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Printed form contracts are used widely by a variety of sellers. You have signed form contracts if you have purchased a house, a car, a health club membership or made any number of other purchases. Form contracts are popular with sellers. They allow a seller to control the terms of a transaction with relative ease. As you might suspect, form contracts give the seller an advantage on most terms of the agreement that might otherwise be subject to negotiations between buyer and seller. Most standard-form contracts contain blanks that are filled in to complete the specific terms and conditions of a particular transaction. Because the process of completing those forms is often rushed, the potential for later problems is great. Buyers should not be reluctant to add or delete provisions in a printed form contract. Never rely on verbal assurances that are inconsistent with or absent from a contract. Pen-and-ink alterations can be made to any written agreement. When this is done, buyer and seller should initial each handwritten change. If the purchase is a significant one, it would be wise to have the contract reviewed by a lawyer before signing. On many sales contracts, this service generally can be provided by a lawyer during a single consultation. Consultation fees vary among lawyers, so do some price shopping before selecting one. Rely on this simple advice when you encounter a written or printed contract:
Even proper planning and attention to detail cannot guarantee a transaction free of problems. It will, however, go a long way toward minimizing the likelihood of problems. |