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    SmartBrief enables case brief popups that define Key Terms, Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises used in this case.

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    Contracts Keyed to Marshall

    View this case in different Casebooks
    Contracts Keyed to AyresContracts Keyed to CalamariContracts Keyed to FarnsworthContracts Keyed to KnappContracts Keyed to DawsonContracts Keyed to FrierContracts Keyed to KunzContracts Keyed to FullerContracts Keyed to BurtonContracts Keyed to WhaleyContracts Keyed to KuneyContracts Keyed to TemplinContracts Keyed to AyresContracts Keyed to Barnett

    Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Co.

    Citation:

    350 F.2d 445 (1965)
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    Facts

    Appellee, Walker-Thomas Furniture Company, operates a retail furniture store in the District of Columbia. During the period from 1957 to 1962 each appellant in these cases purchased a number of household items from Walker-Thomas. The terms of each purchase were contained in a printed form contract which set forth the value of the purchased item and purported to lease the item to appellant for a stipulated monthly rent payment. The contract then provided, in substance, that title would remain in Walker-Thomas until the total of all the monthly payments made equaled the stated value of the item, at which time appellants could take title. In the event of a default in the payment of any monthly installment, Walker-Thomas could repossess the item. The contract further provided that “the amount of each periodical installment payment to be made by purchaser to the Company under this present lease shall be inclusive of and not in addition to the amount of each installment payment to be made by purchaser under such prior leases, bills or accounts; and all payments now and hereafter made by purchaser shall be credited pro rata on all outstanding leases, bills and accounts due the Company by purchaser at the time each such payment is made.” On May 12, 1962, appellant Thorne purchased an item described as a Daveno, three tables, and two lamps, having total stated value of $391.10. Shortly thereafter, he defaulted on his monthly payments and appellee sought to replevy all the items purchased since the first transaction in 1958.  

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    Case Quiz

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    Q.1 - In Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Co., the court’s ruling on unconscionability suggests a reexamination of the traditional doctrine of contractual assent. How does this decision implicitly alter the classical contract theory’s view on voluntary agreement?
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    Incorrect. The ruling does not replace the objective theory of contracts with subjective intent but rather expands judicial review of unfair terms.
    Incorrect. The decision does not mandate strict enforcement of all contracts unless fraud is proven; it allows for intervention based on fairness.
    Correct! The decision implicitly rejects the classical contract theory’s assumption of equal bargaining power, recognizing that contractual assent can be influenced by economic coercion even in the absence of fraud or duress.
    Incorrect. The court does not merely modify terms—it permits the complete invalidation of unconscionable contracts.
    Q.2 - The reasoning in Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Co. significantly expands the judicial role in contract enforcement by incorporating public policy considerations. What is the most precise doctrinal shift introduced by the court’s approach?
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    Incorrect. The decision rejects the notion that fairness considerations are legally irrelevant unless explicitly addressed by statute.
    Correct! The ruling moves contract law beyond formalism, permitting courts to assess fairness, which aligns contract enforcement more closely with equitable principles rather than rigid common law doctrines.
    Incorrect. It does not create a rebuttable presumption of unconscionability; it instead establishes a case-by-case review process.
    Incorrect. The ruling is not merely clarifying existing standards—it expands judicial authority in contract enforcement.
    Q.3 - Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Co. subtly challenges the scope of judicial discretion in contract law. If unconscionability is applied too broadly, what unintended doctrinal consequence might arise?
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    Correct! A broad application of unconscionability could undermine contractual autonomy, allowing courts to strike down freely entered agreements based on fairness assessments rather than objective legal principles.
    Incorrect. The ruling does not impose a mandatory good-faith standard on all contracts—unconscionability is applied selectively.
    Incorrect. The decision does not abolish consumer installment contracts; it only limits exploitative agreements.
    Incorrect. Contract law remains distinct from price regulation, as courts do not establish market rates for fairness assessments.

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    Topic Resources

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    Melissa A. Hale

    ProfessorMelissa A. Hale

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    Defenses to Formation

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