Book Opener

Exploring the ChapterEach chapter of Understanding Business and Personal Law provides anopening structure that is both visually appealing and easy to comprehend. Itprepares you for learning and sets the stage, both visually and textually, fornew concepts that will be covered in the chapter.The Chapter Opening PhotographThis photograph provides a visualstimulus, provoking thought and reflectionabout the events depicted andhow they relate to the chapter topic.The Opening SceneThe Opening Scene is a vignette that presents adynamic real-world situation that you may encounterin your own life. It introduces key legal and ethicalissues to be covered in the chapter and offers insightinto how law affects the real world in which you live.CHAPTERContractual CapacityUnderstanding Businessand Personal LawChapter Overview Visit the UnderstandingBusiness and Personal LawWeb site at ubpl.glencoe.com and clickon Chapter 7: Contractual Capacity—Chapter Overviews to preview thechapter information.Understanding Business and Personal Law OnlineThis feature directs you to the Chapter Overview thatis found on the Understanding Business and PersonalLaw Web site at ubpl.glencoe.com. You will find agreat deal of interesting and useful material on theWeb site, including new features, study resources,and enrichment activities.The Opening SceneIt’s Saturday morning, a few days after Jake boughthis “new” car. Alena, Viktor, Jake, and their collegefriend, Arkadi, are at the used car lot.A Minor’s Major ReturnALENA: You’ve dreamed up a crazy plan, Arkadi. Idon’t think this is going to work. The dealershipis not going to return Jake’s money. Maybe hedoesn’t even deserve to get it back. His decisionwas pretty stupid.JAKE: Thanks a lot, Alena. Why do you always haveto act like such a know-it-all?ARKADI: Trust me. When I was a kid like Jake, asimilar thing happened to me. We’ll get Jake’smoney.JAKE: Who are you calling a kid? I’m not inelementary school.ALENA: (Ignoring Jake.) But you were 14 when youbought that defective stereo system, Arkadi. Jakeis 16 right now.ARKADI: It doesn’t matter. Jake’s still a kid. (Turning toJake.) Are you ready? Do you have the paper wetalked about?JAKE: I’m prepared. Here it is. And stop calling me akid. I’m not a kid.(A salesperson in a cheap suit approaches the group.He grins broadly and greets the group with excessiveenthusiasm.)MR.BARENBLATT: Hello there, boys and girls.Barenblatt’s the name. Cars are my game. Wehave a lot of good deals today-–plenty of usedcars and trucks that are perfect for first-time buyers.How’d you like to take this little beauty for a spin?JAKE: I know who you are. You sold me a bogusvehicle the other day.(Mr. Barenblatt takes a closer look at Jake, recognizeshim, and smiles.)MR.BARENBLATT: Oh yeah. I thought that I knewyou from somewhere. I sell a lot of cars. Sometimesit’s hard to remember everyone. Hi there, kid.How’s your car running?JAKE: It’s not.MR.BARENBLATT: What are you trying to say? It’snot running?JAKE: No. It’s not my car anymore. Here you go–I guess you’ll want to read this.(Jake hands him the paper. Mr. Barenblatt reads itquickly.)MR.BARENBLATT: What is this, some kind of stupidjoke?ALENA: It’s no joke, friend. He’s a minor, and hewants out of the bogus deal that you forced himinto. Next time, you’ll think twice before you tryto hustle a minor.MR.BARENBLATT: You can’t do that! We had anagreement, and you can’t just change your mindand pull out of it now. You signed a contract!JAKE: (Smiling.) It makes no difference. After all, I’mjust a kid.1. When is a person considered a minor?2. Why does the law permit minors to void theircontracts?3. Are there any exceptions to the rule that saysthat minors can void their contracts?4. What individuals, besides minors, can void theircontracts?Chapter 7: Contractual Capacity 145What Are the Legal Issues?This feature expands upon the The OpeningScene by challenging you to criticallyexamine the legal issues that appear in thevignette. You are asked to hypothesize aboutthe answers to legal questions, stimulatingyour thought on the legal terms and conceptsthat are involved in the scene. This featurealso helps you to focus on the importanttopics that are discussed in the chapter.Exploring Your Book xv