This section is from the book "The Law Of Contracts", by Samuel Williston. Also available from Amazon: Treatise on the Law of Contracts.
Effect of mistake on contracts....................................... 1535
Confusion concerning elements of contract............................ 1536
Elements of contract in equity...................................... 1537
Confusion between void and voidable transactions..................... 1538
Distinction between transfer of title and enforceability of contract........ 1539
Distinction between fraud, honest mis representation, and mistake........ 1540
Effects of mistake........................... ...................... 1541
Remedies for mistake.............................................. 1542
Kinds of mistake - compromise...................................... 1543
Mistake to justify rescission must relate to a fundamental assumption...... 1544
Mistake in the formation and mistake in the performance of a contract.. ............ 1545
Classification of the Civil law........................................ 1546
Reformation of mistake in repression of contract...................... 1547
Reasons and limits of reformation................................... 1548
Reformation can only make a writing express what parties intended should be written...................................................... 1549
Reformation of conveyances......................................... 1550
Reformation of releases............................................. 1551
Effect of parol evidence rule and Statute of Frauds on right of reformation of executed transactions.......................................... 1552
Executory contracts in England............... ..................... 1553
Executory contracts which are not within the Statute of Frauds in the United
States......................................................... 1554
Executory contracts which are within the Statute in the United States..............1555
Voluntary or- illegal writings......................................... 1556
Rescission........................................................ 1557
Mistake as to the person contracted with............................. 1558
Error in regard to an object to which the contract relates............... 1559
Non-existence of goods sold......................................... 1560
A sale of specific goods is void if goods not in existence................. 1561
Partial destruction of the goods prior to the sale....................... 1562
Inferior quality of the goods........................................ 1563
Rules of the Civil law............................................... 1564
Mistake as to title to personal property............................... 1565
Mistake as to existence or title to real estate.......................... 1566
Mistake as to the existence of ore.................................... 1567
Mistake as to insurance risk......................................... 1568
Collateral mistake generally immaterial...............................1569
When collateral mistake is material.................................. 1570
Mistake as to area of land.......................................... 1571
Mistake as to the character of money or securities..................... 1572
Unilateral mistake................................................. 1573
Recovery of money paid under a mistake of fact........................ 1574
Recovery of the value of goods or services rendered under a mistake....... 1575
Demand........................................................... 1576
Unilateral mistake as to contents of writing............................ 1577
Relief sometimes allowed for unilateral mistake in other cases............ 1578
Criticism of relief for unilateral mistake............................... 1579
An executed or partially executed transaction will not be rescinded for unilateral mistake................................................... 1580
Mistake of law..................................................... 1581
General statements deny relief for mistake of law....................... 1582
Mistake of law in the Civil law...................................... 1583
Exceptions to the rule denying relief for mistake of law.................. 1584
Mistake of law as to meaning of instrument is ground for reformation...... 1585 limits of possibility of reformation for mistake of law................... 1586
Mistake as to legal consequences..................................... 1587
Mistake of matter of law affecting the situation antecedent to the bargain.. .. 1588
Mistake as to antecedent private rights............................... 1589
Money paid under a mistake of law by a public officer or to an officer of the court............................................................ 1590
Mistake of law induced by the other party............................. 1591
Mistake of foreign law............................................... 1592
Mistake must be injurious........................................... 1593
Prompt election and restoration of the status quo........................ 1594
Change of position bars recovery of money paid under a mistake.......... 1595
Negligence and laches............................................... 1596
Burden of clear proof is on complainant............................... 1597
Law and equity; rescission at law.................................... 1598
Reformation at law................................................. 1599
Accidental loss or destruction of writings.............................. 1600
 
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