Also known as: justifiably rely · justifiably relied · reasonable reliance
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
Action or inaction by a party in response to another's representation or conduct when the circumstances render that response reasonable. The reliance must induce a change in position that the law protects to avoid injustice.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Jorge Juarez owned the servient parcel crossed by an easement held by Jennings Forge. Juarez built a permanent fence across the path after observing the dominant owner ignore the easement for years. The dominant owner later sought to reopen the path but the court found the servient owner's construction extinguished the easement.
Jonathan Jaffe orally agreed to buy a parcel from Juarez Holdings. Jaffe paid the price and took possession while the seller remained silent. When the seller later refused to convey title citing the statute of frauds, the court ordered specific performance.
Julia Jensen permitted Joanna Jung to run a pipeline across her land. Jung installed costly permanent equipment in reliance on the permission. When Jensen later revoked access, the court recognized an enforceable servitude.
Officers obtained a warrant from a neutral magistrate and searched a warehouse. The warrant later proved defective for lack of probable cause. The court admitted the seized evidence because the officers had relied on the warrant.
Jada Jones received a safety report from Jimenez Motors stating a vehicle part was defect-free. Jones relied on the report and drove the vehicle, suffering injury when the part failed. The court held the company liable for the resulting harm.
Justin Jarvis obtained a written opinion from the state regulator stating his planned conduct was lawful. He proceeded with the conduct in reliance on the letter. When the opinion was later withdrawn, the court recognized a defense to the resulting charge.
Justifiable reliance focuses on whether the plaintiff was entitled to rely given the circumstances and any red flags, rather than applying a purely objective reasonable-person standard. Courts treat it as a limit on duty rather than a form of contributory negligence. A plaintiff may still recover even if careless provided the reliance was justified under the facts.
No. When a party changes position in justifiable reliance on an oral promise concerning land, courts may enforce the promise despite the statute. The reliance and resulting injustice supply the equitable basis for enforcement.
…not alone in holding that the trier of fact can infer an agreement to limit the grounds for termination based on the employee's reasonable reliance on the company's personnel manual or policies. (See, e.g., Robinson v. Hewlett-Packard Corp., supra, 183 Cal. App.3d at p. 1123 [promise not to terminate without good cause demonstrated…
…fault, and other affirmative defenses. Variations in state law magnify the differences. In a fraud claim, some states require justifiable reliance
…( Lingsch, supra, 213 Cal.App.2d at p. 737.) Materiality “is a question of law, and is part of the concept of right to rely or
…on "modification" in this case is any reference to reliance
…Co. , 241 Kan. 441, 464, 738 P.2d 1210, 1228 (1987) ("[W]here a patient relies on a physician for treatment or advice ..., justifiable reliance
Yes. Both torts require the plaintiff to prove actual reliance that was justifiable under the circumstances. The requirement ensures the misrepresentation caused the harm and limits liability to cases where the recipient was entitled to act on the statement.
Yes, when the statement concerns the seller's present intention about a material matter and the buyer has reason to believe the intention will be carried out. The reliance remains justifiable even though the subject involves future performance.
Yes, when the statement comes from the officer or body charged with interpreting the law and the reliance is reasonable. The defense applies even though the statement is later withdrawn or found invalid.