Opinion ID: 1841190
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Rawls Judgment

Text: The Joneses assert that the judgment in favor of Rawls and against them is clearly erroneous and contrary to the great weight of the evidence in this action. They cite the following testimony by Rusty Rawls in support of their assertion that Rawls was looking to the Bank and not to the Joneses for payment: Q. Mr. Rawls, with respect to this account that you've testified to, who did you extend the credit to? A. I extended the credit in my own mind to the Federal Land Bank. Because I wouldn't have sent the first dime out there without them. Both the Joneses and Rawls cite the following testimony by Rawls in support of their position: Q. All right. If Mr. Gresham hadn't guaranteed your payment at the beginning would you have extended any credit to Mr. Jones and Mr. Hargrove? A. No, sir. Rawls claims that the preceding excerpt shows that he extended credit to the Joneses as well as the Bank. Additionally, Rawls asserts that there is ample evidence to support a finding for him against the Joneses on open account based upon quasi-contract. This Court discussed the remedy of quasi-contract in Opelika Production Credit Association, Inc. v. Lamb, 361 So.2d 95, 99 (Ala.1978): Under modern authorities, the remedy has been expanded to reach benefits other than money received. A person may be considered to have conferred a benefit upon another if he has given him possession of, or an interest in, land, chattels, or choses in action, or if he performs some service which is beneficial to or at the request of the other person, or if he satisfies a duty on a debt of the other. Whenever one person adds to the other's advantage in any form, whether by increasing his holdings or saving him from expense or loss, he has conferred a benefit upon the other. Restatement, Restitution, § 1(b); Sullivan, The Concept of Benefit in the Law of Quasi-Contract, 64 Geo.L.J. 1 (1975). The remedy of quasi-contract is founded upon the familiar principle of avoiding unjust enrichment. Where the plaintiff has suffered a detriment, and the defendant has received a benefit as a result, it is said that justice demands the repayment by the defendant of the plaintiff's loss. The measure of the defendant's liability is, however, limited to the value of the benefit received, whether or not it is equal to, less than, or greater than the plaintiff's loss. But, in any case, there must be a detriment, and a resulting benefit, and the two must be related.... The Joneses clearly received a benefit by having Rawls deliver supplies and materials to be used in their house. Likewise, Rawls clearly suffered a detriment in the amount of $12,775.23. Accordingly, the trial court's judgment for Rawls is due to be affirmed because there was sufficient evidence from which the trial court could find for Rawls under the theory of quasi-contract on the count of open account or goods sold.