Which contract principle requires that certain contracts be in writing and signed to be enforceable?

• A. Statute of Frauds
• B. Parol evidence rule
• C. Assignment
• D. Condition precedent

Answer: (A)

Statute of Frauds requires certain contracts to be in writing and signed to be enforceable. This rule exists to prevent fraud and provide reliable evidence of the agreement. Contracts typically covered include those involving real estate, those that cannot be performed within one year, promises to pay someone else’s debt, contracts made in consideration of marriage, and sales of goods above a specified amount under the UCC. If such a contract isn’t written and signed, a court may refuse to enforce it, even if both parties treated it as binding. The other concepts—parol evidence rule, assignment, and a condition precedent—address different aspects of contract interpretation, rights transfer, and when performance is triggered, not the requirement for a written and signed agreement.