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Summary of Contents Table of Contents vii Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 1. The German Civil Code and the Development of Private Law 5 in Germany 2. Remedies for Non-Performance, Viewed against the Background 39 of the Principles of European Contract Law 3. The Development of Liability for Non-Conformity 79 in German Sales Law 4. The New German Law of Prescription and Chapter 14 122 of the Principles of European Contract Law 5. Consumer Contract Law and General Contract Law 159 Table of Contents Abbreviations xiii Introduction 5 1. The German Civil Code and the Development of Private Law in Germany 5 I. The codification movement in Europe 5 II. The German Civil Code as a late fruit of the codification movement 6 III. The programme of 'historical legal science' 8 IV. 'Historical legal science' and codification 10 V. Legal unity by way of legislation 11 VI. The BGB as a 'prison cell'? 14 VII. The reaction of the courts 17 VIII. Unity of the system of private law? 20 IX. The resilience of the BGB 22 X. The development of private law under the code 24 XI. Criticism of the BGB 27 XII. The modernization of the law of obligations 30 XIII. The Europeanization of private law 35 2. Remedies for Non-Performance, Viewed against the Background of the Principles of European Contract Law 39 I. The path to the new rules 39 1. The old law, Abschlussbericht and 'Discussion Draft' 39 2. From the 'Discussion Draft' to the new law 41 II. Specific performance and exclusion of the right to 43 specific performance 1. Impossibility of performance 43 2. 'Practical impossibility' and 'economic impossibility' 45 3. The problem of 'subjective impossibility' 47 4. 'Moral impossibility' 48 III. Damages 49 1. Conceptual foundations 49 2. Damages in lieu of performance 52 a) Impossibility of performance 52 b) Delay of performance and deficient performance 53 c) Infringement of ancillary duties which do not affect the 54 performance as such 3. Damages for delay of performance 56 a) mora debitoris 56 b) Excursus: other consequences of mora debitoris 57 4. 'Simple' damages 58 IV. Claim for the substitute in cases of impossibility 60 V. Expenses incurred in the expectation of receiving performance 61 VI. Initial impediments to performance 62 1. Validity of the contract 62 2. Essential elements of the liability regime 64 3. Initial impossibility and the rules on mistake 65 VII. Termination 66 1. Doctrinal and historical background to the new law 66 2. Automatic release of the creditor in cases of impossibility of performance on the part of the debtor 68 3. Requirements for, and mechanics of, termination 70 4. Comparison 72 VIII. Other remedies 75 IX. Concluding observations 76 3. The Development of Liability for Non-Conformity in 79 German Sales Law I. Introduction 79 1. The old approach 79 2. The Consumer Sales Directive 80 II. Liability for latent defects: The old BGB and its historical background 82 1. Roman law 82 2. Ius commune 83 3. The sale of unascertained goods 84 a) Roman law 84 b) Tensions 85 c) Controversy and compromise 87 III. Problem areas 89 1. Supplementary performance 90 2. Damages 92 3. Extinctive prescription 93 4. Other precarious borderlines 95 IV. Reform 96 1. Characteristic features 96 2. The basic structure 98 V. Supplementary performance 99 1. Repair or replacement 99 2. Details 101 3. Open questions 102 4. Second chance 104 VI. Secondary rights 106 VII. Termination 107 VIII. Damages 108 1. Damages in lieu of performance 109 a) The concept explained 109 b) When can they be claimed? 110 2. Simple damages 111 3. Damages for delay of performance 112 4. Appendix: claim for the substitute in cases of impossibility 113 IX. Reduction of the purchase price 113 X. Unsolved problems 116 XI. Conclusion 117 4. The New German Law of Prescription and Chapter 14 of 122 the Principles of European Contract Law I. Introduction 122 II. The development of the law of prescription 124 1. The reform process in Germany 124 2. The Uncitral Convention, the Principles of European Contract Law and the Unidroit Principles 126 3. A common framework 128 III. Subjective or objective system 129 IV. The thirty-year prescription period 131 V. Liability for non-conformity: the law of sale 133 1. The law of sale 133 2. Contracts for work 136 VI. Commencement of prescription 138 1. Implementing the subjective system 138 2. Reasonable discoverability; obligations to refrain from doing something 140 3. Due date 141 4. Other peculiarities of the German regulation 142 VII. Renewal of the period of prescription 143 VIII. Suspension and postponement of expiry 144 1. Judicial and other proceedings 144 2. Impediment beyond the creditor's control 145 3. Negotiations 146 4. Close personal ties and incapacity 147 5. Sexual abuse 150 6. Deceased's estate; right to refuse performance 152 IX. Effects of prescription 153 X. Modification by agreement 154 XI. Another reform 155 XII. Conclusion 157 5. Consumer Contract Law and General Contract Law 159 I. Introduction 159 II. Freedom, equality and social responsibility at the time of the original BGB 160 1. Protecting the Weaker Party 160 2. Economic background 162 3. The drops of social oil 163 4. The Act concerning Instalment Sales 165 5. Early 'doorstep' legislation 167 6. Industrial workers, domestic servants, railway engines 168 7. Usury 169 III. The rise of modern consumer legislation 171 1. The first period: until the end of the 1970's 171 a) Origins 171 b) Instalment sales, distance teaching, package travel 172 c) Standard terms of business 173 aa) A 'Page of glory' in the history of private law adjudication 173 bb) Consumer protection? 175 d) Which 'model of society'? 177 2. The European Community takes over 178 a) A promising field of activity 178 b) The beginning: doorstep selling, product liability, consumer credits 179 c) Changing gear: the development up to the Consumer Sales Directive 182 aa) Package travel and unfair terms in consumer contracts 182 bb) Time share agreements and cross border credit transfers 183 cc) Distance contracts 184 dd) Late payments, electronic signatures, e-commerce 185 ee) Consumer sales 186 IV. Incorporation: the law as it stands today 187 1. Definitions, unsolicited performances,standard terms of business 187 2. Particular forms of marketing 189 3. Right of revocation (general rules) 189 4. Sale of consumer goods 191 5. Credit transactions 192 6. Package travel 194 V. General comments 194 1. Consumer contract law and the EC 194 2. Being caught by surprise 196 3. A newly gained transparency of the law? 197 4. The new provisions and the system of the BGB 198 5. 'Throw-away' legislation 200 6. Excessive implementation 203 VI. The decision to incorporate: an evaluation 205 1. General background 205 a) Freedom of contract and self-determination 205 b) A combination of criteria 207 c) Close family members of the main debtor as securities 207 d) Excessive interest rates 209 e) Consumer protection 210 2. The main devices for protecting consumers 210 a) Duties of information 211 b) Right of revocation 213 aa) 'Being caught off-guard' 213 bb) Other policy considerations 215 cc) Time-share agreements 216 dd) Instalment supply contracts, distance contracts, distance teaching contracts 217 c) Unilaterally mandatory rules of law 218 aa) Specific protective rules 218 bb) Policing types of contract 219 d) The concept of 'consumer' 222 3. Possible objections 224 4. Building site or museum? 226
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication:
Contracts -- Germany.
Obligations (Law) -- Germany.
Sales -- Germany.
Performance (Law) -- Germany.