Can a court make a contract for the parties if they have not agreed upon its material terms?

Ontario, Canada


The following excerpt is from Hornstein v. Kats et al., 2020 ONSC 870 (CanLII):

The court cannot make a contract for the parties if they have not agreed upon its material terms: Picavet v. Clute, 2012 ONSC 2221, at para 13. Where an oral contract is disputed, the trier of fact must determine whether the objective reasonable bystander would conclude, in light of all the material facts, that the parties intended to contract and that the essential terms of the contract can be determined with a reasonable degree of certainty: at para. 10. In this case, I conclude that they cannot.

Other Questions


What are the factors used to determine whether a party who has not made full disclosure under a contract signed a contract with another party would have signed the contract even if the disclosure had not been made? (Ontario, Canada)
What is the test for a party to a contract where the contract is not binding and the terms of the contract are not binding? (Ontario, Canada)
If the parties cannot agree on the issue of costs in a personal injury action, can the parties make written submissions to the Respondent to the Application to the Court of Appeal? (Ontario, Canada)
Is a party bound to the terms of a contract even if they have not read or understood the contract? (Ontario, Canada)
What is the test for interpretation of a commercial contract where the contract states that the contract is not a "contract with respect to the context or factual matrix"? (Ontario, Canada)
Can a principal be held liable for breach of contract if a third party agrees to contract without consulting the principal? (Ontario, Canada)
How has the court interpreted the terms of an employee’s contract of employment and what is the effect of the changes in terms of their duties? (Ontario, Canada)
How have courts in B.C. dealt with the issue of long term fixed-term employment contracts? (Ontario, Canada)
What are the material terms of a contract? (Ontario, Canada)
How have courts dealt with a breach of a contract of suretyship under seal where a principal has been found to have breached the contract? (Ontario, Canada)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.