Remedies-Infelise-Spring 2012
A remedy is anything a court can do for a wronged or potentially wronged party. The law of remedies is both substantive and procedural.
I. Categories of Damages-Compensatory Damages – we look at damages based on value.
A. Fundamental Basis – Put P in his or her rightful position. This is shorthand for restoring the party, nearly as possible to the position he would have been in but for the wrong. P may be entitled to pos that is not always the same as his original position. Sometimes the P is entitled to damages based on a prospective position- one he never occupied.[lost wages, lost profits]
B. Hatahley illustrates rightful position and the problems in adopting the rightful position as the measure of compensatory damages.
1. 10th Cir says emotional damages should not be rewarded as a lump sum, individuals should be examined to determine extend of each ones damages.
2. Missed Ceremonies- p&s, very personal. Very hard to value, can testify as to importance of ceremony, but value is det largely w/o guidelines.
3. 10th Cir says value of any horse is replacement cost; Trial court awards value based on training, breeding makes the horse unique. Very few courts would use the trial ct method of valuation b/c it is too indirect (horse=3 sheep, sheep sell for X on mkt). Modernly, a horse appraiser would be used.
4. 10th circuit wants records on lost livestock, such records don’t exist
5. Certainty is less important for Torts than recovery on Contract. But we strive for precision, hence the need for individual determinations.
6. 10th Circuit by insisting on certainty, individuation, etc – adds much to the cost of recovery by the P’s
7. 10th Circuit wants them to mitigate, how possible is that for the Navajo in the 1950’s
8. this case stds for the fund principle of damages is to restore the injured party, as nearly as possible to the position he would have been in but for the wrong. This is the essence of compensatory damages=rightful pos. but see n7(16)
C. 50 acres illustrates how the value of the thing at issue is used to measure damages. Illustrates Use of value as a proxy for rightful position. Condemnation case. Depreciated value (15yrold site,50ac=225K) chosen over Substitution Cost (new site, 113 ac=723K).
1. City(P) says use value of new facility and discount for increased size, lifespan, etc. Court says no, doesn’t squarely address – too indirect, roundabout to use. Also cost of new facility may not equal FMV b/c City may have overpaid for new facility, land may devalue as soon as used for landfill.
2. In Takings cases, no incidentals or consequentials allowed
3. The general rule is the P gets the lesser of diminution in value or cost to replace.
4. See (23) n6. O’Brien-can’t build barges during WWII (normally costs 45K new for this use, can’t be bought currently)- Currently old barge costs 50k to fix; As of date of trial, barge is not replaceable new. Should damages be capped at 45K?
5. N2 (22) Owner may testify as to value but its suspect; cf econ arg- used cars.
6. O’Brien & 50 Acres stand for P is entitled to be made whole but in the least expensive way to D.
D. Trinity Church (Hist landmark)- “Takedown Analysis” 26% of lifespan 1876-1968, damage 1968-72 used up 35% of lifespan, total = 65%.
1. General rule for damage to real property –“lesser of” standard –either diminution in value or cost to repair.
(a) Exception- real property which is special purpose prop. Cost of restoration trumps diminution in value. Also applies to property which is polluted b/c clean up is legally mandated.
2. Award component #1-cosmetic repair of interior & exterior; #2 struct damage
3. O’Connor concurrence says no legally recognized damage (no loss of use), crack don’t effect use and/or its too speculative-will church fall down?
4. But church can’t wait to sue b/c SoL. Have to sue before claim is ripe, not when damage occurs –church falls down
5. The work is to be done in the future, why wasn’t it discounted to present value? You can’t discount it if you don’t know when it is going to fall.
E. Decatur Co. Ag v. Young(soybeans)- look for exceptions to the general rule dependent on circumstances
1. Is there suff certainty to make an award? D would try to prove that Young would get less yield anyway.
2. Generally damage is measured at the time of the loss.
(a) Crops are an exception, meas at the time of harvest b/c provides relief to p, it is easier to determine value at time of harvest
(b) This is a compromise btwn P’s speculative value and D’s low figure at time of injury
3. Is D entitled to an offset b/c P may have spent less time harvesting his reduced crop?
(a) Value of time – often presented in form of labor costs. Damages = amt lost- savings due to loss. Labor costs can require meticulous documentation.
4. P must defend his 50 bushel loss figure: weather reports, soil analysis, other to meet more likely than not- civil std of proof.
(a) In the US we use that std b/c we don’t think a higher std would be fair
(b) Value of work in progress = costs expended +profit=value-cost of completion. If not, value of the thing produced doesn’t equal cost of producing it (or you made a mistake). There is often more than 1 way to calc the damages- the results should be about the same. If they aren’t, you should know why.
(c) Decatur shows the convergence of the figures for 1)reliance+ expectancy and 2)value approach.
(d) Expectancy= 50 bshl*profit. Young’s Reliance on Decatur leads to Expectancy loss (unless Decatur was only avail crop duster). Decatur’s promise to spray created expectancy of normal harvest
5. Young had tried to get price for 6 mo.s later (higher) saying I always hold my beans in storage. But if prices had been lower then he would not say that; this is why cts use day of harvest.
F. Summary –the system is committed to compensating tort, K breach victims using a measure of damages based on value.
1. Some injuries are hard to reduce to a dollar figure: evidence may be incomplete, witnesses may be evasive, jury may not understand, may not have context for the decision, particularly for pain & suffering (p&s)
2. The trier of fact has enormous power in setting compensation, there are few guidelines
3. There’s difficulty in dealing with appellate court review b/c the appellate court has no relationship to actual trial, witnesses, can’t determine credibility.
4. Trinity, 50 acres, Decatur illustrate nuances in rightful position. 50 acres P is made whole by the least expensive means (takings case), Trinity illustrates an exception to the “lesser of” rule, Decatur involves the point in time to value the loss; an objective std as seen by the ct, not exactly rightful position. Damage measures-value measures work well where the P can cover.
5. Three typ types of value based damage award. (BoK, Prop damage)
(a) Value of prop taken
(b) Diff btwn K price and FMV of prop promised but not delivered
(c) Diff btwn prop value before and after damage
II. Reliance v. Expectancy Measures– these two may eventually lose their meaning if BoK remedies move to a rightful position analysis
A. Neri –P sued for restitution based on unjust enrichment. He couldn’t have sued for BoK b/c he was the breachor. Unjust enrichment is a separate theory of liablity
1. P may elect reliance, restitution, or expectancy damages. However expectancy is P’s preferred choice when it can be proved. But when a Bad (losing) K is breached, P will often seek restitution.
2. Here, Neri says dealer recouped his losses by re-selling the boat. The dealer says no, I would have sold 2 boats otherwise. But Neri is still entitled to get back deposit –(seller’s lost profit and incidentals).
3. UCC (not on Exam)
(a) 2-718(1) liquidated damages v. 2-718(3) seller’s offset agst restitution — leads to 2-708 (1) or if 2-708 (1) —- doesn’t put seller in good enough . position use 2-708 (2)
(b) 2-708(2) is badly drafted(41)
4. Some vendors, unlike the Dealer here, only impose chgs based on reliance b/c they want the good will, repeat customers see n1,2 (41). Expectancy remedies for minor breaches may not be best for business where the freedom to change your mind is important-consumer transactions are often cancellable- hotels, flights).
5. Defense of expectancy measure- 1) a credit economy basically makes present and future (promised)
sequentials for inj to the person in the case of consumer goods is invalid unless it is shown to be not unconscionable. This holds out poss that disclaimer of conseq may be unconsc even in commercial setting ( unequal bargaining pwr, misprepresentation not rising to fraud)
2. Limitation of consequential damages clause when you refuse to stand behind your work. (Legit purposes- preclude consequentials where:1) risks vary (& are hard to calc); 2) misuse is likely; 3)there are fragile equipment & buyer may not otherwise maintain or 4) concievably cold be negotiated for a price break, but unlikely.
3. There are two cl for damages in this case, when R&R is invalid, does P get all remedies or only those remedies avail in the unchallenged no-conseq. Damages clause?
4. P Should try to prove damages under 2-714 ala Chatlos
5. Competing policies- Freedom to K, Guaranteed minimal remedy.
6. Sometimes it may be easier for the buyer to insure against losses than the seller. Lack of 2d sale may keep seller in line.
D. Buck v. Morrow –direct(general) damages, indirect(conseq)damages. Ct says Buck may prove loss of cattle, cost of extra hand but must show it results from the loss of the pasture
1. Rule- a party may recover for consequential damages reasonably anticipated at the time of the K.
2. (58)n1. Is there any theory where Buck is restored to rightful pos. w/o compensation for extra hand &lost cattle. Only if you say Buck knew he might lose the lease and thus assumed the risk (but even then you have the “all losses” provison.
E. Meinrath-comment bott (65) Ct says he should have covered himself with a liquidated damages clause and thus eliminate the need for speculative analysis. (But LD must relate to actual or forseeable damages…)
1. Stds for rule that where mere exchnge of money is involved , the only consequentials allowed are prejudgement interest.s
2. LD clauses btwn arms length parties of equal power are usually enforced
3. I: LD ensures conduct (penalty bond).
4. (67) n 7 describes bad faith insurance BoK (not true in CA)
IV. Limits on Damages: Avoidable Harm, Offsetting Benes, Proximate Cause, Certainty Req.
A. Farmer’s Export, – see Mark’s sht for 1/31 (dock bills ship for overstay due to strike)
1. Is it a penalty: 1) is the actual or anticipated loss caused by the breach; 2) is it difficult to prove actual loss.
2. Ct says 2) determines how much leeway there is in 1). & yes, difficult to determine – but party challenging LD must prove it is a penalty.
3. LD not usually enforced if actual damages are 0. One purpose of LD is to reduce litigation, does it work?
4. Note 4 (87) Where LD is the same for violation of any of several obligations of varying importance, it is a penalty bond, Cts are split on enforcing PB. PB clauses arre voided b/c K remedy is compensation. Ct prefer to under rather than over compensate b/c K’s are intended to allocate actual risk. But aren’t the parties themselves best suited to allocate risk rather than the cts. LD may encourage one party to push the other to breach.
B. Northern Illinois Gas, – see Mark’s sht for 1/31.
1. Is the LD clause the exclusive remedy? Does 2-719(1) mean there is always a choice of remedy. The court says LD is an agreed measure of damages not a limit on the remedy. An overliquidated damage cl may be penalty; an underliquidated damage cl may be void under 2-718. How do LD cl apply in abnormal markets?
