I may hire a local restaurant to host my firm’s spring staff party. However, due to the ban on restaurants serving groups of people, the restaurant is legally prohibited from carrying out its end of the deal. The restaurant is in a tough spot. The restaurant is challenged financially, especially if it has to pay me for the damage caused by it not serving my spring staff party.
When someone has an obligation in a contract that that someone is precluded from carrying out due to an act of God, the legal doctrine that may provide relief is “force majeure.” Force majeure literally means an act of nature (like flood or drought) or an act of people (like riot or war) that is both not anticipated and not able to be controlled.
The implications of Covid-19 has likely already caused and will certainly cause some people to not honor certain contract due to force majeure (physical inability due to unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances) stemming from…
Read more about this in Lee’s article in the Lima News here: “Legal-Ease column: “Force majeure: legally unforeseen and uncontrollable acts of God”,”
Source: LimaOhio.com, “Legal-Ease column: “Force majeure: legally unforeseen and uncontrollable acts of God”,”by Lee R. Schroeder, March 16, 2020.
Lee R. Schroeder is an Ohio licensed attorney at Schroeder Law LLC in Putnam County. He limits his practice to business, real estate, estate planning and agriculture issues in northwest Ohio. He can be reached at Lee@LeeSchroeder.com or at 419-659-2058. This article is not intended to serve as legal advice, and specific advice should be sought from the licensed attorney of your choice based upon the specific facts and circumstances that you face.