Home > West's Encyclopedia of American Law > Sales Law

The law relating to the transfer of ownership of property from one person to another for value, which is codified in Article 2 of the UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE (UCC), a body of law governing mercantile transactions adopted in whole or in part by the states.

The sale of a good, or an item that is moveable at the time of sale, is a transaction designed to benefit both buyer and seller. However, sales transactions can be complex, and they do not always proceed smoothly. Problems can arise at several phases of a sale, and at least one of the parties may suffer a loss. In recognition of these realities and of the basic importance of orderly commerce to society, legislatures and courts create laws governing sales of goods.

The most comprehensive set of laws on sales, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), is a collection of model laws on an...