Okla. Stat. tit. 12A § 2A-201

Current through Laws 2024, c. 453.
Section 2A-201 - [Effective Until 11/1/2024] Statute of frauds
(1) A lease contract is not enforceable by way of action or defense unless:
(a) the total payments to be made under the lease contract, excluding payments for options to renew or buy, are less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00); or
(b) there is a writing, signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought or by that party's authorized agent, sufficient to indicate that a lease contract has been made between the parties and to describe the goods leased and the lease term.
(2) Any description of leased goods or of the lease term is sufficient and satisfies paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section, whether or not it is specific, if it reasonably identifies what is described.
(3) A writing is not insufficient because it omits or incorrectly states a term agreed upon, but the lease contract is not enforceable under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section beyond the lease term and the quantity of goods shown in the writing.
(4) A lease contract that does not satisfy the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, but which is valid in other respects, is enforceable:
(a) if the goods are to be specially manufactured or obtained for the lessee and are not suitable for lease or sale to others in the ordinary course of the lessor's business, and the lessor, before notice of repudiation is received and under circumstances that reasonably indicate that the goods are for the lessee, has made either a substantial beginning of their manufacture or commitments for their procurement;
(b) if the party against whom enforcement is sought admits in that party's pleading, testimony or otherwise in court that a lease contract was made, but the lease contract is not enforceable under this provision beyond the quantity of goods admitted; or
(c) with respect to goods that have been received and accepted by the lessee.
(5) The lease term under a lease contract referred to in subsection (4) of this section is:
(a) if there is a writing signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought or by that party's authorized agent specifying the lease term, the term so specified;
(b) if the party against whom enforcement is sought admits in that party's pleading, testimony, or otherwise in court a lease term, the term so admitted; or
(c) a reasonable lease term.

Okla. Stat. tit. 12A, § 2A-201

Added by Laws 1988, HB 1683, c. 86, § 10, eff. 11/1/1988.

Oklahoma Code Comment

Under normal principles of statutory construction (the later enactment controls; the more specific enactment controls the more general enactment; see Bynum v. State, 490 P.2d 531 (Okla.Crim.App.1971) and N. Singer, 1A Sutherland Statutory Construction § 23.16 (Sands 4th ed. 1985)), § 2A-201, establishing a statute of frauds for lease contracts, displaces to that extent the general statute of frauds in 15 Oklahoma Statutes §§ 134 and 136(1). See Section 87 of H.B.. 1683. The major change wrought is that an asserted oral lease for less than a year but for $1,000 or more will not be enforceable (absent an exception) under the Article 2A rule but would have been enforceable under the general statute.

60 Oklahoma Statutes § 321 also is a statute of frauds of sorts. See Oklahoma Comment to § 2A-307 for a discussion of it.

The 1991 amendments make no change here.

This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.