Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Gardner Zemke Co. v. Dunham Bush, Inc. Case Brief

New Mexico Supreme Court1993Docket #1990663
850 P.2d 319 115 N.M. 260

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: In a ‘battle of the forms’ dispute, the court rejected the common law ‘mirror image’ rule, adopting the ‘knock-out’ rule under UCC § 2-207 for conflicting warranty terms in exchanged commercial documents.

Legal Significance: This case establishes New Mexico’s adoption of the ‘knock-out’ rule for resolving ‘different’ terms under UCC § 2-207, where conflicting terms cancel each other out and are replaced by UCC gap-fillers.

Gardner Zemke Co. v. Dunham Bush, Inc. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Gardner Zemke Co. (Buyer) issued a Purchase Order to Dunham Bush, Inc. (Seller) for air-conditioning chillers. The Order included a one-year manufacturer’s warranty and compliance with specific project specifications. Dunham Bush responded with a preprinted Acknowledgment form containing extensive warranty disclaimers, a statement that its terms controlled, and a provision that silence constituted acquiescence. The parties proceeded with the transaction despite these discrepancies: Dunham Bush delivered the chillers, and Gardner Zemke paid. Gardner Zemke later alleged the chillers were non-conforming and sought warranty repairs. Dunham Bush offered repairs under conditions Gardner Zemke found unacceptable, leading to Gardner Zemke incurring costs for independent repairs. Gardner Zemke sued for breach of contract and warranty. The trial court ruled Dunham Bush’s Acknowledgment was a counteroffer whose terms, including warranty disclaimers, controlled. Gardner Zemke appealed, arguing the Acknowledgment was an acceptance with additional or different terms under UCC § 2-207.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Under UCC § 2-207, did the seller’s acknowledgment form, containing terms different from the buyer’s purchase order, operate as an acceptance or a counteroffer, and if an acceptance, how should the conflicting warranty terms be resolved?

The court reversed and remanded. The trial court erred in perfunctorily concluding Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt

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Legal Issue

Under UCC § 2-207, did the seller’s acknowledgment form, containing terms different from the buyer’s purchase order, operate as an acceptance or a counteroffer, and if an acceptance, how should the conflicting warranty terms be resolved?

Conclusion

This case significantly clarifies New Mexico's interpretation of UCC § 2-207, adopting Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo c

Legal Rule

Under UCC § 2-207(1) (NMSA 1978, § 55-2-207(1)), a responsive document is Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua

Legal Analysis

The court rejected the common law 'mirror image' rule, which UCC § Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitati

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Flash Summary

  • In a UCC § 2-207 “battle of the forms,” a seller’s
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectet

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