Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Remedies Outline
Remedies Outline
Overview
Determine the area of substantive law (may be more than one, normally torts,
property or contracts).
Function of Remedy
Damages:
o Compensatory Damages: The goal is to put the P in their “rightful position.”
Compensatory damages provide an award of money to the aggrieved party to
compensate for any loss or injury.
In tort cases, the objective is to make the P whole by awarding sufficient money
to indemnify the plaintiff for the loss.
In contract cases, the objective is not only to compensate for loss, but also to
protect the P’s expectation interest by awarding a sum of money equivalent to
what P would have received if the contract had been performed.
o Nominal Damages: P’s rights have been violated, but no loss is sustained or the
extent of the injury cannot be measured.
Such an award is in effect a declaration of the P’s right and a determination that
the D infringed upon it.
Restitution:
o Restores to P any benefit the wrongdoer may have gained from misconduct.
o The goal is to compel the wrongdoer to disgorge any unjust gain or enrichment.
Specific Relief:
o Gives the injured party the precise performance promised rather than its
equivalent in money.
Preventive Relief:
o Affords protection of the P’s rights by a decree prohibiting (enjoining) the D from
doing certain acts or engaging in particular activities infringing on the P interests.
Declaratory Relief:
o A declaratory judgment conclusively determines the rights of parties involved in a
contested issue, thereby settling the controversy without awarding any additional
relief, such as damages, restitution, or a coercive decree.
Tort Remedies
Overall Approach For Tort Remedies:
o Has P been/being injured?
ANSWER: Compensatory Damages
o Future Damages:
All or Nothing Rule: For future damages, P must show that the
damages are more likely to happen than not. Failure to demonstrate
this will result in no award.
o Nominal Damages: Where the P has no actual injury, the court may award nominal
damages to serve to establish or to vindicate the P’s rights.
o Punitive Damages:
Where P’s injury results from “willful, wanton, or malicious conduct” on the
part of the D, the court may award punitive damages to punish D.
o Restitution:
Restitutionary Damages: Where the D has been unjustly enriched, the court
may award damages based on the benefit to the D.
Calculation: The amount is calculated based on the value of the benefit.
However, where both compensatory and restitutionary damages are
available, P can’t get both. Instead, he must make an election of the two.
Generally, the P should be awarded the larger sum of the two.
No Restitution for Encroachment or Nuisance.
o Injunctive Relief:
Temporary Injunctive Relief: To recover to recover temporary injunctive relief,
P must meet a two part test:
Irreparable Injury: P must show that without the injunction, he will incur
irreparable injury while waiting for a full trial on the merits.
o Balancing Test: harm to P if injunction is denied v. harm to the D if
injunction is granted.
Where D created the hardship (even if substantial) balance likely to
weigh in P’s favor.
Contract Remedies
Overall Approach For Contract Remedies:
Recovery in Contract may be limited by the requirement that consequential damages
be foreseeable.
Nominal Damages:
Nominal damages are also allowed, but punitive damages are NOT allowed.
o If D’s conduct is willful, you can get punitive damages because it's a tort.
Liquidated Damage:
Liquidated damage clauses are permissible, if they are valid.
o Liquidated damage clauses must show:
Damages are difficult to ascertain at the time of contract formation
o Can’t recover both compensatory and liquidated damages. But can get
other remedies outside of actual damages, such as specific performance.
Restitution:
o Unenforceable Contract: If a contract is unenforceable after P has performed (due
to mistake, capacity, illegality), P can get restitutionary damages for
property/money given to D, or for services rendered for D for the value of the
benefit.
Not necessary to find that the D actually benefited, only that D received a benefit.
If the value of the services is greater than the Contract rate, P can still recover
that value.
Specific Performance:
o Five Part Checklist
Inadequacy of Legal Remedies:
Damages may be inadequate because:
o They’re speculative,
o Defendant s insolvent;
o Multiple suits are necessary; and
o The thing bargained for is unique (tested at the time of litigation, not
during contract formation).
Liquidated damage clause ≠ $ is inadequate.
Definite and Certain Terms: Terms of the Contract must be sufficient certain to
constitute a valid Contract.
Mutuality of Remedy: Must show the other side can also secure performance.
Only an issue where P lacks capacity. Court will reject mutuality if it feels secure
that P can and will perform.
o Special Problems
Deficiencies Fact Pattern
Seller as Plaintiff: Can enforce Contract if the defect is minor. Cannot enforce
Contract if the defect is major unless the seller can cure the Contract before
closing.
Buyer as Plaintiff: Can enforce the Contract even if the defect is major
(abatement – court will lower the purchase price to take into account this
defect). Cannot enforce the Contract if the defect is very major.
“Time of the Essence” Clause
Includes forfeiture provision. Equity abhors forfeiture.
Equitable Conversion: Real property interest of the buyer and seller are switched
upon execution of the land Contract. Thus, the buyer will be regarded as having
the real property interest (the specifically enforceable right to the land). Seller
will be regarded as having the personal property interest (the specifically
enforceable right to the money).
Rescission
o Equitable Remedy: whereby one who is fraudulently induced into entering a
Contract may rescind the Contract.
o TwoStep Analysis:
Determine if there are grounds for the rescission (improper formation of
contract):
Mistake
Misrepresentation
Coercion
Undue Influence
Lack of Capacity
Failure of Consideration
Illegality
o Mutual Mistake of Fact
Mutual mistake of material fact = grounds
o Special Problems:
Timing and Election of Remedies:
If Plaintiff sues for damages first, rescission is NOT allowed.
If Plaintiff sues for rescission first, damages ARE allowed.
Legal Rescission: Plaintiff accomplishes this by her own actions. Plaintiff gives
notice and tenders back any consideration received. Plaintiff then sues for
restitution for anything given to Defendant.
REFORMATION
o The Court may modify a written agreement to conform w/ the parties’ original
understanding.
o Three Steps:
Determine if there is a valid contract.
Determine if there are grounds for reformation.
Mutual mistake
Unilateral mistake IF nonmistaken party KNOWS of mistake
Misrepresentation