Negotiorum gestio

Negotiorum gestio ([nəˌgō.shē-ˈȯr-əm-ˈgestēˌō], Latin for "management of business") is a form of spontaneous voluntary agency in which an intervenor or intermeddler, the gestor, acts on behalf and for the benefit of a principal (dominus negotii), but without the latter's prior consent. The gestor is only entitled to reimbursement for expenses and not to remuneration, the underlying principle being that negotiorum gestio is intended as an act of generosity and friendship and not to allow the gestor to profit from his intermeddling. This form of intervention is classified as a quasi-contract and found in civil-law jurisdictions and in mixed systems (e.g. Louisiana, Scots, South African, and Philippine laws).

For example, while you are traveling abroad, a typhoon hits your home town and the roofing of your house is in danger. To avoid the catastrophic situation, your neighbour does something urgently necessary. You are the 'principal' and your neighbour here is the 'gestor', the act of which saved your house is the negotiorum gestio.

It originated as a Roman legal institution in which an individual acted on behalf of another, without his asking and without remuneration. It was considered a part of officium (duty), for instance, to defend a friend's or neighbour's interests while the friend or neighbour was away.^[1]

The principal, or dominus negotii (or rarely dominus negotiorum dominus rei gestae), is bound to indemnify the gestor for the expenses and liabilities incurred. If the principal fails to do so, there is unjust enrichment, and the gestor then has a claim to bring an action for restitution. In Napoleonic jurisdictions, as well as others like Louisiana, the action takes the form of the actio de in rem verso. In South Africa, on the other hand, multiple restitutionary actions lie for negotiorum gestio, namely:

condictio indebiti;
condictio causa data causa non secuta;
condictio ob turpem vel iniustam causam;
condictio sine causa specialis

Negotiorum gestio is not recognised at common law, despite certain English salvage cases, as well as some cases in equity where trustees were on occasion remunerated for services voluntarily rendered.^[2] Nevertheless, the concept is known in English legal theory as ‘necessitous intervention’.

It is variously known as follows:

Belgium: "agency of necessity" in Dutch and "management of affairs" in French (Dutch: zaakwaarneming or French: gestion d'affaires) under the Belgian Civil Code
Czech Republic: "uncommanded agency" (Czech: nepřikázané jednatelství) under the Czech Civil Code^[3]
France: "management of affairs" (French: gestion d'affaires) under the French Civil Code^[4]
Germany: "agency without specific authorisation" (German: Geschäftsführung ohne Auftrag) under the German Civil Code^[5]
Italy: "management of another's affairs" (Italian: gestione di affare altrui) under the Italian Civil Code^[6]
Japan: "management of business" (Japanese: 事務管理, jimu kanri) under the Japanese Civil Code^[7]
Louisiana: "management of affairs" under the Louisiana Civil Code
Netherlands: "agency of necessity" (Dutch: zaakwaarneming) under the Dutch Civil Code^[8]
Scotland: Negotiorum gestio (sometimes rendered 'benevolent intervention', though generally the phrase negotiorum gestio is used even in modern statutes).
South Africa: negotiorum gestio (sometimes "management of affairs") under South African law
Sweden: negotiorum gestio and "services without assignment" (Swedish: tjänster utan uppdrag)
Switzerland: "business management without authority" in German and "management of affairs" in French (German: Geschäftsführung ohne Auftrag or French: gestion d'affaires) under the Swiss Civil Code^[9]
Poland: "management of another's business without an order" (Polish: Prowadzenie cudzych spraw bez zlecenia) under the Polish Civil Code^[10]
Portugal: "management of business" (Portuguese: gestão de negócios) under the Portuguese Civil Code (Articles 464 to 472)^[11]
Russia: "action in the interest of another (without instruction)" (Russian: действия в чужом интересе (без поручения)) under the Russian Federation Civil Code^[12]
Taiwan: "management of affairs without mandate" (Chinese: 無因管理; pinyin: wú yīn guǎnlǐ) under the Taiwanese Civil Code^[13]
Thailand: "management of affairs without mandate" (Thai: จัดการงานนอกสั่ง; RTGS: chat kan ngan nok sang) under the Civil and Commercial Code^[14]
Turkey: "management of affairs without mandate (Turkish: Vekaletsiz işgörme) under the Turkish Code of Obligations (Articles 526-531)

^ J.A. Crook, Law and Life of Rome (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press), 236–37.
^ Jeroen Kortmann, Altruism in Private Law: Liability for Nonfeasance and Negotiorum Gestio (Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005).
^ Czech Civil Code, Part 4, Chapter IV, Title 2
^ See FCC - Book 3 - Title 4 Archived 2006-05-30 at the Wayback Machine
^ Langenscheidt Translation Service (2011-07-21). "Civil Code, Book 2, Title 13". Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
^ See ICC - Book IV - Title VI
^ "Civil Code, Part III, Chapter 3". Japanese Ministry of Justice. 2009-01-04. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
^ M. L. Hendrikse; et al. (2008). Aspects of Maritime Law: Claims Under Bills of Lading. Netherlands: Kluwer Law International. p. 340. ISBN 9789041126238.
^ "Swiss Civil Code, Part Five, Division One, Title One, Section One, Article 38". Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
^ See K.c. - Book 3 - Title XXII
^ "Código Civil". Diário da República Eletrónico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-11-04.
^ See RF CC - Part III - Chapter 50
^ "Civil Code, Part II, Chapter I, Section 1, Sub-section 3". Law and Regulations Database of ROC. 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2014-01-06.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Kamol Sandhikshetrin (2007). Civil and Commercial Code, Books I–VI, and Glossary (8th ed.). Bangkok: Nitibannakan. p. 91. ISBN 9789744473493. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-01-05.

[1] J.A. Crook, Law and Life of Rome (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press), 236–37.

[2] Jeroen Kortmann, Altruism in Private Law: Liability for Nonfeasance and Negotiorum Gestio (Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005).

[3] Czech Civil Code, Part 4, Chapter IV, Title 2

[4] See FCC - Book 3 - Title 4 Archived 2006-05-30 at the Wayback Machine

[5] Langenscheidt Translation Service (2011-07-21). "Civil Code, Book 2, Title 13". Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Retrieved 2014-01-06.

[6] See ICC - Book IV - Title VI

[7] "Civil Code, Part III, Chapter 3". Japanese Ministry of Justice. 2009-01-04. Retrieved 2014-01-06.

[8] M. L. Hendrikse; et al. (2008). Aspects of Maritime Law: Claims Under Bills of Lading. Netherlands: Kluwer Law International. p. 340. ISBN 9789041126238.

[9] "Swiss Civil Code, Part Five, Division One, Title One, Section One, Article 38". Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2014-01-06.

[10] See K.c. - Book 3 - Title XXII

[11] "Código Civil". Diário da República Eletrónico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-11-04.

[12] See RF CC - Part III - Chapter 50

[13] "Civil Code, Part II, Chapter I, Section 1, Sub-section 3". Law and Regulations Database of ROC. 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2014-01-06.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[14] Kamol Sandhikshetrin (2007). Civil and Commercial Code, Books I–VI, and Glossary (8th ed.). Bangkok: Nitibannakan. p. 91. ISBN 9789744473493. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-01-05.

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Contract law

Formation
Capacity Offer and acceptance Meeting of the minds² Abstraction principle^4,5 Posting rule¹ Mirror image rule Invitation to treat Firm offer Consideration^1,4 Implication-in-fact Collateral contract
Defences
Misrepresentation Mistake Threats and unequal bargaining power Illegality and public policy Unconscionability Culpa in contrahendo² Force majeure Frustration of purpose Impossibility Impracticability Hardship Set-off Illusory promise¹ Statute of frauds¹ Non est factum¹ Unclean hands¹ Accord and satisfaction¹ Exculpatory clause
Interpretation
Parol evidence³ Contract of adhesion Integration clause Contra proferentem UNIDROIT Principles
Dispute resolution
Choice of law clause Forum selection clause Hague Choice of Court Convention Arbitration New York Convention UNCITRAL Model Law Mediation Singapore Mediation Convention Enforcement of foreign judgments Hague Judgments Convention
Rights of third parties
Privity of contract¹ Assignment Delegation Novation Third-party beneficiary
Breach of contract
Anticipatory repudiation Cover Exclusion clause Efficient breach Deviation Fundamental breach
Remedies
Specific performance³ Money damages Liquidated, stipulated, or penal damages³ Rescission
Quasi-contractual obligations
Promissory estoppel¹ Quantum meruit¹ Unjust enrichment Restitution Negotiorum gestio²
Duties of parties
Duty of honest contractual performance (or doctrine of abuse of rights)⁶ Duty of good faith (also implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing or duty to negotiate in good faith)⁷ Contract A and Contract B in Canadian contract law⁶
Related areas of law
Conflict of laws Commercial law
By jurisdiction
Australia Canada China (mainland) Ireland India Saudi Arabia United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland United States
Other law areas
Tort law Property law Wills, trusts, and estates Criminal law Evidence
Notes
1 Specific to common law jurisdictions 2 Specific to civil and mixed law jurisdictions 3 Historically restricted in common law jurisdictions but generally accepted elsewhere; availability varies between contemporary common law jurisdictions 4 Specific to the German Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch and other civil codes based on the pandectist tradition 5 Explicitly rejected by the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts 6 Specific to Canadian contract law both in Québec and in the country's common law provinces 7 Specific to civil law jurisdictions, the American Uniform Commercial Code, and Canadian jurisprudence in both Québec and the common law provinces pertaining to contractual and pre-contractual negotiation
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