MBE Rules · Contracts
Statute of Frauds — land sale
The rule
A contract for the sale or lease of an interest in land (lease > 1 year) must be in a writing signed by the party to be charged. The writing must identify the parties, describe the land, state the price, and indicate that a contract was made.
In plain English
If you're buying or leasing land for more than a year, the deal must be written down and signed to be legally binding.
Worked example
The buyer agrees verbally to buy a plot from the seller. Later, the seller changes their mind. Since they never signed a written contract, the buyer can't enforce the sale in court.
Memory hook
Land needs ink: No writing, no deal. Land contracts need a written, signed agreement to be enforceable.
The trap
Students think: Oral agreements suffice for land. Wrong, because the Statute of Frauds demands a signed writing. The actual test is a written contract identifying parties, land, and terms.
How examiners test it
The MBE loves: oral land sale agreement + partial performance. Trap: assuming part performance validates the contract. Writing is still required unless all exceptions are clearly met.
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