A written, integrated contract contains a provision that states it will be effective for a "year." The plaintiff in a lawsuit claims that a "year" is obviously 12 months.The defendant claims that the contract meant a 10-month school year.Parol evidence:
A)cannot be used to explain the term, because the plain meaning of a "year" is 12 months.
B)cannot be used to explain the term, because the contract is an integrated document.
C)can be used by the parties to clarify their intent because the term "year" in the contract is ambiguous.
D)cannot be used, because the contract contains an express term that could have been changed by the parties prior to the contract's execution.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Parol evidence can be used to clarify an ambiguous term in an integrated contract. In this case, the term "year" is ambiguous as it could refer to a calendar year or a school year. Therefore, the parties can use parol evidence to explain their respective interpretations of the term.

A Written, Integrated Contract Contains a Provision That States It