13340 MDR LLC v. PREFERRED BANK, Cal: Court of Appeal, 2nd Appellate Dist., 5th Div. 2019 A claim of economic duress often arises when a party is attempting to avoid a contract modification or a settlement and release. (Rich & Whillock, Inc. v. Ashton Development, Inc. (1984) 157 Cal.App.3d 1154, 1158.) The party asserting duress need […]
Category: Equity
The collateral estoppel effect of unlawful detainer judgments
Because “[a]n unlawful detainer action is a summary proceeding ordinarily limited to resolution of the question of possession[,] [citation] … any judgment arising therefrom generally is given limited res judicata effect.” (Malkoskie v. Option One Mortgage Corp. (2010) 188 Cal.App.4th 968, 973 [115 Cal.Rptr.3d 821].) The approach courts take to applying collateral estoppel in this setting […]
Promissory estoppel
The Restatement Second of Contracts, section 90 (hereafter Restatement section 90), subdivision (1) provides as follows concerning claims for promissory estoppel: “A promise which the promisor should reasonably expect to induce action or 905*905 forbearance on the part of the promisee or a third person and which does induce such action or forbearance is binding if injustice […]
Adverse possession (California and Colorado)
California (1) Title to property by adverse possession may be established either under color of title or by claim of right. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 322-325.) When, as in the instant case, title is asserted by claim of right, Code of Civil Procedure section 324 provides: “Where it appears that there has been an actual […]
Quantum meruit (California and Colorado)
Implied promise to pay for services rendered California Quantum meruit refers to the well-established principle that “the law implies a promise to pay for services performed under circumstances disclosing that they were not gratuitously rendered.” (Long v. Rumsey (1938) 12 Cal.2d 334, 342, 84 P.2d 146.) To recover in quantum meruit, a party need not […]
Implied contracts (California)
Contracts can be created by the conduct of the parties, without spoken or written words. Contracts created by conduct are just as valid as contracts formed with words. Conduct will create a contract if the conduct of both parties is intentional and each knows, or has reason to know, that the other party will interpret […]