PVL3704 Study and Exam Solutions Pack Questions and
Answers
Howzextentzofzenrichmentzliabilityziszcalculated?z-zCORRECTzANSWER--
zplaintiffzclaimedzamountzhezhaszbeenzimpoverishedzor
-zdefendantzamountzhezhaszbeenzenriched
-zwhicheverziszlesser
-zquantumzofzthezenrichmentzclaimziszcalculatedzatztheztimezthezclaimziszinstituted.z
-zmeanszthezdefendantzisznotzliablezforzbenefitszthatzhezdueztozhiszenrichmentzcouldzhave
gained,zbutzdidn't.
-
zIfzdefendant'szenrichmentzhaszbeenzreducedzorzextinguishedzbeforezthezclaimzhaszbeenzinstituted,zhiszlia
bilityzwillzalsozbezreducedzorzextinguished.z-z-z-zThezonusztozproveznon-
enrichmentzlieszwithzthezdefendant.z
-zInzfourzinstanceszthezquantumzwillzbe
calculatedzsooner,zmeaningzbeforezthezdatezofzinstitutionzofzthezaction:z
(a)zatzthezmomentzthe
defendantzbecomeszawarezofzenrichmentz
(b)zatzanzearlierzstagezifzthezdefendantzshould
havezknownzthatzthezbenefitzwasn'tzjustifiedz
c)zwhenzthezdefendantzfellzintozmorazandzan
earlierzdatezifzthezdefendantzactedzmalazfide.zThesezexceptionszdoznotzapplyzinzthezcasezof
minors.z
Inzquantifyingzthezclaimzallzpositivezandznegativezside-effectszshouldzbeztakenzintozaccount.
Interestzearnedzonzmoneyzinzthezhandszofzthezdefendantzbeforezlitiszcontestatiozcannotzbe
claimedzbyzthezplaintiff,zbutzafterzmorazthezplaintiffzcanzclaimzmorazinterest.z
Ifzthezdefendantzspentzthezmoneyzonzsomethingzhezwouldznotzhavezdonezifzitzwasn'tzforzthezenrichment,z
hezcanzraisezthezdefencezofznon-enrichment.zHowever,zifzallzor
partzofzwhatzhezspentzthezmoneyzonz(egzgoods)ziszstillzofzvaluezandzinzhiszhands,zhezmustzoffer
thezgoodszorzthezvaluezofzthezgoodsztozthezplaintiff.zIfzthezgoodszarezmorezvaluablezthanzthe
, impoverishment,zthezdifferencezshouldzbezpaidztozthezdefendant.
AzhaszdemandedzpaymentzfromzBzofzanzamountzofzR50,000zwhichzhezbelieveszBziszowing.zBzhas
checkedzhiszrecordszandzhaszpaidzthezamountzinzthezbonazfidezbeliefzthatzthezamountziszowedzin
termszofztheirzcontract.zUnbeknownztozB,zhiszbookkeeper,zCzhadzalreadyzpaidzthezamountza
weekzearlierzbyzwayzofzanzelectroniczfundsztransferzintozthezaccountzofzA.zAtztheztimezofzthe
secondzpaymentzA'szaccountzwaszoverdrawnzinzthezamountzofzR30,000zandzwaszthereforezin
creditzofzR20,000zafterzthezpayment.zAzhasztakenzR15,000zoutzofzhiszaccountztozpayzhis
employeesztheirzmonthlyzwages.zHezhaszalsozpaidzR10,000zforzazluxuryzweekendzafterzrealising
thatzhiszaccountzwaszinzcredit.zDiscusszwhetherzBzhaszazclaimzagainstzAzand,zifzso,zhowzmuchzhe
mayzclaim.z-zCORRECTzANSWER-
BzhaszazclaimzofzunjustifiedzenrichmentzagainstzAzandzthezrelevantzremedyzapplicableziszthe
condictiozindebiti.zThiszactionziszavailablezwherezanzunowedzdebtzhaszbeenzpaidzdueztoza
justifiablezmistake.z(1)zInzthiszinstancezA'szenrichmentztookzplacezatzthezexpensezofzB,zbecause
Bzwaszthezpersonzinzlawzwhozmadezthezpayment,zevenzifzCzphysicallyzmadezthezpayment.z
REQUIREMENTS
(i)zThezpartyzmustzhaveztransferredzsomethingzinzownershipztozanother.z(1)
(ii)zTheztransferzmustzhavezbeenzaszazresultzofzazmistakezonzthezpartzofztheztransferorzthat
performancezwaszdue.z(1)
(iii)zThezmistake,zwhetherzinzlawzorzinzfactzmustzhavezbeenzreasonablezunderzthe
circumstances.z(1)
(iv)zAszfarzaszdefenceszarezconcerned,zthezissuezofzlosszofzenrichmentzcrops-up.zPaying-off
anzoverdraftzdoesznotzdiminishzenrichmentzaszitzconstituteszdiminishmentzofzazdebt.z(1/2)
Thezpaymentzofzwageszalsozdoesznotzcausezenrichmentztozdiminish.z(1/2)zHowever,zthe
costzofzazluxuryzholidayzcanzconstitutezanzextinctionzofzenrichmentzifzthezreceiverzofzthe
moneyzdidznotzknowzorzcouldznotzhavezknownzthatzhezorzshezhadzbeenzenriched
InzpayingzthezR50,z000zBzwaszunderzthezmistakenzbeliefzthatzthezamountzwaszowedzinztermszof
Answers
Howzextentzofzenrichmentzliabilityziszcalculated?z-zCORRECTzANSWER--
zplaintiffzclaimedzamountzhezhaszbeenzimpoverishedzor
-zdefendantzamountzhezhaszbeenzenriched
-zwhicheverziszlesser
-zquantumzofzthezenrichmentzclaimziszcalculatedzatztheztimezthezclaimziszinstituted.z
-zmeanszthezdefendantzisznotzliablezforzbenefitszthatzhezdueztozhiszenrichmentzcouldzhave
gained,zbutzdidn't.
-
zIfzdefendant'szenrichmentzhaszbeenzreducedzorzextinguishedzbeforezthezclaimzhaszbeenzinstituted,zhiszlia
bilityzwillzalsozbezreducedzorzextinguished.z-z-z-zThezonusztozproveznon-
enrichmentzlieszwithzthezdefendant.z
-zInzfourzinstanceszthezquantumzwillzbe
calculatedzsooner,zmeaningzbeforezthezdatezofzinstitutionzofzthezaction:z
(a)zatzthezmomentzthe
defendantzbecomeszawarezofzenrichmentz
(b)zatzanzearlierzstagezifzthezdefendantzshould
havezknownzthatzthezbenefitzwasn'tzjustifiedz
c)zwhenzthezdefendantzfellzintozmorazandzan
earlierzdatezifzthezdefendantzactedzmalazfide.zThesezexceptionszdoznotzapplyzinzthezcasezof
minors.z
Inzquantifyingzthezclaimzallzpositivezandznegativezside-effectszshouldzbeztakenzintozaccount.
Interestzearnedzonzmoneyzinzthezhandszofzthezdefendantzbeforezlitiszcontestatiozcannotzbe
claimedzbyzthezplaintiff,zbutzafterzmorazthezplaintiffzcanzclaimzmorazinterest.z
Ifzthezdefendantzspentzthezmoneyzonzsomethingzhezwouldznotzhavezdonezifzitzwasn'tzforzthezenrichment,z
hezcanzraisezthezdefencezofznon-enrichment.zHowever,zifzallzor
partzofzwhatzhezspentzthezmoneyzonz(egzgoods)ziszstillzofzvaluezandzinzhiszhands,zhezmustzoffer
thezgoodszorzthezvaluezofzthezgoodsztozthezplaintiff.zIfzthezgoodszarezmorezvaluablezthanzthe
, impoverishment,zthezdifferencezshouldzbezpaidztozthezdefendant.
AzhaszdemandedzpaymentzfromzBzofzanzamountzofzR50,000zwhichzhezbelieveszBziszowing.zBzhas
checkedzhiszrecordszandzhaszpaidzthezamountzinzthezbonazfidezbeliefzthatzthezamountziszowedzin
termszofztheirzcontract.zUnbeknownztozB,zhiszbookkeeper,zCzhadzalreadyzpaidzthezamountza
weekzearlierzbyzwayzofzanzelectroniczfundsztransferzintozthezaccountzofzA.zAtztheztimezofzthe
secondzpaymentzA'szaccountzwaszoverdrawnzinzthezamountzofzR30,000zandzwaszthereforezin
creditzofzR20,000zafterzthezpayment.zAzhasztakenzR15,000zoutzofzhiszaccountztozpayzhis
employeesztheirzmonthlyzwages.zHezhaszalsozpaidzR10,000zforzazluxuryzweekendzafterzrealising
thatzhiszaccountzwaszinzcredit.zDiscusszwhetherzBzhaszazclaimzagainstzAzand,zifzso,zhowzmuchzhe
mayzclaim.z-zCORRECTzANSWER-
BzhaszazclaimzofzunjustifiedzenrichmentzagainstzAzandzthezrelevantzremedyzapplicableziszthe
condictiozindebiti.zThiszactionziszavailablezwherezanzunowedzdebtzhaszbeenzpaidzdueztoza
justifiablezmistake.z(1)zInzthiszinstancezA'szenrichmentztookzplacezatzthezexpensezofzB,zbecause
Bzwaszthezpersonzinzlawzwhozmadezthezpayment,zevenzifzCzphysicallyzmadezthezpayment.z
REQUIREMENTS
(i)zThezpartyzmustzhaveztransferredzsomethingzinzownershipztozanother.z(1)
(ii)zTheztransferzmustzhavezbeenzaszazresultzofzazmistakezonzthezpartzofztheztransferorzthat
performancezwaszdue.z(1)
(iii)zThezmistake,zwhetherzinzlawzorzinzfactzmustzhavezbeenzreasonablezunderzthe
circumstances.z(1)
(iv)zAszfarzaszdefenceszarezconcerned,zthezissuezofzlosszofzenrichmentzcrops-up.zPaying-off
anzoverdraftzdoesznotzdiminishzenrichmentzaszitzconstituteszdiminishmentzofzazdebt.z(1/2)
Thezpaymentzofzwageszalsozdoesznotzcausezenrichmentztozdiminish.z(1/2)zHowever,zthe
costzofzazluxuryzholidayzcanzconstitutezanzextinctionzofzenrichmentzifzthezreceiverzofzthe
moneyzdidznotzknowzorzcouldznotzhavezknownzthatzhezorzshezhadzbeenzenriched
InzpayingzthezR50,z000zBzwaszunderzthezmistakenzbeliefzthatzthezamountzwaszowedzinztermszof
