What damages could a seller possibly claim if the buyer is in breach of contract?

Asked by: Abdul Skiles Sr.  |  Last update: July 18, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (66 votes)

There are five important types of damages that might be available, depending on your situation: compensatory damages, specific performance, an injunction, liquidated damages, or rescission. If you are dealing with a potential breach of contract, you probably need legal advice on what you should do next.

What happens if a buyer is in breach of contract?

A remedy “at law” is an action to collect monetary damages for the seller's losses emanating from the buyer's breach. The remedy “in equity” is primarily that of “specific performance.” For the most part, the seller's remedies where a buyer breaches are equivalent to the buyer's remedies where a seller breaches.

What damages are recoverable for breach of contract?

  • Compensatory Damages. Compensatory damages compensate the non-breaching party for the actual financial losses suffered as a direct result of the breach of contract. ...
  • Consequential Damages. ...
  • Incidental Damages. ...
  • Punitive Damages. ...
  • Nominal Damages.

What are the possible remedies for a buyer when the seller breaches a contract?

Buyer's Remedies for Breach of Contract

Apart from seeking compensation, the buyer has the option to request a refund of the money they have already paid. Another remedy available for a breach of contract is a suit for price, which involves the money paid by the buyer for goods that were not delivered by the seller.

What is a common form of damages that are granted for breach of contract?

If you successfully take someone to court for breach of contract, the most common remedy is compensatory damages. Usually, a court will order the person who breached the contract to pay you enough money that you can go elsewhere to get the services they failed to provide.

Seller Remedies if Buyer is in Breach of Contract | Episode 10 | David & David on Real Estate

16 related questions found

What are the 4 types of damages available for breach of contract?

Four Types of Damages Available in a Breach of Contract
  • Compensatory damages. Compensatory damages aim to restore the party who did NOT breach the contract back to the position they would have been in if the other party had held up their end of the deal as promised.
  • Punitive damages. ...
  • Nominal damages. ...
  • Liquidated damages.

What 3 elements must a breach of contract claim?

Once the plaintiff proves that a valid contract existed, they must show that they upheld their part. After that, the plaintiff must show that the defendant did not fulfill their obligations. And finally there must be evidence of actual damages that the plaintiff suffered as a result.

What is the buyer's remedy for a seller's breach?

If the seller breaches the agreement, the buyer is entitled to recover consequential damages that were reasonably foreseeable at the time of contracting and actually known or communicated to the seller. This includes lost profits, which are generally not recoverable under Civ. C.

How to calculate damages for breach of contract?

general expectation damages = the value of performance without the breach (what was promised) minus the value of performance with the breach (what was received)

When can a buyer sue a seller?

“Yes,” says Stephen Donaldson, a leading real estate attorney with The Donaldson Law Firm in New York. “If the seller has defaulted pursuant to the terms of the contract, a buyer can sue a seller for backing out.” However, he adds, “You always want to avoid litigation.”

What is damage caused by breach of contract?

Section 73-75 under the Indian Contract Act 1872 details the consequences of a breach of contract. Breach of contract may be actual or anticipatory. In case of any breach of contract, the affected party can claim the damage from the court by forcing the other party to perform as promised.

What are special damages in breach of contract?

In contract law , special damages (also called consequential damages) refer to irregular damages such as physical injuries during a breach of contract , but general damages would refer to the damages expected from the contract being breached.

What are direct damages for breach of contract?

Direct damages, also known as actual damages, are those damages which are the necessary and usual result of the defendant's wrongful act; they flow naturally and necessarily from the wrong.

When a buyer breaches a contract while the seller is still in possession?

If the buyer has breached and the seller is still in possession of the goods, the seller may resell the goods to another. The right to damages. If the goods are sold for less than the contract price with the breaching buyer, the seller has a right to damages for the difference.

What voids a real estate contract?

In the real estate industry, voidable contracts are quite common. For example, if a buyer discovers significant defects in a property that were intentionally concealed by the seller, they can seek to void the contract based on fraudulent misrepresentation.

What are the four types of breach of contract?

In each scenario, you're clearly the victim of an obviously broken contract, but the tricky part is determining what type if contract breach occurred and what remedies are legally available to you. Generally speaking, there are four types of contract breaches: anticipatory, actual, minor and material.

What type of damages are awarded for breach of contract?

Are you wondering about seeking damages for breach of contract? There are five important types of damages that might be available, depending on your situation: compensatory damages, specific performance, an injunction, liquidated damages, or rescission.

What compensation can you get for breach of contract?

When suing for breach of contract, you may ask for compensatory, consequential, incidental, and liquidated damages. Punitive damages, which are meant to punish the breaching party for their behavior, are available only for breaches of contract that also involve a tort, such as embezzlement or fraud.

What are the buyer's remedies for breach of contract?

If the contracted goods are considered "unique", the buyer may be entitled to a court order requiring the seller to produce and deliver the goods. If a buyer accepts defective goods and does not properly revoke the acceptance, the buyer is still entitled to damages.

Can a seller sue a buyer for breach of contract?

Although many people do this, it's not necessarily legally correct, and the seller can sue the buyer for their damages. The legal process in that situation would go like this: A buyer is contractually obligated to buy but doesn't fulfill their responsibilities to come to the settlement table and pay the purchase price.

What equitable remedies are available to a buyer when a seller has breached?

The equitable remedies are specific performance (an order directing a person to deliver to the buyer the unique thing the seller contracted to sell), injunction (an order directing a person to stop doing that which he should not do), and restitution (the return by one party of the benefit conferred on him when the ...

What options does the seller have to be made whole if the buyer breaches?

Seller's Remedies for Buyer Non-Performance in California Real Estate Purchase Contracts
  • Retaining the Buyer's Deposit: One of the most common remedies available to a seller is retaining the buyer's earnest money deposit. ...
  • Legal Action for Damages: ...
  • Specific Performance: ...
  • Rescission of the Contract: ...
  • Negotiated Solutions:

How to prove damages in breach of contract?

Proof of actual harm and its cause must be established. For example: future lost profits are commonly claimed, but how are they proved? If the contract does not specify fixed numbers (either in goods or the dollar-amount of services), then expert witnesses are brought in to testify to the likely amount of damages.

Is it worth suing for breach of contract?

The Value of the Contract: Consider whether the breach resulted in substantial financial or other losses. If the damages are minimal, the costs of litigation may outweigh the potential recovery. For example, suing over a minor inconvenience or slight delay may not be worth the effort.

What are the 3 consequences of a breach of contract?

Legal Consequences of Breaking a Contract

You may be held liable for monetary damages if you breach a contract. There are three different types of monetary damages: expected damages, reliance damages, and restitution damages. Collectively these are known as “compensatory damages.”