Предложение о сотрудничестве

Уважаемые господа!

Пользуемся возможностью представить Вам нашу компанию, как одну из крупнейших производителей моторов.

Наши моторы производятся по высоким стандартам и, отличаясь высоким качеством, продаются по всему миру. Мы поставляем наши моторы заказчикам из разных отраслей промышленности и сельского хозяйства и все они, как правило, довольны внешним видом и рабочими характеристиками продукции.

К этому письму мы прилагаем брошюры, которые демонстрируют и описывают преимущества наших моторов, а также запчастей к ним.

Мы также прилагаем перечень цен на текущий момент, который уже рассмотрен и согласован с нашим руководством.

Мы приветствуем Ваши запросы и обещаем, что им будет уделено должное внимание.

Если у Вас возникнут какие-нибудь вопросы или Вам потребуется какая-нибудь дополнительная информация, пожалуйста, свяжитесь с нами незамедлительно.

Мы слышали много лестного о Вашей фирме, как о надежном во всех отношениях партнере, и надеемся на плодотворное сотрудничество с Вами.

Искренне Ваш,

Иван Никифоров

Генеральный директор «Росимпорт»

3. Contract

1. Examine the following words and word combinations. Take them into consideration, reading the text below.

Sue	преследовать судом, просить
agreement	договор, соглашение; (взаимное) согласие
Bind	обязывать; связывать обязательством
expressly	словесно, в прямой форме
impliedly	как подразумевается
omit to do	не сделать
give rise	вызывать, приводить к возникновению
party to the contract	договаривающаяся сторона, контрагент
enforceable	обеспеченный правовой санкцией; имеющий исковую силу
reach an agreement	договориться, прийти к соглашению
Offer	оферта (предложение одного лица другому, сообщающее о желании заключить с ним договор)
offerer	оферент; лицо, делающее предложение
offeree	лицо, которому делается предложение; адресат оферты
acceptance	одобрение, признание (стадия торгового договора: ответ лица, которому адресована оферта о ее принятии)
revoke	отменять; аннулировать; отзывать
duress	Принуждение
Undue	Неправомерный
promisor	лицо, дающее обещание; должник по договору
promisee	лицо, которому дают обещание; кредитор по договору
in exchange for	в обмен на
quid pro quo	лат. услуга за услугу
Minor	Несовершеннолетний
Void	Недействительный
voidable	могущий быть аннулированным, оспоримый
in contemplation of law	в юридическом отношении

Contract Law

If I offer to sell you my bike for $35 and later change my mind, can you force me to sell the bike, saying we had a contract? If I lose $120 to you in a poker game, can you sue in court to get your money? If I agree to sing at your wedding for free and back out in last minute, can you claim we had a contract? These are the kinds of questions that contract law answers.

The general term “contract” comprises every agreement or obligation, whereby one party binds himself, or becomes bound, expressly or impliedly, to another, to pay a sum of money, or to do or omit to do any particular act. A contract gives rise to certain rights and obligations between the parties to the contract.

Contract law specifies what a legally enforceable agreement is. Basically, a contract is legally binding if the following conditions are met:

1. An offer is made. To reach an agreement one party (called the offerer) makes an offer to another party (offeree) to enter into a legal agreement. If the offeree assents to the terms of the offer, an acceptance occurs and a contract comes into existence. One may revoke a simple offer (oral or written) at any time before it is accepted.

If I agree to sell you my bike for $35, I have made an offer.

2. There must be voluntary acceptance of the offer. If I use “duress or undue influence” to get you to agree to buy my bike, the contract would not be legal. The principle of mutual acceptance means that both parties to a contract must agree on the terms. A promise creates for the promisor a future obligation, for the promisee it creates an expectation that the promise will be fulfilled. You couldn’t use duress to get me to sell, either. Even if we both agree, though, the contract is not legally binding without the following.

3. Both parties must give consideration. Consideration is something of value that is given in exchange for a promise. It is based on the idea of quid pro quo (“something for something”). If I agree to sell you my bike for $35 and you give me $5 to hold it until you earn the rest, the $5 is consideration, and we have a legally binding contract. If I agree to sing at your wedding and you do not give me anything in return, we have no contract.

4. Capacity of the Parties. Both parties must be competent. A drunk, drug addict, or an insane person (one who has been legally declared incompetent), for example, cannot be held to a contract. In many cases, a minor may not be held to a contract, either. For example, if 15-year-old agrees to pay $10,000 for a car, the seller may not be able to enforce the contract.

5. Legality of Subject Matter. If the subject matter of an agreement is not legal, the agreement is not enforceable in a court of law. In this respect, we do not use the expression “void” or “voidable”; the illegal agreement simply has no existence in contemplation of law. Gambling losses are not legally collectible. The sale of illegal drugs is another example of an unenforceable contract.

6. The contract must be in proper form. Contracts that cannot be fulfilled within one year must be put in writing. Contracts regarding real property (land and everything attached to it) must be in writing.

2. Prepare a list of five-seven questions of your own to ask about the text above. Be ready to interview the students in your group.

3. Find in the text the definitions to the following words:

a) a contract

b) contract law

c) an offer

d) consideration

4. Look through the text again and give Russian equivalents to the following English ones.

1) to sue in court

2) to claim

3) a legally enforceable agreement

4) a contract is legally binding

5) voluntary acceptance of the offer

6) mutual acceptance

7) to be competent

8) an insane person

9) gambling losses

10) an unenforceable contract

5. Read the text again and answer the following questions.

1. Do you know anything about Contract Law?

2. What does it specify?

3. What does a contract mean?

4. What are the conditions for making a contract legally binding?

5. What does a principle of mutual acceptance mean?

6. The contract would be legal if I use “duress or undue influence” to get you agree on the terms, wouldn’t it?

7. What does a consideration mean?

8. Why must both parties give consideration?

9. What person can be legally declared incompetent to enforce the contract?

10. What losses are not legally collectable?

11. What are the necessary requirements for the contract form?

12. What types of contract do you know?