A ratified contract secures the buyer-seller relationship toward a permanent deal.
Whether you are saving up to buy a house, invest in real estate or start a small business, you require an initial contract that spells out all terms and conditions of an agreement. Even though the term ‘ratified contract’ is more obtainable in real estate, it finds significant relevance in modern digital business. This article aims to enlighten you about a ratified contract and everything you need to know about it.
What is a Ratified Contract?
A ratified contract is an agreement between parties under agreed terms and conditions awaiting signing as a final contract. In other words, it is an agreement that has been approved but not necessarily signed. Such occurrence happens when two parties enter into a negotiation but one of the parties lacks the authority to sign the contract. Therefore the contract requires the intervention of people occupying a higher cader of command for approval.
When and why do you need a ratified contract?
An understanding of negotiations and legal agreements enables you to accord the right amount of power to your external representatives. It will also help you avoid problematic situations and issues that arise due to want of legal understanding. Every buyer-seller transaction is a contract and may require further documentation and legal processes. Therefore, you can add online generated invoices or receipts to the transactional terms as a seller. Alternatively, when you need a loan or mortgage, your W-2 form also qualifies you to push through with the contract.
How to ratify a contract
Sometimes, some contracts do not offer enough assurance and coverage to guarantee business safety. Similarly, a signed contract is not always sufficient to be a binding agreement for a business owner or entrepreneur. For instance, if your employee signs a contract on your behalf, the other party may require you to ratify it. Ratifying the signed contract confirms that you accept the terms of the contract signed on your behalf. In addition, ratifying a contract enforces it regardless of any valid reasons you may have to void it. Fortunately, in all situations requiring you to ratify a contract, you have the right to refuse/opt-out and invalidate the contract. Here are the right steps to take toward ratifying a contract.
Step one
Study the agreement and ensure that you fully understand the terms and conditions. You must establish a full understanding of all clauses that constitute the entire document. The reason is that you cannot ratify a selected aspect of the agreement. As a result, full understanding and clarity are critical. However, if you come across something you do not understand, you can immediately call for voiding to invalidate it. You can also call for an amendment and recreation of the document to ensure your safety. It is regrettable to agree to something you do not understand.
Step Two
Make a direct declaration that fully expresses your approval of the agreement. A direct declaration requires a written expression or verbal declaration that you approve and wish to enforce the contract. If you miss providing an expression of approval but act by the contract statements, you remain bound by implication.
Step Three
You must progressively honor the terms of the ratified contract. Essentially once a contract is ratified, it becomes binding. Therefore you are liable for any breach of contract.
Is backing out of a ratified contract possible?
A ratified contract is legally binding on all participating parties. It is impossible to back out of a ratified contract unless the other parties agree to it. In which case, all participating parties in the contract would have dissolved it. For instance, in real estate, a contract remains binding even if all conditions for purchase are lifted. It means that although the purchase agreement may not have been signed, the ratified contract to purchase remains binding. So, backing out of such an agreement allows the other party to exercise legal actions for a breach of contract. Ratification secures commitment to an agreement by legally binding the parties to an agreement that could have otherwise been voided.
Final Thought
Getting into a ratified contract requires the utmost discretion, especially with voidable contacts. If you lack the requisite knowledge to interpret the terms of the contract, a lawyer can help. Hopefully, this article serves as an initial step towards understanding how legal actions in business and finance work.
FAQS: What is ratification and how does it affect a contract?
What is ratification and how does it affect a contract?
Ratification provides initial authentication of an agreement and prefers it for final legal binding. Ratifying an agreement binds the initial signatory as though they had been the one to authorize the action ab initio. Also, ratifying an action binds the ratifying party to the original contract date instead of the ratifying date.
What rules make ratification valid?
The first rule of ratification is personalization. You can only ratify that which is purported to have been done for you. It means that you cannot ratify an agreement for an activity that is done for another person.
Can a ratified contract still be voidable?
You require ratification for a contract when the parties involved want to carry out a voidable contract. For instance, a person without a driver’s license wanting to buy or drive a car is voidable. However, if the contract is ratified, the voidable contract still stands.
