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CHECKLIST
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
I. TORT REMEDIES
a. DAMAGES
i. Compensatory Damages
1. The purpose of damages in torts is to make the Π whole – to compensate a Π for any
losses and put the Π in a position he would have been in had the injury not occurred.
2. Four Requirements for Compensatory Damages:
a. (1) Causation – actual causation – Δ's conduct must be the actual cause of Π’s
injury, (2) Foreseeability – the DF’s conduct must also be the proximate cause of
PL’s injury, where the injury must have been foreseeable at the time of the
tortious act, (3) Certainty – damages must be reasonably certain, and not too
speculative, and (4) Mitigation of Damages – PL must take reasonable steps to
mitigate his damages.
ii. General v. Specific:
1. General Damages
a. Those that naturally flow from the wrongful act and which the law presumes
foreseen and contemplated by the parties.
2. Special Damages
a. Not necessarily flowing from the wrongful act – unique to each plaintiff, which
must be specifically pled.
iii. Nominal Damages
1. Where no actual damages can be proven, a PL may recover nominal damages, which is a
small amount of money in order for a PL to be able to enforce his rights.
iv. Punitive Damages
1. Punitive damages are awarded to punish and deter rather than to compensate.
2. A Π is entitled to punitive damages if
a. (1) the Π is entitled to compensatory or nominal damages, and
b. (2) Δ's conduct was more than mere negligence (malicious, etc).
3. Any punitive damages award must be relatively proportionate to actual damages
(cannot exceed a single digit multiple of actual damages unless conduct is extreme)
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
iv. TRACING ISSUES (Commingled Account) (do we need to know? book only says tracing possible)
1. Clayton’s Case rule – first in, first out. The first money to be deposited into an account,
is presumed to be the first money withdrawn from the account.
2. Jessel’s Bag rule out of HALLETT”S ESTATE – first withdrawals out presumed to belong
to wrongdoer and remaining balance is subject to equitable interest asserted by
claimaint. (fiction that Δ acts honorably and spends his own money first)
3. First Restatement Approach –
a. recovery limited to percentage of Δ's commingled account and same percentage
of property traceable from withdrawn account funds
b. percentage = Π's funds compared to total funds in commingled account
c. not based on order of deposits/withdrawals
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
v. DEFENSES
1. Bona Fide Purchase for Value – no equitable interest if property transferred to a bona
fide purchaser for value without notice of the interest.
2. Change in Position – court may deny equitable relief if DF materially changed his
position to his detriment in good faith without notice of the equitable interest.
3. Volunteers – Volunteers of property that make gifts cannot sue the donee for value
d. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
i. TRO (discuss before preliminary injunction)
1. Substantive Requirements:
a. TRO and preliminary injunctions have substantially the same substantive rqmts:
i. (1) Π will suffer irreparable harm without injunction
ii. (2) balancing of hardships favors Π
1. (Π's hardships if not granted v Δ's if granted;
iii. (3) likelihood Π will succeed on the merits;
iv. (4) Order is in the public interest;
i. (5) emergency - immediate harm will result w/o TRO
NOTE - **Some jurisdictions follow the SLIDING SCALE APPROACH, where the
greater the potential irreparability of the harm and the clearer the balance of
hardships without the order, the lesser the required showing of strength on the
merits of the case and vice versa.
2. Procedural Requirements
a. A TRO may be entered ex parte without notice, but only upon showing of
immediate and irreparable harm before notice can be given, accompanied by a
declaration from counsel regarding efforts to give notice and why it should not
be required.
b. Order may only last 14 days, with a second 14-day extension for good cause.
i. CA - good for 10 days
c. The issuance of a TRO is NOT directly appealable.
d. Verified Complaint
e. Bond
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
e. EQUITABLE DEFENSES
i. Laches
1. Unreasonable delay in bringing the action which results in prejudice to the Δ.
a. Prejudice includes evidence (death of witness/staleness of evidence), or
economic prejudice (change in position thinking rights are secure, change of
relationship b/w parties).
2. Clock starts to run when the Π learns of the injury
ii. Estoppel
1. Π induced Δ to act/not act/stop acting, Δ relied on Π's inducement, and Δ prejudiced by
changing position to his detriment.
iii. Unclean Hands
1. Bars a Π from recovering if Π himself has engaged in some sort of wrongful conduct. It
requires (1) Π seeking relief has behaved with serious or egregious conduct – case by
case basis, and (2) wrongdoing must be specifically related to the lawsuit
iv. Free Speech - If tort is defamation or privacy branch tort, best answer is injunction denied on
free speech grounds
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
v. Election of Remedies
1. Traditionally, if a party has affirmatively chosen a remedy where two remedies exist at
the time of the election which are inconsistent with one another, that party is barred
from another remedy.
2. Modernly, the manifestation of a choice of inconsistent remedies does not bar another
remedy UNLESS the other party materially changes his position in reliance on the
manifestation.
b. RESTITUTIONARY REMEDIES
i. A Π may be entitled to restitutionary remedies in contract if (1) the contract has been found to
be unenforceable, (2) if there is no valid contract, or (3) if the contract was breached.
1. Quasi-Contract (Quantum Meruit)
a. If the Δ's benefit is measurable in dollars, a Π may sue on a theory of quasi-K,
which is a contract imposed by law to avoid Δ’s unjust enrichment,
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
c. SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE
i. (1) Valid and Enforceable K, with definite and certain terms, supported by consideration
ii. (2) Inadequate Remedies at Law
1. Multiplicity of lawsuits, damages are speculative and uncertain, or Δ is insolvent
2. Special subjective value which induces a strong sentimental attachment
3. Where goods are unique or very rare (tested as time of litigation, not K formation)
4. Real Property
iii. (3) Π able and willing to perform
1. Plaintiff must show that he is ready, willing, and able to perform his contractual
obligations under the agreement, or has already performed
iv. (4) Δ able to perform
1. It also must be shown that Defendant has the ability to perform under the agreement.
v. (5) Balance of Hardships Tips in Favor of Specific Performance—Remedy is Discretionary
1. When balancing the equities, the court must be convinced that specific performance of
a validly formed K would not cause greater harm than it would prevent, and must
fashion the decree appropriately.
vi. (6) No Major Enforcement Issues (Judicial Economy)
1. The court must be able to enforce the specific performance degree without too much
trouble or difficulty or supervision.
vii. Court Cannot Order Specific Performance for Services
1. Although a court cannot order specific performance for personal services, specific
performance of a negative covenant is appropriate where the skills are very unique,
and the scope (geographical and duration) is reasonable.
viii. SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE WITH ABATEMENT:
1. If a material but non-substantial mistake is made in a contract, such as the amount of
acreage conveyed in a land sales contract, the court may order specific performance
with abatement (lowering) of the purchase price as long as the factors above are met.
d. RESCISSION
i. Upon sufficient grounds, the parties may seek to rescind the contract if the contract is void or
voidable, which cancels the contract and discharges the parties’ obligations under the contract.
ii. Grounds: Mistake, illegality, mispresentation
1. mutual mistake, unilateral mistake (if party knew or should have known other party
made a mistake), supervening illegality, fraudulent misrepresentation that Π relied on
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
iii. Defenses: unclean hands, laches, election of remedies, estoppel, coercion, undue influence, lack
of capacity (NO MUTUAL ASSENT – AT K FORMATION STAGE).
1. Negligence of Π is not a defense to rescission
e. REFORMATION
i. Upon proper grounds, the parties may seek to reform a valid original contract, in which the
court will change the terms of contract to better match the intent of the parties.
ii. Grounds: mistake, misrepresentation
1. mutual mistake, unilateral mistake (ONLY if party knew other party made a mistake),
misrepresentation.
iii. Defenses: laches, sale to BFP
iv. Non-defenses will not work: negligence of Π, SoF, PER
f. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
i. Same as tort remedies above.
h. EQUITABLE DEFENSES
i. Laches
1. Unreasonably delay in bringing the action which results in prejudice to the DF. Prejudice
includes evidence (death of witness/staleness of evidence), or economic prejudice
(change in position thinking rights are secure, change of relationship b/w parties).
ii. Estoppel
1. Π induced Δ to act/not act/stop acting, Δ relied on Π's inducement, and Δ prejudiced by
changing position to his detriment.
iii. Unclean Hands
1. Bars a Π from recovering if Π himself has engaged in some sort of wrongful conduct. It
requires (1) Π seeking relief has behaved with serious or egregious conduct – case by
case basis, and (2) wrongdoing must be specifically related to the lawsuit.
iv. Unconscionability
1. “Fairness.” It requires procedural unconscionability (unequal bargaining power, hidden
terms) or substantive unconscionability (terms are so unduly harsh or one-sided).
2. Measured at the time of K formation.
3. Court may remove the unconscionable term or find the entire K unenforceable.
v. Election of Remedies
1. Traditionally, if a party has affirmatively chosen a remedy where two remedies exist at
the time of the election which are inconsistent with one another, that party is barred
from another remedy.
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REMEDIES SHORT OUTLINE & CHECKLIST
2. Modernly, the manifestation of a choice of inconsistent remedies does not bar another
remedy UNLESS the other party materially changes his position in reliance on the
manifestation.
b. Real Property
i. Simple Trespass = nominal damages
ii. Trespass w/ Severance = diminution of value to land, or conversion measure (or restitution)
iii. Trespass w/ Other Injury = cost of removal or rental value of land
iv. Trespass w/ Ouster = ejectment
v. Encroachments = if temporary, then rental value of land, if permanent, then FMV of land
vi. Destruction = FMV of the land. FMV of destroyed building. If crops, then diminution in land or
FMV of the crops.
vii. Damage = Cost of repair PLUS loss of use
viii. Nuisance = loss of use and enjoyment, cost of abatement, emotional distress
c. Personal Injury
i. Compensatory damages = economic losses (special dmgs)+non-economic losses (general dmgs)
1. Economic losses (special damages) include medical expenses, loss of earnings and
earning capacity,
2. Non-economic losses (general damages) include pain and suffering, emotional distress.
ii. Must be LUMP SUM payment
iii. Must be discounted to present value (some jurisdictions consider inflation).
2. If Π is buyer, Π can get SP even if defect is major, but not if defect is very major
ii. Land sale K w/ time is of the essence clause & buyer doesn't timely perform
1. Land sale K w/ time is of the essence and forfeiture clause where buyer partially
performs then tenders a late pmt and seller wants to keep it all
2. Equity abhors forfeiture. Cts look at following factors to avoid forfeiture:
a. (1) loss to seller is small; (2) tardiness is de minimis; (3) waiver (seller accepted
late pmts in the past); (4) buyer would suffer undue hardship
3. Should almost always award SP to buyer
4. Note in answer that if no SP, modern trend is to give buyer restitutionary relief
iii. Δ raises SoF as defense to SP
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