b'1000 Power &Light Bldg.,Kansas City, Missouri64105 February-March,1977 MRCARECOMMENDEDGUARANTEEFORM Weinitially publishedasuggestedformofroofingguaranteein December,1957.Thatformofguaranteewaspickedupbyanumberof ~egi.QnaJ1stat~andcityassociatignsandcopiedmoreorlessverbatim. In1961,weprintedastandardformofrecommendedguaranteetitled "Form1961".In1970,wemadecertaintechnicalchangestothatprinted form,principallytocomplywiththeUniformCommercialCode.Atthat time,weprintedtwoforms,onedesignatedForm1970Aandtheother designatedForm1970B.Thesoledifferencebetweenthetwoformsis thattheAFormisatwo-yearguaranteeandtheBFormisaone-year guarantee.Therecommendedguaranteeformshavenotbeenrevisedsince 1970. Recently,"consumerprotection"legislationhasbeenpassedatboth thefederalandstatelevelsdealingwithconsumerproductwarranties. \',,./Thediscussionhereafterconcernsapplicabilityofsuchlegislationto theguaranteeissuedbyroofingcontractors. 1.Magnuson-MossWarrantyAct.In1975,Congressenactedthe Magnuson-MossWarrantyAct(the"Act"),designedtoprotectconsumers bymakingproductwarrantiesmorereadilyunderstoodandenforceable. TheActcoversall"consumerproducts"distributedininterstatecommerceandsold witha\'\'writtenwarranty". TheActappliesto writtenwarrantiesontangiblepersonalproperty normallyusedforpersonal,familyorhouseholdpurposes,includingpropert ywhiehisintendedtobeattachedtoorinstalledinanyrealproperty withoutregardtowhetherit issoattachedorinstalled.TheActdoes notapplytorealpropertynortoitemsoftangiblepersonalproperty whichbecomeanintegralcomponentpartofabuildingandhavenofunctionseparateandapartfromrealproperty. It isouropinion,aslegalcounselforMRCA,thattheActisnot applicabletoaguaranteeissuedbyyoutoabuildingownerwithrespect toaroofappliedbyyoutosuchbuilding,whethernewconstruction,reroofingorroofrepair.Thenatureofthetransactionbetweenyouand yourcustomerisnotsimplythatofasaleofroofingmaterials.Rather, yourcustomeriscontractingwithyoufortheconstructionoforrepairto astructuralcomponentofhisbuilding- theroof.Whenyouhavecompleted yourcontract,theroofingmaterialsusedbyyouhavelosttheirseparate identityand,instead,havebeenintegratedintothestructureofthebuild-_.;ing .Further,roofingmaterials,whethershinglesorrollsoffelt,etc., althoughtangiblepersonalpropertypriortoinstallationintheroof, havenofunctionorutilityotherthanmakingabuildingwatertight.Such materialsareusefulonlyuponintegrationintoaroof.'