Legal Definitions - action de in rem verso

Definition: Action de in rem verso is a legal term that refers to an action for unjust enrichment. It is a type of civil action where the plaintiff seeks to recover money that was applied to the defendant's advantage. The plaintiff must prove that the defendant was enriched, that the enrichment caused an impoverishment, that there is no justification for the enrichment and impoverishment, and that the plaintiff has no other adequate remedyat law.

Example: An example of an action de in rem verso is when a contractor performs work on a property without a contract and the property owner benefits from the work. The contractor can bring an action de in rem verso to recover the value of the work performed.

Explanation: In this example, the contractor was enriched by performing work on the property, but the property owner was also enriched by receiving the benefit of the work. The contractor can bring an action de in rem verso to recover the value of the work performed because there was no contract in place and the contractor has no other adequate remedy at law.