Which statement about quasi-contract is correct?

• A. A measurable benefit is conferred by one party on another.
• B. The benefit is conferred with the expectation of payment.
• C. Retention of the benefit without compensation would be unfair.
• D. Absence of mistake by the party conferring the benefit.

Answer: (D)

Quasi-contract is an obligation created by law to prevent unjust enrichment when one person confers a measurable benefit on another without a contract. The key idea is fairness: if the recipient can keep the benefit without paying, the law steps in to require compensation to avoid an unjust gain. This doesn’t depend on a payment expectation or on the conferring party acting with a mistake in mind; those factors aren’t what define the doctrine. Therefore, the statement that “retention of the benefit without compensation would be unfair” best expresses how quasi-contractual duties arise. The other aspects—such as requiring an expectation of payment or the absence of mistake—do not capture the fundamental basis of this doctrine.