Contracts
Unjust Enrichment
Definition
Unjust enrichment is a cause of action allowing recovery when one party has been unjustly enriched at the expense of another and it would be inequitable to allow the enriched party to retain the benefit without paying for it. The plaintiff must show that the defendant received a benefit, the plaintiff conferred the benefit, the defendant's retention of the benefit is unjust, and there is no adequate remedy at law. It is the substantive basis for the quasi-contractual remedy of restitution.
Example
A homeowner mistakenly builds an improvement on a neighbor's land. The neighbor is unjustly enriched by the improvement and may be required to pay its reasonable value.