Restitution - Mistake of Fact

A right to restitution arises when one person is "unjustly enriched" at the expense of another. One context in which restitution is sometimes sought is when payments are made under a "mistake of fact." The situations and contexts in which mistake of fact arise are quite varied. In this lesson, we examine some of the situations and contexts, and extract general principles regarding the right to restitution for mistaken payments. This lesson is intended for students who have studied these issues in class and who wish to further refine their knowledge.