28:
827:
According to note 4 under UCC 2–615, increased cost alone does not excuse performance unless the rise in cost is due to some unforeseen contingency which alters the nature of performance. It further explains that a change in market conditions resulting in a rise or drop in prices is not sufficient
759:
because it is triggered by the occurrence of a condition which prevents one party from fulfilling the contract. The major difference between the two doctrines is that while impossibility excuses performance where the contractual duty cannot physically be performed, the doctrine of impracticability
815:
deals with impracticability in the context of sales of goods, and introduces some additional constraints on the parties. A party whose ability to perform his obligations has only been partially affected must allocate production and delivery among his customers in a manner which is fair and
802:
does not explicitly define the scope of what is considered impracticable, as it is a fairly subjective and fact-intensive test for the courts. Generally, courts do not consider events such as an increase in price or costs beyond a normal range to allow for discharge of duties on grounds of
832:, crop failures, or a failure of a major source of supply that causes the market change or prevents a seller from obtaining supplies necessary for his performance would justify a claim of impracticability.
816:
reasonable, affording each of them with partial performance, and must notify all purchasers that there will be delay, partial delivery, or non-delivery. This is similar in some respects to the doctrine of
289:
881:
294:
760:
comes into play where performance is still physically possible, but would be extremely burdensome for the party whose performance is due. Thus, impossibility is an
785:
This difficulty was not anticipated by the parties to the contract (note: some jurisdictions require that there be no measure within the contract itself to
562:
667:
3 Historically restricted in common law jurisdictions but generally accepted elsewhere; availability varies between contemporary common law jurisdictions
508:
557:
828:
to claim impracticability because the parties assumed that risk when the contract was made. The comments indicate that contingencies such as war,
682:
249:
496:
752:
excuses performance of a duty, where the said duty has become unfeasibly difficult or expensive for the party who was to perform.
727:
771:
Typically, the test U.S. courts use for impracticability is as follows (with a few variations among different jurisdictions):
700:
799:
313:
277:
306:
848:
756:
572:
162:
905:
57:
720:
592:
318:
671:
567:
526:
438:
761:
374:
87:
812:
696:
547:
356:
206:
852:
272:
232:
157:
133:
115:
900:
713:
689:
552:
120:
580:
417:
267:
146:
52:
47:
803:
impracticability, as such events are normally foreseeable risks of fixed-price contracts.
505:(also implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing or duty to negotiate in good faith)
8:
336:
227:
92:
72:
699:, and Canadian jurisprudence in both Québec and the common law provinces pertaining to
622:
585:
427:
399:
365:
258:
243:
237:
211:
479:
468:
189:
138:
129:
110:
67:
502:
389:
384:
346:
341:
184:
817:
394:
124:
101:
640:
531:
462:
447:
195:
42:
894:
877:
842:
821:
431:
179:
152:
82:
174:
786:
765:
635:
630:
617:
408:
62:
473:
379:
284:
201:
745:
675:
658:
77:
782:
The occurrence must make performance extremely expensive or difficult
626:
301:
27:
749:
456:
351:
19:
829:
777:
the nonoccurrence of which was a basic assumption of the contract
422:
755:
Impracticability is similar in some respects to the doctrine of
612:
602:
692:
both in Québec and in the country's common law provinces
695:
7 Specific to civil law jurisdictions, the
American
509:Contract A and Contract B in Canadian contract law
892:
874:Transatlantic Financing Corp. v. United States
664:2 Specific to civil and mixed law jurisdictions
721:
775:There must be an occurrence of a condition,
793:
701:contractual and pre-contractual negotiation
806:
728:
714:
764:condition, whereas impracticability is a
893:
497:Duty of honest contractual performance
685:of International Commercial Contracts
768:condition for a court to determine.
674:and other civil codes based on the
13:
14:
917:
800:Restatement (Second) of Contracts
499:(or doctrine of abuse of rights)
314:Enforcement of foreign judgments
278:Hague Choice of Court Convention
26:
866:
307:Singapore Mediation Convention
1:
859:
681:5 Explicitly rejected by the
448:Quasi-contractual obligations
849:Impossibility of performance
7:
835:
10:
922:
319:Hague Judgments Convention
670:4 Specific to the German
794:Restatement of Contracts
375:Anticipatory repudiation
125:unequal bargaining power
855:, two related doctrines
813:Uniform Commercial Code
807:Uniform Commercial Code
697:Uniform Commercial Code
672:BĂĽrgerliches Gesetzbuch
357:Third-party beneficiary
329:Rights of third parties
207:Accord and satisfaction
853:frustration of purpose
428:Liquidated, stipulated
273:Forum selection clause
158:Frustration of purpose
811:Section 2-615 of the
690:Canadian contract law
58:Abstraction principle
789:between the parties)
519:Related areas of law
418:Specific performance
268:Choice of law clause
233:Contract of adhesion
147:Culpa in contrahendo
53:Meeting of the minds
48:Offer and acceptance
798:Section 261 of the
683:UNIDROIT Principles
457:Promissory estoppel
337:Privity of contract
290:New York Convention
250:UNIDROIT Principles
93:Collateral contract
88:Implication-in-fact
73:Invitation to treat
906:Equitable defenses
503:Duty of good faith
400:Fundamental breach
366:Breach of contract
295:UNCITRAL Model Law
259:Dispute resolution
244:Contra proferentem
238:Integration clause
212:Exculpatory clause
738:
737:
581:England and Wales
489:Duties of parties
480:Negotiorum gestio
469:Unjust enrichment
190:Statute of frauds
139:Unconscionability
111:Misrepresentation
68:Mirror image rule
913:
885:
870:
742:impracticability
740:The doctrine of
730:
723:
716:
558:China (mainland)
527:Conflict of laws
390:Efficient breach
385:Exclusion clause
185:Illusory promise
168:Impracticability
30:
16:
15:
921:
920:
916:
915:
914:
912:
911:
910:
891:
890:
889:
888:
871:
867:
862:
838:
818:general average
809:
796:
734:
705:
577:United Kingdom
540:By jurisdiction
12:
11:
5:
919:
909:
908:
903:
887:
886:
864:
863:
861:
858:
857:
856:
846:
837:
834:
808:
805:
795:
792:
791:
790:
783:
780:
736:
735:
733:
732:
725:
718:
710:
707:
706:
704:
703:
693:
688:6 Specific to
686:
679:
668:
665:
662:
657:1 Specific to
654:
651:
650:
646:
645:
644:
643:
638:
633:
620:
615:
607:
606:
598:
597:
596:
595:
590:
589:
588:
583:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
542:
541:
537:
536:
535:
534:
532:Commercial law
529:
521:
520:
516:
515:
514:
513:
512:
511:
500:
491:
490:
486:
485:
484:
483:
476:
471:
466:
463:Quantum meruit
459:
451:
450:
444:
443:
442:
441:
436:
435:
434:
420:
412:
411:
405:
404:
403:
402:
397:
392:
387:
382:
377:
369:
368:
362:
361:
360:
359:
354:
349:
344:
339:
331:
330:
326:
325:
324:
323:
322:
321:
311:
310:
309:
299:
298:
297:
292:
282:
281:
280:
270:
262:
261:
255:
254:
253:
252:
247:
240:
235:
230:
228:Parol evidence
222:
221:
220:Interpretation
217:
216:
215:
214:
209:
204:
199:
196:Non est factum
192:
187:
182:
177:
172:
171:
170:
165:
160:
150:
143:
142:
141:
127:
118:
113:
105:
104:
98:
97:
96:
95:
90:
85:
80:
75:
70:
65:
60:
55:
50:
45:
37:
36:
32:
31:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
918:
907:
904:
902:
899:
898:
896:
883:
879:
875:
869:
865:
854:
850:
847:
845:
844:
843:Force majeure
840:
839:
833:
831:
825:
823:
822:admiralty law
819:
814:
804:
801:
788:
787:allocate risk
784:
781:
778:
774:
773:
772:
769:
767:
763:
758:
757:impossibility
753:
751:
747:
743:
731:
726:
724:
719:
717:
712:
711:
709:
708:
702:
698:
694:
691:
687:
684:
680:
677:
673:
669:
666:
663:
661:jurisdictions
660:
656:
655:
653:
652:
648:
647:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
628:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
610:
609:
608:
604:
600:
599:
594:
593:United States
591:
587:
584:
582:
579:
578:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
545:
544:
543:
539:
538:
533:
530:
528:
525:
524:
523:
522:
518:
517:
510:
507:
506:
504:
501:
498:
495:
494:
493:
492:
488:
487:
482:
481:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
465:
464:
460:
458:
455:
454:
453:
452:
449:
446:
445:
440:
437:
433:
432:penal damages
429:
426:
425:
424:
423:Money damages
421:
419:
416:
415:
414:
413:
410:
407:
406:
401:
398:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
372:
371:
370:
367:
364:
363:
358:
355:
353:
350:
348:
345:
343:
340:
338:
335:
334:
333:
332:
328:
327:
320:
317:
316:
315:
312:
308:
305:
304:
303:
300:
296:
293:
291:
288:
287:
286:
283:
279:
276:
275:
274:
271:
269:
266:
265:
264:
263:
260:
257:
256:
251:
248:
246:
245:
241:
239:
236:
234:
231:
229:
226:
225:
224:
223:
219:
218:
213:
210:
208:
205:
203:
202:Unclean hands
200:
198:
197:
193:
191:
188:
186:
183:
181:
178:
176:
173:
169:
166:
164:
163:Impossibility
161:
159:
156:
155:
154:
153:Force majeure
151:
149:
148:
144:
140:
137:
136:
135:
134:public policy
131:
128:
126:
122:
119:
117:
114:
112:
109:
108:
107:
106:
103:
100:
99:
94:
91:
89:
86:
84:
83:Consideration
81:
79:
76:
74:
71:
69:
66:
64:
61:
59:
56:
54:
51:
49:
46:
44:
41:
40:
39:
38:
34:
33:
29:
25:
24:
21:
18:
17:
901:Contract law
878:363 F.2d 312
873:
868:
841:
826:
810:
797:
776:
770:
754:
741:
739:
636:Criminal law
618:Property law
573:Saudi Arabia
478:
461:
242:
194:
167:
145:
63:Posting rule
20:Contract law
474:Restitution
285:Arbitration
895:Categories
860:References
766:subjective
746:common law
676:pandectist
659:common law
439:Rescission
347:Delegation
342:Assignment
130:Illegality
78:Firm offer
882:D.C. Cir.
872:See e.g.
762:objective
750:contracts
678:tradition
548:Australia
395:Deviation
302:Mediation
35:Formation
884:, 1966)
836:See also
641:Evidence
613:Tort law
586:Scotland
409:Remedies
352:Novation
175:Hardship
102:Defences
43:Capacity
830:embargo
744:in the
631:estates
563:Ireland
180:Set-off
121:Threats
116:Mistake
629:, and
627:trusts
601:Other
553:Canada
649:Notes
623:Wills
605:areas
568:India
430:, or
380:Cover
851:and
132:and
123:and
876:,
820:in
748:of
603:law
897::
824:.
625:,
880:(
779:,
729:e
722:t
715:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
