Under which law must a contract for the sale of real estate be in writing to be enforceable?

A contract for the sale of real estate must be in writing to be enforceable under the Statute of Frauds. This legal doctrine originated to prevent fraud and perjury in contracts, especially concerning significant transactions like real estate. The Statute of Frauds specifically requires that certain types of contracts, including those involving the sale of land or real property, must be in writing and signed by the parties involved to be legally binding.

This means that any verbal agreement for the sale of real estate would not hold up in court. The requirement for a written contract helps to provide clear evidence of the terms agreed upon by the parties and minimizes disputes regarding the agreement's existence or terms. The other options provided—such as the Statute of Limitations, which relates to the time period for bringing a legal claim, the Uniform Commercial Code, which mainly governs commercial transactions and not real estate, and Property Law, which is a broad area of law without this specific requirement—do not impose the same writing requirement for real estate contracts.