Professional Documents
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The provisions of this Act are applicable to only sale of only those things which can be called goods.
Actionable claims and money are out of the ambit of this Act. Actionable claims are claims which can
be enforced by an action or suit for example debt. Provisions relating to sale of immovable property
and actionable goods are contained in Transfer of Property Act, 1882. Goods are main subject matter
of this Act.
This Act is applicable to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir
and came into force with effect from 1st July 1930.
Section 4 (1) defines ‘Contract of Sales’ as: ‘A contract of sale of goods is a contract whereby the seller
transfers or agrees to transfer the property in goods to the buyer for a price.’
From the above definition of the contract of sales given in section 4 of the Act, it emerges that the
expression “Contract of Sale” includes both a sale whereby the seller transfer the ownership of goods
to the buyer and an agreement to sell where the ownership of goods is transferred at a future time or
subject to some conditions to be fulfilled later on
(a) A contract of sale is made by an offer to buy or sell goods for a price and the acceptance of such
offer. The contract may provide for the immediate delivery of the goods or immediate payment of the
price or both, or for the delivery or payment by installments, or that the delivery or payment or both
shall be postponed.
(b) Subject to the provisions of any law for the time being in force, a contract of sale may be made in
writing or by word of mouth, or partly in writing and partly by word of mouth or may be implied from
the conduct of the parties.
BASIC CONCEPTS
Section 2 of the Act defines various terms used in the Act. Some of the important terms as defined in
the Act are given below:
(2) “delivery” means voluntary transfer of possession from one person to another;
(3) goods are said to be in a ‘deliverable state” when they are in such a state that the buyer would
under the contract be bound to take delivery thereof;
(4) “document of title to goods” includes a bill of lading, dock-warrants, warehouse keeper’s
certificate, wharfingers certificate, railway receipts, multimodal transport documents, warrants or
order for the delivery of goods and any other documents used in the ordinary course of business as
proof of the possession or control of goods, or authorsing or purporting to authorize, either by
endorsement or by delivery the possessor of the document to transfer or receive goods thereby
represented;
(6) “future goods means goods” to be manufactured or produced or acquired by the seller after
making the contract of sale;
(7) “goods” means every kind of movable property other than actionable claims and money and
includes stocks and shares, growing crops, grass and things attached to or forming part of the land
which are agreed to be severed before sale or under the contract of sale;
(8) a person is said to be “insolvent” who has ceased to pay his debts in the ordinary course; of
business or cannot pay his debts as they become due, whether he has committed any act of
insolvency or not;
(9) “mercantile agent” means a mercantile agent having in the customary course of business as such
agent authority either to sell goods or to consign goods for the purpose of sale or to buy goods or to
raise money on the security of goods;
(10) “Price” means the money consideration for a sale of goods;
(11) “Property” means the general property in goods and not merely a special property;
(12) “Quality of goods” includes their state or condition;
(13) “Seller” means a person who sells or agrees to sell goods;
(14) “Specified goods” means goods identified and agreed upon at the time of a contract of sale is
made; and
(15) Expression used but not defined in this Act and defined in the Indian Contract Act, 1872 have the
meanings assigned to them in that Act.
1. Two Parties:
2. Mutual Consent: Just the presence of two parties is not sufficient. The parties must agree on the
transfer of property.
3. Transfer of Property: What a contract of sale stipulates is the transfer of property i.e. the
ownership of the goods and not the possession of the goods.
4. Goods: Goods means every kind of movable property other than actionable claims and money. But
it includes stock and shares, growing crops, grass and things attached to or forming part of the land
which are agreed to be severed before sale or under the contract of sale. [Sec. 2(7)].
Since the price of the goods is expressed in terms of the money, money itself cannot be bought, and
hence, money is not considered as goods.
5. Price: Under a contract of sale, property in the goods is transferred to the buyer for a price. Price is
the money consideration for the goods.
6. Varied requirement as to delivery and payment: The contract may provide for the immediate
delivery of goods or immediate payment of the price or both.
7. Requires no formalities:
8. Absolute or Conditional: An absolute contract of sale is technically called a ‘sale’. Thus “where
under a contract of sale the property in the goods is transferred from the seller to the buyer, the
contract is called a sale.”[Sec. 4 (3)]. Thus a contract of sale is a generic term including ‘Sale’ as well
as ‘an agreement to sell’
5. Rights of seller Seller can sue the buyer for the price even Seller can use the buyer for damages
against the though the goods are in his possession even though the goods are in the
buyer’s breach possession of the buyer.
6. Rights of buyer Buyer can sue the seller for damages and can Buyer can sue the seller for damages
against the seller’s sue the third party who bought those goods only.
breach for goods
7. Effect of Buyer can claim the goods from the official Buyer cannot claim the goods even
insolvency of receiver or assignee. when he has paid the price The
seller having buyer who has paid the price can
possession of only claim ratable dividend.
goods
8. Effect of Seller must deliver the goods to the official Seller can refuse to deliver the goods
insolvency of the receiver or assignee He can only claim ratable unless he is paid full price of the
buyer before dividend for the unpaid price. goods.
paying the price
Sl
Sale Distinguished From Other Transactions
1. Sale, barter and exchange: If the goods are exchanged for goods only it is called ‘barter’ and not
sale. If money is exchanged for money (say $ 10 for Rs. 450) it is called ‘EXCHANGE’ only. But where
goods are exchanged for a money consideration, it is called a sale. If the consideration consists
partly of money and partly of goods, it would be a contract of sale.
2. ‘Hire purchase’ and ‘Agreement to sell’: In a contract of sale there is an agreement to buy, but in
‘hire purchase’, hirer has the option to buy the goods, if he pays all the installments. Hence, if he
does not exercise his option, the owner cannot sue for breach of contract but can take his goods
back. In an agreement to sell, if the buyer refuses to buy the goods the seller can sue him for breach
of contract.
3. Sale and contract for work and Labour: If the essence of the contract is the rendering of service and
exercise of skill, it is a contract of work and labour, though goods are also delivered under the
contract. But if the delivery of goods is the essence of the contract although some labour on the
part of the seller may be necessary, it would be a contract of sale.
Kinds of Goods
A. Existing goods: Existing goods are those which are owned or possessed by the seller at the time of
the contract of sale. Existing goods may be further classified into,
1. Specific goods: These are goods which are identified and agreed upon at the time of a contract of
sale is made. For example, a specified watch or scooter.
2. Ascertained goods: These are the goods which become ascertained subsequent to the formation of
a contract of sale.
3. Unascertained goods: These are the goods which are not identified and agreed upon at the time of
the contract of sale. They are defined only by description and may form part of a lot.
B. Future Goods: Future goods means goods to be manufactured or produced or acquired by the seller
after the making of the contract of sale.” [Sec.2(6)], Example: A agrees to sell to B the entire crop of
Onion, that his land would yield, at Rs.10,000 per ton. This is a contract for the sale of future goods
because goods are still to be produced.
C. Contingent goods: Contingent goods are those the acquisition of which by the seller depends upon a
contingency which may or may not happen [Sec. 6(2)]. Example: A agrees to sell the cow to B if A
inherits C’s property including the cow. C donates the entire property to a trust. The contract
becomes void.
Perishing of Goods
After a contract of sale is made the subject matter of the contract may be destroyed or it may be found
that the subject matter had already been destroyed before the date of making the contract, the effect
of the two cases would be different.
A. Goods perishing before the contract of sale (Sec.7) provides, “where there is a contract for the sale
of specific goods, the contract is void, if the goods without the knowledge of the seller have, at the
time when the contract was made, perished or become so damaged as no longer to answer to their
description in the contract.”
i. Perishing before sale but after an agreement to sell: “unless otherwise agreed, the goods remain at
the seller’s risk, until the property therein is transferred to the buyer…”
ii. Goods perishing after sale: In sale, goods are destroyed after sale. The loss arising from the
destruction or damage of the goods would be borne by the buyer.(Sec.26)
THE PRICE
A. Meaning: “Price means the money consideration for a sale of goods” [Sec.2(10)].
B. How to fix the price?
a. By the contract: The price is a contract of sale may be fixed by the contract between the parties
(Sec69).
b. In an agreement: The price may be left to be fixed in manner thereby agreed (sec.9). Whatever
manner of fixing the price has been agreed upon by the parties to the contract, that would be
recognized by law.
c. Valuation by third party: The price may be left to be fixed by a third party.
d. By the course of dealings: Where the price is neither expressed in the contract nor any manner of
fixing the price is agreed, the price would be determined by the course of dealings between the
parties.
e. Reasonable price: What is a reasonable price is question of fact depending on the circumstances of
each case. Generally the market price on the date of supply is taken to be a reasonable price.
C. Earnest or deposit: The money so paid is called earnest or deposit.
If buyers commit a breach of the contract and seller files a suit for damages, the amount of damages
shall be reduced by the amount of earnest money forfeited.
D. Taxes imposed after the contract of sale [sec.64 (A)]: Any tax, is imposed or increased after making
of the contract of sale of such goods, then the seller can recover the same from the buyer.
E. Payment of price a concurrent condition with that of delivery (sec.32): The seller shall be ready,
and willing to give possession of the goods to the buyer in exchange for the price, and the buyer
shall be ready and willing to pay the price in exchange for possession of the goods.”
(c) The rights of third parties may depend upon the passing of the property if the buyer resells the goods to a
third-party, the third-party will only obtain a good title if the property in the goods has passed to the buyer
before or at the time of the resale. Similarly, if the seller, in breach of his contract with the buyer, attempts to
sell the goods to a third party in the goods, has not passed to the buyer, e.g., where there is only an
agreement to sell.
(d) In case of insolvency of either the seller or the buyer, it is necessary to know whether the goods can be taken
over by the official assignee or the official receiver. It will depend upon whether the property in the goods
was with the party adjudged insolvent.
Thus in this context, ownership and possession are two distinct concepts and these two can at times remain
separately with two different persons.
In a sale of specific or ascertained goods, the property passes to the buyer as and when the parties intended to
pass. The intention must be gathered from the terms of the contract, the conduct of the parties, and the
circumstances of the case.
Unless a contrary intention appears, the following rules are applicable for ascertaining the intention of the
parties:
(a) Where there is an unconditional contract for the sale of specific goods in a deliverable state, the property
passes to the buyer when the contract is made. Deliverable state means such a state that the buyer would be
bound to take delivery of the goods. The fact that the time of delivery or the time of payment is postponed
does not prevent the property from passing at once. (Section 20)
(b) Where there is a contract for the sale of specific goods not in a deliverable state, i.e., the seller has to do
something to the goods to put them in a deliverable state, the property does not pass until the thing is done
and the buyer has notice of it. (Section 21)
A certain quantity of oil was brought. The oil was to be filled into casks by the seller and then taken away by
the buyer. Some casks were filled in the presence of buyer but, before the remained could be filled, a fire
broke out and the entire quantity of oil has destroyed, Held, the buyer must bear the loss of the oil which was
put into the casks (i.e., put in deliverable state) and. the seller must bear the loss of the remainder (Rugg v.
Minett (1809)).
(c) Where there is a sale of specific goods. in a deliverable state, but the seller is bound to weigh, measure, test or
do something with reference to the goods for the purpose of ascertaining the -price, the property to the
goods for the purpose of ascertaining the price, does not pass until that thing is done and the buyer has notice
of it. (Section 22)
(d) When goods are delivered to the buyer on approval or "on sale or return", the property therein passes to the
buyer:
(i) when he signified his approval or acceptance to the seller, or does any other act adopting the transaction;
(ii) if he retains the goods, without giving notice of rejection, beyond the time fixed for the return of goods, or if
no time is fixed, beyond a reasonable time.
(ii) when the seller sends the bill of exchange for the price of the goods to the buyer for this acceptance, together
with the bill of lading, the property in the goods does not pass to the buyer unless he accepts the bill of
exchange.
But the parties may agree that risk will pass at the time different from the time when ownership passed. For eg.
the seller may agree to be responsible for the goods even after the ownership is passed to the buyer or vice versa.
In Consolidated Coffee Ltd. v. Coffee Board, (19803 see 358), one of the terms adopted by coffee board for
auction of coffee was the property in the coffee, knocked down to a bidder would not pass until the payment of
price and in the meantime the goods would remain with the seller but at the risk of the buyer, In such cases, risk
and property passes on at different stages.
In Multanmal Champalal v. Shah & Co., AIR (1970) Mysore 106, goods were despatched by the seller from
Bombay to Bellary through a public carrier. According to the terms of the contract, the goods were to remain the
property of the seller till the price was paid though the risk was to pass to the buyer when they were delivered to
public carrier for despatch. When the goods were subsequently lost before the payment of the price (and the
consequent to the passing of the property to the buyer), the Court held that the loss was to be borne by the
buyer.
It was further held in the same case that the buyer was at fault in delaying delivery unreasonably and therefore
on that ground also he was liable for the loss, because such loss would not have arisen but for such delay.
Thus, where delivery has been delayed through the fault of either the buyer or the seller, the goods are at the risk
of the party at fault, as regards any loss which might not have occurred but for such fault.
Transfer of Title by Person not the Owner (Section 27-30)
The general rule is that only the owner of goods can sell the goods. Conversely, the sale of an article by a person
who is not or who has not the authority of the owner, gives no title to title buyer. The rule is expressed by the
maxim; "Nemo dot quod non habet" i.e. no one can pass a better title than what he himself has. As applied to the
sale of goods, the rule means that a seller of goods cannot give a better title ~o the buyer than he himself
possess. Thus, even bona fide buyer who buys stolen goods from a thief or from a transferee from such a thief
can get no valid title to them, since the thief has no title, nor could he give one to any transferee.
Example:
1. A, the hirer of goods under a hire purchase agreement, sells them to B, then B though, a bonafide purchaser,
does not acquire the property in the goods. At most he can acquire such an interest as the hirer had.
2. A finds a ring of B and sells it to a third person who purchases it for value and in good faith. The true owner, i.e.
B can recover from that person, for A having no title to the ring could pass none the better.
buyer who takes in good faith without notice of any lien or other claim of the original seller against the goods,
will give a good title to the buyer. In any of the above cases, if the transfer is by way of pledge or pawn only, it
will be valid as a pledge or pawn.
(f) Estoppel: If the true owner stands by and allows an innocent buyer to pay over money to a third-party, who
professes to have the right to sell an article, the true owner will be estopped from denying the third-party's
right to sell.
(g) Sale by an unpaid seller: Where an unpaid seller has exercised his right of
lien or stoppage in transit and is in possession of the goods, he may resell them and the second buyer will get
absolute right to the goods.
(h) Sale by person under other laws: A pawnee, on default of the pawnee to repay, has a right to sell the goods,
pawned and the buyer gets a good title to the goods. The finder of lost goods can also sell under certain
circumstances. The Official Assignee or Official Receiver, Liquidator, Officers of Court selling under a decree,
Executors, and Administrators, all these persons are not owners, but they can convey better title than they
have.
Right of withholding delivery: if the property in goods has not passed to the buyer, the unpaid seller in addition
to his other remedies has a right to withhold delivery of the goods.
(B) Rights against the buyer personally
1. Suit for price: where under a contract of sale the property in the goods has passed to the buyer and then the
buyer wrongfully neglects or refuses to pay for the goods as per the terms of the contract, the seller may sue
him for the price of the goods.
2. Suit for damages for non acceptance of delivery : where the buyer wrongfully neglects or refuses to accept
and pay for the goods, the seller may sue him for damages for non acceptance of delivery
3. Suit for damages for repudiation of the contract : where the buyer repudiates, i.e., to accept the contract
before the date of delivery, the seller may either treat the contract as subsisting (existing) and wait till the
date of delivery, or he may treat the contract as rescinded (cancelled) and sue for damages for the breach.
4. Suit for interest or special damages : the seller has a right to recover interest or special damages from the
defaulting buyer.