Which concept occurs when a party unfairly benefits from another person's mistake and the court corrects the unfairness?

Which concept occurs when a party unfairly benefits from another person's mistake and the court corrects the unfairness?

• A. Constructive trust
• B. Unjust enrichment
• C. Common law
• D. Cy-pres doctrine

Answer: (B)

Unjust enrichment is the idea that someone should not keep a benefit that was obtained at another person’s expense in a way that fairness forbids. When a party gains from another’s mistake, the law steps in to fix the imbalance by ordering restitution—the wrongdoer must give back the value of the benefit so the injured party isn’t left worse off. This remedy focuses on restoring the previous position and preventing an inequitable retention of gain, regardless of a contract or formal agreement. A constructive trust, while related, is a more specific tool used to prevent unjust enrichment by treating the wrongfully held property as held in trust for the rightful owner; cy-pres deals with redirecting charitable gifts when the original purpose can’t be fulfilled, and doesn’t fit the general scenario described. So the best concept here is unjust enrichment.

Unjust enrichment is the idea that someone should not keep a benefit that was obtained at another person’s expense in a way that fairness forbids. When a party gains from another’s mistake, the law steps in to fix the imbalance by ordering restitution—the wrongdoer must give back the value of the benefit so the injured party isn’t left worse off. This remedy focuses on restoring the previous position and preventing an inequitable retention of gain, regardless of a contract or formal agreement. A constructive trust, while related, is a more specific tool used to prevent unjust enrichment by treating the wrongfully held property as held in trust for the rightful owner; cy-pres deals with redirecting charitable gifts when the original purpose can’t be fulfilled, and doesn’t fit the general scenario described. So the best concept here is unjust enrichment.