Joe Was a Contractor and He Hired Subtrades to Help

question 74

Essay

Joe was a contractor and he hired subtrades to help build his houses.Sam was a framer and had agreed to frame four houses for Joe for a set price.Joe was to supply the materials.After two houses were completed,Joe's suppliers increased the cost of lumber,and Joe told Sam that he could no longer pay him the amount on which they'd agreed.Sam agreed to take 15% less for the other two jobs,which were then completed.During this time,regular payments were made from Joe to Sam,but the total amount received was 15% lower than the originally agreed-upon price for the last two jobs.Sam sued Joe for the original contract price,claiming that he'd received no consideration for his agreement to take less for the last two jobs.Explain what defences may be available to Joe under these circumstances and his likelihood of success.

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Definitions:

Normal Profits

The minimum level of profit needed for a company to remain competitive in the market; it occurs when economic profit is zero after accounting for all costs, including opportunity costs.

Purely Competitive

A market structure characterized by a large number of small firms, identical products, and free entry and exit from the market, leading to price-taking behavior.

Long Run

A period in which all factors of production and costs are variable, allowing complete adjustment to changes.

Accounting Profits

The financial gain calculated by subtracting total expenses from total revenues, according to standard accounting practices.