Opinion ID: 1711091
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Would it be inequitable to enlarge W.W. Knight's interest in the minerals of the subject tract from one-fourth (¼) to three-fourths (¾)?

Text: ¶ 10. Since W.W. Knight had to know that he was receiving a one-fourth (¼) mineral interest, it must be assumed that he paid the fair market value for a one-fourth (¼) mineral interest. Gladys Knight argues that it would not be inequitable to enlarge grantee W.W. Knight's one-fourth (¼) interest to three-fourths (¾). However, giving someone a three-fourths (¾) interest when consideration for only a one-fourth (¼) interest was given seems quite inequitable, and doing this would result in unjust enrichment. The doctrine of unjust enrichment... applies to situations where there is no legal contract but where the person sought to be charged is in possession of money or property which in good conscience and justice he should not retain but should deliver to another, the courts imposing a duty to refund the money or the use value of the property to the person to whom in good conscience it ought to belong. Hans v. Hans, 482 So.2d 1117, 1122 (Miss.1986) (quoting 66 Am.Jur.2d Restitution and Implied Contracts, § 11 (1973)). The Shows to Knight deed represented an agreement wherein the Shows agreed to sell and W.W. Knight agreed to buy all of the surface and one-fourth (¼) of the minerals under the subject land. There was no legal contract for the remaining three-fourths (¾) of the minerals under the tract at issue, and enlarging the grantee's interest in the tract at issue would put his heir in possession of property which in good conscience and justice [s]he should not retain. Id.