This section is from the book "The Law Of Contracts", by Samuel Williston. Also available from Amazon: Treatise on the Law of Contracts.
Necessity of acceptance.............................................. | 64 |
Difference between acceptance in unilateral and bilateral contracts........ | 05 |
Intention to accept is unimportant except as expressed...................................................... | 66 |
An intention not to accept may prevent the formation of a contract, where words or acta are ambiguous....................................... | 67 |
Acceptance of unilateral contracts where the offeror is the promisor, needs no communication.................................................................................................................. | 68 |
Communication may be necessary to acceptance of unilateral contracts when the act requested is peculiarly within the knowledge of the promisee; guaranties..,................................................... | 69 |
True reason for requiring notice of acceptance of guaranty............... | 69a |
Notice of allotment of shares.......................................................................................... | 69b |
Acceptance in bilateral contracts requires communication................................................ | 70 |
Acceptance in unilateral contracts where the offeree is the promisor, requires communication............................................. | 71 |
Acceptance must be unequivocal...................................... | 72 |
Acceptance must comply with the terms of the offer..................... | 73 |
Illustrastions in cases of offered rewards.......................................................................... | 74 |
Illustrations in other cases than offers of reward........................ | 75 |
If an offer prescribes the place, time, or manner of acceptance, its terms must be complied with................................................. | 78 |
Qualified or conditional acceptances are counter-offers and reject the original offer................................................................................................................................... | 77 |
Conditions in an acceptance which do not qualify in legal effect the offer, do not impair the acceptance............................................................................................... | 78 |
Added terms requested as a favor do not invalidate an acceptance........ | 79 |
An offer can be accepted only by the person or persons to whom it is made................. | 60 |
Acceptance in contracts by correspondence may be completed by mailing an acceptance....................................................... | 81 |
Acceptance in contracts by telegraph or telephone may be complete by dispatching a message.................... | 82 |
The use of the mail or telegraph must have been authorized in order that a contract should be completed by sending an acceptance................... | 83 |
An acceptance must be properly stamped and addressed........................................ | 84 |
When an scceptance ismailed........................... | 85 |
It is not important that the acceptor has the power to withdraw his acceptance from the mail................... | 86 |
An acceptance inadequate when mailed may become valid when received... | 87 |
The offeror may impose as a condition of his offer that the acceptance be received.......................... | 88 |
When a letter of acceptance or of revocation is received within the meaning of the law.......... ............................................. | 89 |
Implication of assent and counter promise.................................................................. | 90 |
Acceptance of a document implies assent to its terms.................... | 90a |
Acceptance of telegraph blank, bill of lading, ticket or warehouse receipt.................... | 90b |
Qualification of principles of the preceding section....................... | 90c |
Printed notices on letters, heads, catalogues or tags..................................................... | 90d |
Notices on merchandise............................................................................................... | 90e |
When silence and inaction may amount to assent........................................................ | 91 |
Silent inaction with intent to accept................................... | 91a |
Waiver of defect in acceptance.................................................................................... | 92 |
Late acceptance.................................................... | 93 |
Effect of misunderstanding of offer and acceptance..................................................... | 94 |
When mistake will prevent the formastion of a contract.............................................. | 95 |
A writing signed without negligence in ignorance of its nature is void......... | 95a |
Time of formation of contract......................................................................................... | 96 |
Place of contract............................................................................................................ | 97 |
Estoppel to deny the elements of a contract.................................................................. | 98 |
Acceptance of an offer is necessary to create a simple contract, since it takes two to make a bargain. An offer to contract is a proposal to exchange a promise or an act for a specified promise or act of another, and obviously requires the latter's assent in order that the transaction shall be complete. Moreover, the so-called acceptance of the offeree is frequently more than an acceptance, it is also a giving of the consideration' requested by the offer by the same words or acts which indicate assent.
 
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