Jones v. Star Credit Corp

1969

Court: Supreme Court of New York

Facts: Jones agreed to buy a $300 freezer for about $1,200, then defaults on payments with $800 still left to pay.

Posture: Not clear how the trial court found, but probably for the defendants.

Issue: Is there some point at which the price itself becomes an unconscionable term in a bargain?

Holding: Yes. The contract should be reformed to deal only with what has already been paid.

Rule: They admit they can't really explain how they set the cutoff point, but they cite UCC § 2-302 as justification for the idea that there might be one.

Reasoning: We know it when we see it, basically. At some point there's a difference between protecting agains business risk and predatory pricing.

Dicta: