Legal Definitions - action ex contractu

Action ex contractu is a legal term that refers to a personal action arising out of a contract. This means that if one party breaches a contract, the other party can bring a lawsuit to enforce the terms of the contract and seek damages for any losses suffered as a result of the breach.

For example, if a person hires a contractor to build a house and the contractor fails to complete the work according to the terms of the contract, the homeowner can bring an action ex contractu to seek damages for the cost of hiring a new contractor to complete the work.

Another example would be if a person enters into a lease agreement with a landlord and the landlord fails to make necessary repairs to the property, the tenant can bring an action ex contractu to seek damages for any losses suffered as a result of the landlord's breach of the lease agreement.