefit  directly from contract.  Intended beneficiaries can sue to enforce contract obligations  Promisor:  Party to contract who made promise that benefits third party  Promisee:  Party to contract who owes something to promisor in exchange for promise made  to third­party beneficiary  Creditor beneficiary.  Third party who benefits from contract in which promisor agrees to pay  promisee’s debt  Donee beneficiary:  Third party who benefits from contract in which promisor agrees to give a  gift to third party  Vesting:  Maturing of rights, such that a party can legally act on the rights  Incidental Beneficiary:  Third party who unintentionally gains benefit from contract between  other parties.  Contracting parties do not intend to benefit incidental beneficiary.  Incidental  beneficiaries cannot sue to enforce contract obligations   19­7 Creditor Versus Donee Beneficiaries        Creditor Beneficiary        Donee Beneficiary  Contractual performance fulfills  obligation to third party  Contractual performance gives a  gift to third party  Enforcement of rights   Beneficiary can enforce rights to  contract if contract valid and  rights have vested Beneficiary has limited ability to  enforce contract (depending on  jurisdiction)  Beneficiary can enforce rights  against promisor  Beneficiary can enforce rights  against promisor or promisee   19­8 Intended Versus Incidental Beneficiaries        Intended Beneficiary        Incidental Beneficiary  Contracting parties intended  to benefit third party with  their contract  Contracting parties did not  intend to benefit third party  with contract  Beneficiary has right to  enforce contract  Beneficiary does not have  right to enforce contract  Beneficiary benefits from  direct reception of  contractual performance  Beneficiary benefits from  indirect circumstances  created by contractual  performance   19­9 ... Assignment:  Transfer of rights under a contract to a  third party  Assignor:  Party to contract who transfers his/her  rights to a third party  Assignee:  Party (not in privity of contract) who  receives transfer of rights to a contract... Contractual performance fulfills  obligation to third party  Contractual performance gives a  gift to third party  Enforcement of rights   Beneficiary can enforce rights to contract if contract valid and  rights have vested... Promisee:  Party to contract who owes something to promisor in exchange for promise made  to third­party beneficiary  Creditor beneficiary.  Third party who benefits from contract in which promisor agrees to pay