You know clients can sign contracts using services like Digital Ink and DocuSign. But can your clients end up with a binding contract from a series of emails or text messages—even if they didn’t mean to?
德克萨斯州的法律, 特别是德州统一电子交易法案(UETA), allows the use of electronic records and signatures in real estate transactions. 以下是关于这方面法律问题的一些答案.
Doesn’t a real estate contract have to be one document that contains a written record of all the terms and conditions of a transaction? 一系列的电子邮件或短信能满足这个要求吗?
The law has evolved to alter the common perception of what a contract can or should look like. 例如, a combination of several documents or records can satisfy the “in writing” requirement.
这样的协议是如何达成的:
- 双方同意以电子方式进行交易
- 这些电子邮件或短信指明了要出售的房产
- 电子邮件或短信确定 要支付的价格
- 双方同意以 财产交换价款
- 双方签署 电子记录.
A real estate contract, in addition to being in writing, requires the signatures of both parties. 电子邮件或短信中的文本如何成为签名?
There is a split among Texas appellate courts as to what constitutes an electronic signature under UETA.
A Fort Worth appellate court determined that the message needs to contain some kind of graphical representation that signifies the intent of the sender to sign. 例如, 扫描签名, 一种不同于消息其余部分的字体，看起来像手写字体, “/s/”后面跟着一方的键入名称, or any other symbol or mark that unequivocally indicates an intent to sign the record could work. A mere signature block at the end of an email without any further indication that the signature block was supposed to constitute a real signature does not indicate intent.
However, a Houston appellate court has since disagreed with the Fort Worth court. The Houston appellate court determined that a signature block in an email does satisfy the requirement of a signature under UETA. 除了, the court stated that the “from” field in an email communication similarly functions to satisfy the signature requirement.
目前还没有将UETA应用于短信的案例. 然而，短信应该像电子邮件一样被对待. A graphical representation in a text message evidencing a party’s intent to sign the record could satisfy UETA and create a binding contract.
这是个好主意, 如果你通过电子方式交流, to be clear about whether or not you intend to conduct transactions electronically, 如下所述.
我代表买方. 卖方的代理和我通过电子邮件协商了合同条款, 卖家的经纪人给我发邮件说她的客户接受了条款. 在我把合同寄过去之前, 我被告知卖方签署并接受了另一份报价. 这些电子邮件信息不是建立了一个有约束力的契约吗?
以满足反欺诈法和UETA的要求, generally the email would have to be electronically signed by the buyer and seller, 或买方或卖方的授权书. 像这样, 在大多数情况下, 除非代理人有委托人的授权书, 她不能代表她的客户签署任何电子文件. There is one case in which a court held the contrary to be true in an unusual set of circumstances, 但在大多数交易中, even if her client has expressly agreed to conduct business electronically with the other party, it’s unlikely the agent will create a binding contract via email without her client’s electronic signature.
So, electronic communications between a buyer and seller—not through their agents—can create a binding real estate sales contract?
有时. 如果双方同意通过电子通信进行交易, 如果合同的所有要素和反欺诈法都符合, 通过电子通信可以进行有约束力的交易.
双方如何达成 这样的协议?
各方可以通过两种方式同意进行电子交易. 第一种是最简单的一种，即当事人明确同意. 例如, Jane Smith and John Doe agree orally or in writing that they will use electronic means to conduct the transaction. 第二个是默示协议. This type of agreement would arise through context and surrounding circumstances, 包括当事人的行为.
我不想最后上法庭. How can I indicate whether my clients and I want to conduct a transaction electronically?
免责声明，包括在你的电子邮件，可以帮助建立你的意图. 例如, 如果你不想进行电子交易, 你可以在邮件中写明这一点. 律师应该协助你起草免责声明的措辞.
我的佣金呢??
德克萨斯州的法律 requires that in order for a person to maintain an action in this state to recover a commission for the sale or purchase of real estate, the agreement must be in writing and signed by the person to be charged with the commission.
为遵守本法，协议必须:
- 答应支付一定的佣金
- 写明要向其支付佣金的经纪人的名称
- 合理确定要转让的财产.
因此, 电子通讯可以约束当事人, 再一次。, 目的是通过电子方式进行交易, 有有效的电子签名, and the agreement contains all the material terms necessary to establish a binding contract. While it is possible to create an enforceable commission agreement via electronic communications, the best practice is to continue to use the TAR listing agreements or the TAR buyer/tenant representation agreements and obtain the proper signatures.
我该如何确保我只创建了我想要创建的契约?
Make other parties aware that you do or do not want to enter into contracts electronically, 并且要清楚任何电子通信的目的.
Emails and other forms of electronic communications are commonly used in real estate transactions. Be clear in your dealings with your client and other parties to ensure these tools are used correctly.