Contract Disputes and Property Disputes in Minnesota

Contract disputes and property disputes in Minnesota are regarded as civil cases. Both cases involve disagreements among the parties involved, on certain issues. Typically, aggrieved parties can file a lawsuit in the appropriate state court.

The Minnesota District Court has original jurisdiction in all civil matters including legal contract disputes and property disputes.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that person resides in or was accused in.

Third-party sites are independent from government sources, and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

What are Contract Disputes in Minnesota?

When an individual, agency, or organization does not perform the promises they agreed on in a contract, disputes are bound to occur. Contract disputes in Minnesota mean that there is a breach of contract constituted by a party that did not adhere to their contractual obligations.

What are the Most Common Contract Disputes in Minnesota?

Cases regarding contract disputes that the Minnesota court frequently hears include:

• Sales of goods contract disputes: This occurs due to disagreement between merchants and suppliers in contracts concerning sales.
• Partnership contract disputes: Contractual disagreements could arise if partners have differences concerning their roles and matters relating to the operation of the business.
• Disputes arising from breach of contract: Any failure to fulfill obligations of a contract or honor the terms can lead to contractual disputes among the parties.
• Offer and acceptance disputes: The validity of a contract usually depends on the offer and acceptance. If the parties disagree on them, disputes may arise.
• Contractual mistakes: Errors made in the contract may bring about ambiguity and result in contract disputes among the involved parties
• Coercion or fraud: Contract disputes can happen if a party claims that they entered the contract under duress or the breaching party defrauded them.

What is Minnesota Contract Law?

In Minnesota, a contract happens when a promise or a set of promises are made by a party, which the law recognizes, and provides a remedy for the breach of such obligations. Typically, Minnesota recognizes contracts involving goods in its Statute of Frauds. Other kinds of contracts are governed by common laws in the state. Although valid contracts can either be verbally or in writing, contracts must be in writing:

• If it involves sales of the good of more than $500
• If the contractual obligations cannot be performed under a year
• real estate contracts
• Contracts that a party stands as a guarantor.

What is a Breach of Contract in Minnesota?

A breach of contract in Minnesota arises when a party fails to deliver on their promises or obligations made in a contract. Aggrieved parties can take the breaching party to court to seek remedy for the breach of contract. Upon proving their claims, the court awards damages to the aggrieved party.

What are the Remedies for a Breach of Contract in Minnesota?

When a breach of contract occurs, it can be remedied by awarding the following damages to the aggrieved party:

• Liquidated damages: Liquidated damages is a particular amount that the parties agreed on in the contract to award the aggrieved side, in the case of a breach of contract.
• Direct damages: In this case, the non-breaching side will get compensation equivalent to the cost of replacement performance.
• Punitive damages: Punitive damages is a penalty imposed on the breaching side, following a misconduct. Only the court can award such a remedy. The court must consider the factors under Minn. Stat. § 549.20, sub. 3 before awarding such damages.
• Consequential damages: This kind of remedy acknowledges breaches that may cause the loss of profits or personal injury damages, but they are not necessarily tied to the contract.
• Incidental damages: Incidental damages can only be a remedy for the breach of contracts that concerns the sales or handling of goods/products.

Breach of contract cases are civil actions in Minnesota that the District Courts have the original jurisdiction to handle. To file a breach of contract action, a party can file a complaint with the court that proves the breach of contract claim and explain the relief they seek. Filing parties usually sue the opposing party in the judicial district that they reside. The complaint form also contains the details of the defendant. The complaint is served to the defendant(s), and they have twenty-one days to respond via a written answer. The clerk of court handles all filings. For more information, interested persons can see the Civil Actions page on the judiciary site.

What Defenses Can Be Used Against a Breach of Contract Claim in Minnesota?

Possible defenses against a breach of contract claim in Minnesota include:

• Lack of consideration
• Fraud
• Incapacity of a party to understand the contract terms
• Mutual mistakes made in the contract by the parties
• If a party is a victim of duress when it entered the contract
• Undue influence by a party over another due to a position of authority they have
• Impossibility of the fulfillment of contractual obligations
• The unlawfulness of any act required to perform the terms of contracts
• Statute of Frauds, that is, prevention of the enforcement of verbal agreements that the law does not recognize
• Statute of limitations which is four years to initiate legal proceedings against a breach of contract concerning goods and six years for other types of contracts.

What are Property Disputes in Minnesota?

Property disputes in Minnesota are disagreements that occur when involved parties have differences on issues concerning the state’s Property Code. Typically, property disputes are about real estate. The dispute may arise between neighbors or individuals and government agencies.

What Are Some Common Types of Property Disputes in Minnesota?

Some kinds of property disputes in Minnesota are:

• Disputes arising from land use/ zoning: These are usually disagreements between property owners and government agencies over the correct usage of the property.
• Landlord-tenant disputes: Such disputes involve disagreements between property owners and their leasee or tenants.
• Title of ownership: This involves disputes between parties over the ownership of a particular property.
• Property disputes may occur if an individual violates the rules or bylaws under the Minnesota Condominium Act.
• Boundary disputes may arise between property owners that share a boundary. Issues like encroachment may also occur from this.

How to Find Property Lines in Minnesota?

Property lines in Minnesota refer to the partition between properties that share the same boundary. Typically, property owners can indicate the partition by using features like fences, hedges, driveways, and gardens.

Records concerning property lines in Minnesota are usually managed at the county level. Interested persons can visit the assessor’s or recorder’s office within the county’s jurisdiction to find property lines. On its Property Boundary page, the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office provides links to county-wide maps in the state that querying parties can check property lines on.

How do I Find a Property Dispute Lawyer Near me?

Persons that wish to employ the services of a property dispute lawyer in Minnesota can visit the judicial website’s Find a Lawyer page. The page provides resources that interested persons can use to find dispute lawyers close by.