What Remedies exist for Breach of Contract?

What is Breach of Contract and its Types?

There are two types of contracts: a contract for the sale of goods and a contract for services.  For the most part, the remedies available for breach of contract for either a sale of goods or for serves are the same, but there are also some differences.  When there’s a breach of contract for the sale of goods, the UCC governs.  Under the UCC, failure to deliver goods is a material breach, but in common law, it is not.  Any contract can contain a “liquidated damages” provision which typically includes a certain amount of money that the non-breaching party is entitled to if a party breaches the contract.

What are the Remedies for Breach of Contract?

In the event the contract you entered into does not have such a provision, the following remedies may be applicable:

Breach of contract for services:

1)    Expectation damages—money equivalent for the loss of the benefit of the bargain

2)    Reliance damages—put the non-breaching party in the pre-contract position (before the contract occurred)

3)    Restitution damages—prevents unjust enrichment and puts the breaching party in the pre-contract position

Breach of contract for sale of goods:

1)    Under the UCC, there’s the Perfect Tender Rule, which provides that if the goods or tender of delivery fail to conform to the contract, the buyer may:

1. Reject the whole;
2. Accept the whole; or
3. Accept any commercial unit or units and reject the rest.

2)    If the Seller breaches, the Buyer can:

1. Cover—buy substitute goods and get the difference between what the buyer paid and what the buyer was supposed to pay under the contract;
2. Specific performance—if the goods are unique (rare, not easily replaced) or in other proper circumstances; or
3. Do nothing and sue for market damages—the difference between the market price and the contract price.

3)    If the Buyer breaches, the Seller can:

1. Re-sell and seek damages;
2. Recover from the Buyer the difference between the contract price and the resale price; or
3. Recover under the lost profit measure

How do you Prove Damages in a Breach of Contract?

1)    There is an enforceable contract between the parties,

2)    Defendant breached the contract, and

3)    Plaintiff (non-breaching party) was damaged.