In cases involving broken agreements, it sometimes happens that there has not been an actual business contract, for various technical legal reasons. Even where contracts per se are lacking, the law recognizes related theories of recovery.
PROMISSORY ESTOPPEL LAWS
The laws of both Oregon and Washington recognize claims for “promissory estoppel,” a doctrine that can give rise to what’s known as a quasi-contract. A legal dictionary will commonly define promissory estoppel as “an alternative to consideration” – a reason by which a party should be obliged to live up to its promise. Normally, this requires that a person receiving a promise undertake a detriment in reliance on the promise.
In a quasi-contract enforceable via promissory estoppel, a promisor may be required to fulfill his promise even though he receives no consideration in return, as he would have in the case of a true contract.