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Contract law

Rejection

Rejection occurs when the offeree turns down the original offer. It can
be express or by way of a counter offer. A counter offer is a new offer
on different terms.

Illustration 4 – The offer

HYDE v WRENCH 1840

Facts:

Wrench offered to sell Hyde a farm for £1,000. Hyde made a counter offer by
offering £900

Wrench rejected this counter offer. Later, Hyde came back to Wrench and said
that he now accepted the offer at £1,000.

Held:

Hyde could no longer accept the original offer as it no longer existed and as
such was not capable of acceptance. Hyde’s statement that he would pay the
original £1,000 was a new offer, which Wrench did not accept.

A request for more information is not a rejection of the offer.

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