Unjust Enrichment
Unjust enrichment occurs when one party unfairly benefits at another's expense without a legal justification. In contract law, if someone receives a benefit (like money or a service) under circumstances that suggest it would be unfair to keep it—such as when a contract is void or incomplete—they may be required to return that benefit. It's about ensuring fairness; the law seeks to prevent someone from profiting from a situation where they haven't fulfilled their side of a bargain or where it would be otherwise inequitable.
Additional Insights
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Unjust enrichment occurs when one person benefits at another person's expense in a way that is not fair or justified. For example, if someone mistakenly pays you money for a service you didn't provide, you are unjustly enriched if you keep that money without doing anything to deserve it. The law seeks to prevent this by allowing the person who lost out to recover the value of what they gave or lost. Essentially, it’s about ensuring fairness when one party gains something at another's unfair cost.