Did Sam's owner properly accept the offer if the acceptance was sent after the deadline?

In contract law, an acceptance must typically occur within the timeframe specified in the offer in order to be valid. If the owner of Sam sent an acceptance after the predetermined deadline, this action does not fulfill the requirement for timely acceptance, which is crucial for the formation of a legally binding contract. The principle here is that both parties must adhere to the terms set forth in the offer, including any specified deadlines.

Additionally, even if the acceptance was sent via fax, that does not impact the validity if it was submitted after the deadline. The method of acceptance becomes irrelevant if it does not occur within the timeframe outlined in the original offer.

While contractual deadlines can sometimes be negotiated or extended, in the absence of any indication that the offeror agreed to extend the deadline, the late acceptance would be considered invalid. Therefore, the correct conclusion is that the acceptance was not valid due to the failure to meet the deadline.