{"id":26899,"date":"2022-09-05T03:28:18","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T03:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-legal\/amjur\/contracts-sect-216.html"},"modified":"2022-08-25T11:47:50","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T11:47:50","slug":"contracts-sect-216","status":"publish","type":"amjur","link":"https:\/\/reference.findlaw.com\/amjur\/contracts-sect-216.html","title":{"rendered":"Am Jur 2d – Contracts \u00a7 216"},"content":{"rendered":"
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III. Legality of Contracts, A. In General, \u00a7 216 – Legality of contracts, generally<\/h2>\n

In general, parties are free to contract as they see fit,[1<\/a>] on any terms regarding a subject matter in which they have an interest,[2<\/a>] provided that the contract does not impose obligations that are contrary to statute,[3<\/a>] public policy,[4<\/a>] or an established rule of the common law.[5<\/a>] Thus, the law recognizes and protects a broad freedom of contract[6<\/a>] and competent persons ordinarily have the utmost liberty of contracting,[7<\/a>] and may incorporate in their agreements any provisions that are not illegal or violative of public policy.[8<\/a>]<\/p>\n

The law looks with favor upon the making of contracts between competent parties upon valid consideration and for lawful purposes,[9<\/a>] and courts generally enforce private agreements between parties.[10<\/a>] In fact, out of respect for the freedom to contract, courts are hesitant to interfere with purely private agreements.[11<\/a>] Courts may not declare illegal a type of contract specifically authorized by the legislature.[12<\/a>] Indeed, given the strong commitment to the principle of contractual freedom, courts should hesitate to infer from a statutory clause granting specific permission to contract under certain circumstances a general prohibition against contracting under other circumstances.[13<\/a>]<\/p>\n

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Observation:<\/div>\n

A lawful cause[14<\/a>] or object[15<\/a>] is necessary to the existence of a contract.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All case links go to Westlaw and require login.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

1<\/a> \u00a0 Mendez, Jr. v. Hampton Court Nursing Center, LLC, 140 So. 3d 671 (Fla. 3d DCA 2014)<\/a> <\/span>, review granted, 168 So. 3d 227 (Fla. 2014)<\/a> <\/span>; Corwin v. DaimlerChrysler Ins. Co., 296 Mich. App. 242, 819 N.W.2d 68 (2012)<\/a> <\/span>; Zachry Const. Corp. v. Port of Houston Authority of Harris County, 449 S.W.3d 98 (Tex. 2014)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

2<\/a> \u00a0 Grand Master Contracting, L.L.C. v. Lincoln Apartment Management Ltd. Partnership, 314 Ga. App. 449, 724 S.E.2d 456 (2012)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

3<\/a> \u00a0 Pest Management, Inc. v. Langer, 369 Ark. 52, 250 S.W.3d 550 (2007)<\/a> <\/span>; Sylva Shops Ltd. Partnership v. Hibbard, 175 N.C. App. 423, 623 S.E.2d 785 (2006)<\/a> <\/span>; Teodecki v. Litchfield Twp., 2015-Ohio-2309, 38 N.E.3d 355<\/a> <\/span> (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. Medina County 2015).
<\/span><\/p>\n

4<\/a> \u00a0 City of New Albany v. Cotner, 919 N.E.2d 125 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009)<\/a> <\/span>; In re Marriage of Traster, 301 Kan. 88, 339 P.3d 778 (2014)<\/a> <\/span>; CAS Severn, Inc. v. Awalt, 213 Md. App. 683, 75 A.3d 382 (2013)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

5<\/a> \u00a0 Wm. Lindeke Land Co. v. Kalman, 190 Minn. 601, 252 N.W. 650, 93 A.L.R. 1393 (1934)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span> \u00a0As to contracts in violation of constitutions, statutes, regulations, or ordinances, generally, see \u00a7\u00a7 223<\/a> <\/span> to 230<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

6<\/a> \u00a0 Nafta Traders, Inc. v. Quinn, 339 S.W.3d 84 (Tex. 2011)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

7<\/a> \u00a0 Rodriguez v. Builders Firstsource-Florida, LLC, 26 So. 3d 679 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010)<\/a> <\/span>; Guideone Ins. Co. v. U.S. Water Systems Inc., 950 N.E.2d 1236, 74 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d 806 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011)<\/a> <\/span>; In re Marriage of Matar and Harake, 353 Or. 446, 300 P.3d 144 (2013)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

8<\/a> \u00a0 Ard Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. v. Dr. Pepper Co., 202 F.2d 372 (5th Cir. 1953)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

9<\/a> \u00a0 Shuttleworth, Ruloff and Giordano, P.C. v. Nutter, 254 Va. 494, 493 S.E.2d 364 (1997)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

10<\/a> \u00a0 Rollyson v. Jordan, 205 W. Va. 368, 518 S.E.2d 372 (1999)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

11<\/a> \u00a0 Stelluti v. Casapenn Enterprises, LLC, 203 N.J. 286, 1 A.3d 678, 61 A.L.R.6th 659 (2010)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

12<\/a> \u00a0 Rishel v. Pacific Mut. Life Ins. Co. of Cal., 78 F.2d 881, 131 A.L.R. 414 (C.C.A. 10th Cir. 1935)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

13<\/a> \u00a0 Churchill Forge, Inc. v. Brown, 61 S.W.3d 368 (Tex. 2001)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

14<\/a> \u00a0 State v. Louis, 645 So. 2d 1144 (La. 1994)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

15<\/a> \u00a0 City of Cut Bank v. Glacier County, 270 Mont. 355, 891 P.2d 1174 (1995)<\/a> <\/span>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Read this complete Am Jur 2d section on Westlaw<\/a><\/b><\/div>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false},"class_list":["post-26899","amjur","type-amjur","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reference.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amjur\/26899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reference.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amjur"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reference.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/amjur"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reference.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}