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Parol Evidence Rule for Dummies

noun


What does Parol Evidence Rule really mean?

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Hey there! So, you're wondering what this "Parol Evidence Rule" is all about, right? Well, let me explain it to you in the easiest way possible!

Imagine you're making a delicious cake, and you follow a recipe to do it. But then, someone tries to add a new ingredient that's not in the recipe. What would you do?

Well, the Parol Evidence Rule is kinda like that in the world of law. It's a rule that says if you have a written contract or agreement, you can't use any outside evidence to change or add new things to it. Just like you can't add extra ingredients to your cake without changing the recipe!

So, let's break it down a bit more. Say you and your friend make a deal to trade your action figures. You write down all the details of the trade on a piece of paper and both sign it. That paper is your written agreement or contract. According to the Parol Evidence Rule, you can't later say, "Oh, but my friend promised to give me a bonus toy as well!" Nope! That extra promise isn't part of the written agreement, so it doesn't count. The rule helps keep things fair and clear.

Now, there's another definition of the Parol Evidence Rule, are you ready for it? It's like having a secret decoder ring! Let me explain it further.

When you have a written contract or agreement, it's meant to be the final and complete version of what both parties agreed to. The Parol Evidence Rule says that you can't use any previous negotiations, discussions, or oral (spoken) statements made before or during the agreement to change or add new things to it. It's like saying, "Hey, the secret code that unlocks the treasure chest is only the code we agreed upon, not any other secret codes that were talked about!"

So, imagine you and your friend were discussing the details of the action figure trade before writing down the final agreement. Maybe you said, "I want five action figures in exchange for this one rare toy!" But eventually, you both agreed to trade three action figures. According to the Parol Evidence Rule, your initial request doesn't matter anymore because you both agreed on the final terms. The rule helps prevent confusion and ensures that everyone sticks to what was officially written down.

So, there you have it! The Parol Evidence Rule is all about sticking to the written contract or agreement without adding any outside evidence or altering what was agreed upon. It's like following a recipe without adding extra ingredients or using a secret decoder ring with only the agreed-upon code. Simple, right? If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!


Revised and Fact checked by Jane Smith on 2023-10-29 20:07:35

Parol Evidence Rule In a sentece

Learn how to use Parol Evidence Rule inside a sentece

  • When Alyssa bought a new phone, the salesperson promised it would be waterproof. However, when the phone got wet and stopped working, the parol evidence rule stated that Alyssa couldn't use any other evidence except the written contract to prove the salesperson's promise.
  • Jake signed a lease for an apartment that mentioned utilities were included. Later, when he received a bill for utility charges, the parol evidence rule prevented him from using any other oral agreements he had with the landlord to avoid paying the extra charges.
  • During a job interview, Sara was promised a sign-on bonus by the hiring manager. However, when she didn't receive the bonus as agreed, the parol evidence rule prevented her from using any statements made during the interview to enforce the promise.
  • Mark purchased a used car from a dealer who assured him that it had no previous accidents. Later, Mark discovered that the car had been in a major accident before. Unfortunately, the parol evidence rule prevented him from using the dealer's verbal statement to seek compensation.
  • Alex agreed to sell his vintage comic book collection to Emily for a certain price. However, on the day of the sale, Alex claimed that there was a mistake in the price and demanded more money. The parol evidence rule ensured that Emily didn't have to pay more than the originally agreed-upon price because no changes were presented in writing.

Parol Evidence Rule Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.