Legal Definitions - propter rem ipsam non habitam

Definition: Propter rem ipsam non habitam (pronounced prop-tuh-r rem ip-suhm non hab-uh-tuhm) is a Latin legal term that means "on account of not having had possession of the thing itself." This phrase is used to refer to damages suffered by a party who failed to receive a thing for which the party had contracted.

Example: If you ordered a new phone from a company and paid for it, but the company never delivered the phone to you, you could sue them for damages propter rem ipsam non habitam. This means that you suffered damages because you did not receive the phone that you had contracted for.

Explanation: The example illustrates how propter rem ipsam non habitam can be used in a legal context. In this case, the party (the customer) suffered damages because they did not receive the thing (the phone) that they had contracted for. The phrase is used to describe the situation where a party has suffered damages because they did not receive the thing that they had contracted for, even though they had paid for it.