Breach of Contract
Robert Garrett
TUI University
BUS 205
Abstract
Was the contract between Dave Chappelle and Mustafa Abuelhija valid, did Dave Chappelle breach his contract with ex-manager Mustafa Abuelhija and if so, what remedies are available to Dave Chappelle? Mr. Dave Chappelle was sued by his former manager Mr. Mustafa Abuelhija for a breach of contract, saying that he was still owed approximately $864,500 for services rendered while employed by Mr. Chappelle. The contract between Mr. Chappelle and Mr. Abuelhija was never put into writing and was only verbal. However Mr. Chappelle did introduce Mr. Abuelhija to other staff members as his “personal manager.” Mr. Chappelle is also in violation of his contract with Comedy Central when he disappeared and fled to South Africa during taping of the third season of “The Chappelle Show.” Remedies for these breaches of contract would be to pay Mr. Abuelhija what is owed to him and to continue with the taping of “The Chappelle Show” for as long as is stated in his contract with Comedy Central.
Before one can review a contract and determine whether someone has breached the contract, one has to know what make a contract an valid contract. First there are two types of contracts written and verbal. Verbal contracts are harder to enforce since there is no written agreement, but are still enforceable. So it is wiser to have all contracts in writing. Written contracts are easier to enforce since all obligations for both parties have been laid out prior to signing the contract. Most states have laws that list all types of contracts that have to be written in order to be enforced. These laws are called Statutes of Frauds and are there to prevent fradulent claims from arising. These laws vary from state to state, but the most common examples of contracts that have to be in writing are; sales of real property, a contract that takes longer than one year to complete, and the transfer of property upon the...