Business Law, 8e (Cheeseman)
Chapter 12 Capacity and Legality
1) People below the age of majority are considered minors.
2) Any age below the statutory age of majority is called the period of minority.
3) The infancy doctrine binds an adult to the minor’s decision on a contract.
4) The infancy doctrine gives adults the right to disaffirm contracts entered with minors.
5) A minor may not affirm one part of a contract and disaffirm another part.
6) A minor can disaffirm a contract anytime after reaching the age of majority.
7) According to a minor’s right of restoration, the adult should be returned to status quo after a
contract has been disaffirmed by the minor.
8) If a minor does not disaffirm a contract upon reaching the age of majority, the contract is
considered as ratified.
9) A ratified contract can be disaffirmed even after the minor reaches the age of majority.
10) The emancipation doctrine helps a minor to enforce the necessaries of life contract on
negligent parents.
11) If a minor ratifies a contract while still being a minor, the contract cannot be disaffirmed.
12) The parental duty of support is terminated if a minor becomes emancipated.
13) Minors are not obligated to pay for the necessaries of life that they contract for.
14) The duty of restitution states that a competent party should be placed in status quo by the
minor upon disaffirmance of a contract.
15) If both parties to a contract are minors, both parties have the right to disaffirm the contract.
16) A person who was legally insane at the time of entering a contract is relieved of his or her
duties from the contract.
17) In a contract involving a competent person and a person adjudged insane, either party can
enforce the contract.
18) Any contract entered into by a person who has been adjudged insane is void.
19) The court-appointed guardian is the only person who has the legal authority to enter into
contracts on behalf of a person who has been adjudged insane.
20) A person who is insane but not adjudged insane is appointed a legal guardian to act on his or
her behalf.
21) In a contract involving a competent person and a person who is insane but not adjudged
insane, the competent party can void the contract.
22) A person who is insane but not adjudged insane cannot void a contract he or she has entered
into.
23) A contract with an intoxicated person is not voidable by the other party if that party had
contractual capacity.
24) A person who disaffirms a contract based on intoxication must be returned to status quo.
25) The intoxicated person is not legally obligated to return consideration, received under the
contract, to the competent party.
26) After becoming sober, an intoxicated person can ratify the contracts he or she entered into
while intoxicated.
27) Intoxicated persons are liable in quasi-contract to pay the reasonable value for necessaries
they receive.
28) Lenders can charge interests set higher than the state limit.
29) If the object of a contract becomes illegal after the contract is entered into, the parties are
discharged from the contract.
30) A person can sue for nonperformance even if it is an illegal contract.
31) Persons who entered into an illegal contract but withdraw before the illegal act was
performed can sue to recover consideration.
32) At common law, parties to an illegal contract were considered at equal fault.
33) Judges can define morality based on their individual views.
34) Unlicensed persons cannot recover payment for services where he or she does not have the
required license.
35) An exculpatory clause must be reciprocal to be considered enforceable.
36) An exculpatory clause that results from superior bargaining power is usually found to be
void.
37) An unconscionable contract can be enforced if the unconscionable clause is removed from it.
38) What is the significance of the age of majority in relation to legal contracts?
A) People below the age of majority can directly enter into lawful contracts.
B) Mentally incompetent persons need to achieve the age of majority in order to enter into a
legal contract.
C) It is the age above which people of capacity can enter into a legal contract.
D) Minors who have entered the age of majority require his or her parents or guardian’s consent
to enter into a legal contract with adults.
39) The ________ is a legal principle that allows minors to cancel most contracts they have
entered into with adults.
A) duty of restoration
B) duty of restitution
C) contract of adhesion
D) infancy doctrine
40) Which of the following is true for a minor under the infancy doctrine?
A) A minor is bound to the adult’s decisions in a contract between them.
B) A minor can disaffirm contracts he or she has entered into with adults.
C) A minor cannot enter into a legal contract with another minor.
D) A minor cannot choose to enforce a contract at his or her whim.
41) Which of the following is true about a minor’s right to disaffirm a contract?
A) A minor must reach the age of majority to disaffirm a contract.
B) Contracts that come under the necessaries of life can be disaffirmed by minors.
C) Minors are exempt from duty of restoration during the period of minority.
D) A minor can disaffirm a contract any time prior to reaching the age of majority.
42) ________ is the act of a minor to rescind a contract under the infancy doctrine, either orally,
in writing, or by the minor’s conduct.
A) Ratification
B) Disaffirmance
C) Sanction
D) Adherence
43) ________ is a rule that states that a minor is obligated only to return the goods or property he
or she has received from the adult in the condition it is in at the time of disaffirmance.
A) Duty of restoration
B) Duty of restitution
C) Infancy doctrine
D) Emancipation doctrine
44) ________ is a rule that states that if a minor has transferred money, property, or other
valuables to the competent party before disaffirming the contract, that party must place the minor
in status quo.
A) Emancipation doctrine
B) Infancy doctrine
C) Duty of restitution
D) Duty of restoration
45) 16-year-old Frank bought a video game console from John for $150. Frank is a minor, while
John is a competent adult. A month later, the console started malfunctioning on its own. Frank
returned the console to John. If Frank disaffirms his contract with John for buying the console,
which of the following will be considered true?
A) John is not bound by the contract any more as the exchange has been completed.
B) Frank can reclaim full refund of the amount he paid.
C) Frank can only ask for full refund once he has reached the age of majority.
D) Frank is legally obligated to fix the console before returning it to John.
46) ________ is the act of a minor after he or she has reached the age of majority, by which he or
she accepts a contract entered into when he or she was a minor.
A) Exculpation
B) Restitution
C) Ratification
D) Emancipation
47) If a minor ratifies a contract while still being a minor, ________.
A) the contract can still be disaffirmed by the minor
B) the minor is bound by the terms of the contract
C) the minor is exempt from the duty of restitution
D) the minor has to hold the adult in status quo in case of disaffirmance
48) If a minor entered into a contract, and then ratified the contract after reaching the age of
majority, which of the following is he or she exempt from?
A) duty of restoration
B) duty of restitution
C) necessaries of life
D) infancy doctrine
49) In order for a minor to be bound by a contract with an adult after he becomes an adult
himself, he must ________.
A) disaffirm the contract before reaching the age of majority
B) complete his or her contractual duties of restitution and restoration
C) ratify the contract after reaching the age of majority
D) place the adult in status quo till reaching the age of maturity
50) Which of the following is true about the ratification of a contract by a minor?
A) A minor can only ratify a contract after reaching the age of majority.
B) A minor cannot ratify a contract that falls under the necessaries of life doctrine.
C) A minor can ratify a contract during the period of minority if he or she so wishes.
D) A minor can ratify a contract under the guidance of a parent or legal guardian.
51) The act or process of a minor voluntarily leaving home and living apart from his or her
parents is referred to as ________.
A) restitution
B) emancipation
C) restoration
D) adhesion
52) The equitable doctrine of ________ obligates a minor to only pay reasonable value for goods
or services received.
A) emancipation
B) restraint of contract
C) contract of adhesion
D) quasi-contract
53) Which of the following is true of a minor’s duty towards a contract for necessaries of life?
A) Minors need to reach the age of majority to enter into contracts for necessaries of life.
B) Minors are exempt from paying for contracts of necessaries of life.
C) Minors must pay the reasonable value of necessaries of life for which they contract.
D) Parents are liable to provide necessaries of life to their minor children if they become
emancipated.
54) Which of the following would constitute legal insanity?
A) weakness of intellect
B) emotional problems
C) slight delusions
D) mental retardation
55) Which of the following is true of a contract with an adjudged insane person?
A) The adjudged insane person is bound by the terms of the contract.
B) The contract is void.
C) Only the competent party can enforce the contract.
D) The competent party is legally obligated to uphold the contract.
56) Which of the following is true of a contract where one of the parties is insane but not
adjudged insane?
A) The contract is voidable by the competent party.
B) The contract is only voidable by the insane person.
C) Only the court appointed legal guardian to the insane person can modify contracts.
D) The non-insane person must be placed in status quo if the insane person voids the contract.
57) A person who has alternative periods of sanity and insanity can enter into contracts
________.
A) when he or she is in a state of sanity
B) when there is a legal guardian appointed by the court for that person
C) once he or she has been adjudged to be insane
D) only once he or she has been adjudged to be legally insane
58) Which of the following groups is legally deprived from directly entering into contracts?
A) minors
B) persons adjudged insane
C) persons with alternating states of sanity and insanity
D) intoxicated persons
59) ________ set an upper limit on the interest rate that can be charged on certain types of loans.
A) Federal banking reforms
B) State usury laws
C) Congressional committees
D) Chambers of commerce
60) The state of Transas has set a maximum interest rate of 12 percent on loans. Matt borrows
$10,000 from Tony to pay off a gambling debt. Both are residents of Transas. They sign a
contract, which states that Matt would have to pay $1,500 as interest in one year to pay off the
loan. Later Matt finds out the state usury limit and sues Tony. What is the nature of the contract
between Matt and Tony?
A) It is illegal as it violates gambling statutes.
B) It is legal as both parties were competent when the contract was signed.
C) The contract is void as it violates usury laws.
D) The contract is void as it is a contract to commit a crime.
61) Which of the following is an example of a contract contrary to statutes by its very existence?
A) a usurious loan contract
B) a contract between two minors
C) a contract where one party is insane but not adjudged insane
D) a contract of adhesion
62) Which of the following is true of a contract, the object of which has become unlawful after
the creation of the contract?
A) The contract is still legal as the object was legal at the time of creating that contract.
B) The contract is illegal even if the parties don’t complete the contractual agreement.
C) The parties of the contract will be discharged from that contract.
D) Both parties are still obligated to complete their contractual agreements.
63) The term ________ refers to a doctrine that states that the courts will refuse to enforce or
rescind an illegal contract and will leave the parties where it finds them.
A) disaffirmance
B) exculpatory clause
C) emancipation
D) effect of illegality
64) What is the doctrine of in pari delicto with reference to contracts?
A) It is a situation in which both parties are equally at fault in an illegal contract.
B) It is a situation where one party has unknowingly signed a contract to commit crimes.
C) It gives minors the right to disaffirm a contract.
D) It is a special exemption right to circumvent usury laws.
65) In which of the following situations would the effect of illegality be an exception?
A) when both parties of an illegal contract execute their agreements
B) when both parties of an illegal contract are considered in pari delicto
C) when person is justifiably ignorant of the law or fact that made the contract illegal
D) when a person completes his act of an illegal contract but is not paid for his consideration.
66) ________ is a licensing statute with the primary purpose of increasing earnings for the
government.
A) Usury statute
B) Ratification statute
C) Regulatory licensing statute
D) Revenue raising statute
67) Damien, a first-year law student, offers his services to Mr. Jenkins to help draft his will. Mr.
Jenkins agrees to Damien’s offer, and promises to pay him $400 for his services. Damien
completes the draft of the will. But when Damien goes to collect his payment, Mr. Jenkins
refuses payment. Damien knew that he had no legal recourse to enforce the contract. What
statute had Damien violated in his contract with Mr. Jenkins?
A) revenue-raising statute
B) regulatory licensing statute
C) usury statute
D) ratification statute
68) According to the regulatory licensing statute, ________.
A) unlicensed persons can recover payment for services
B) only licensed persons can recover payment for services
C) persons breaching a revenue-raising statute cannot recover payment for services
D) all government-licensed persons have to pay an annual fee to renew their licenses
69) A(n) ________ is a contractual provision that relieves one or both of the parties to a contract
from tort liability.
A) contract of adhesion
B) exculpatory clause
C) duty of restitution
D) fundamental breach
70) Bobby voluntarily enrolls in a skydiving course at OpenSkies Pvt. Ltd., an adventure firm.
He signs a contract that relieves OpenSkies of liability. After receiving proper instruction, he
jumps from an airplane. Unfortunately, Bobby is injured when he could not steer his parachute
toward the target area while landing. He sues the parachute center for damages. But the court
found that the contract protected OpenSkies from damages, as Bobby had voluntarily joined the
course knowing all the risks involved. What kind of contractual provision protected OpenSkies
from having to pay Bobby damages?
A) noncompete clause
B) exculpatory clause
C) duty of restitution
D) disaffirmance
71) A ________ is a contract that provides that a seller of a business or an employee will not
engage in a similar business or occupation within a specified geographical area for a specified
time following the sale of the business or termination of employment.
A) quasi-contract
B) contract in restraint of trade
C) covenant not to compete
D) contract of adhesion
72) What kind of agreement exists between Darren and Glenda in this case?
A) contract in restraint of trade
B) covenant not to compete
C) unconscionable contract
D) quasi-contract
73) Which of the following aspects of the contract would the courts find reasonable?
A) the line of business protected
B) the geographic area protected
C) the duration of the restriction
D) the restriction of employment
74) A(n) ________ is a contract that courts refuse to enforce in part or at all because it is so
oppressive or manifestly unfair as to be unjust.
A) unconscionable contract
B) contract of adhesion
C) contract in restraint of trade
D) quasi-contract
75) How is the doctrine of unconscionability related to public policy?
A) The doctrine of unconscionability is derived from public policy.
B) All contracts contrary to public policy are considered unconscionable.
C) Both are used to save a contracting party from a bad bargain.
D) Both are very distinctly defined by law.
76) Preprinted forms whose terms the consumer cannot negotiate, and must sign in order to
obtain a product or service are referred to as ________.
A) contracts of adhesion
B) quasi-contracts
C) contracts in restraint of trade
D) voidable contracts
77) Which of the following elements has to be proved for a contract to be deemed
unconscionable?
A) that the weaker party did not enter the contract under duress
B) that the parties had equal bargaining power
C) that the dominant party justly used its bargaining power
D) that the adhering party had no reasonable alternative
78) Describe the infancy doctrine with reference to legal contracts.
79) What is the minor’s duty of restoration in a disaffirmed contract?
80) What is legal insanity?
81) What are gambling statutes?
82) What are licensing statutes?