Case Citation
Legal Case Name

SOUTHERN CONCRETE SERV., INC. v. MABLETON CONTRACTORS, INC. Case Brief

United States District Court, N. D. Georgia, Atlanta Division1975
407 F.Supp. 581

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: A buyer ordered far less concrete than the quantity specified in a contract. The court barred the buyer from introducing trade usage evidence to argue the quantity was merely an estimate, holding that such evidence would contradict the contract’s clear, express terms.

Legal Significance: This case limits the UCC’s parol evidence rule (UCC § 2-202), establishing that evidence of trade usage cannot be used to contradict or negate a specific and unambiguous quantity term in a written contract, thereby preserving the certainty of essential terms.

SOUTHERN CONCRETE SERV., INC. v. MABLETON CONTRACTORS, INC. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Plaintiff, Southern Concrete Services, Inc., and defendant, Mableton Contractors, Inc., entered into a written contract for the sale of concrete. The contract stipulated that the plaintiff would supply “approximately 70,000 cubic yards” of concrete at a price of $19.60 per cubic yard for a construction project. The contract also contained a merger clause stating, “No conditions which are not incorporated in this contract will be recognized.” During the contract period, the defendant ordered only 12,542 cubic yards, which was the total amount it required for the project. The plaintiff sued for lost profits resulting from the defendant’s failure to purchase the specified quantity. The defendant sought to introduce extrinsic evidence of trade usage and additional terms to show that it was customary in the concrete industry for quantity terms to be treated as non-binding estimates subject to renegotiation, rather than as mandatory purchase obligations. The plaintiff moved to exclude this evidence.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Under the Uniform Commercial Code’s parol evidence rule, may a party introduce evidence of trade usage or alleged additional terms to contradict a specific quantity term in a written contract that the parties intended to be a complete agreement?

No. The court held that the defendant’s proffered evidence of trade usage Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt

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Legal Issue

Under the Uniform Commercial Code’s parol evidence rule, may a party introduce evidence of trade usage or alleged additional terms to contradict a specific quantity term in a written contract that the parties intended to be a complete agreement?

Conclusion

This decision serves as a significant limitation on the use of extrinsic Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation

Legal Rule

Under UCC § 2-202, evidence of trade usage or consistent additional terms Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute ir

Legal Analysis

The court analyzed the admissibility of the defendant's evidence under UCC § Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, su

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Flash Summary

  • Under UCC § 2-202, evidence of trade usage is inadmissible if
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat

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