Misrepresentation may lead to rescission or damages if fraudulent; which of the following is a remedy for misrepresentation?

• A. Specific performance
• B. Rescission
• C. Reformation
• D. Quantum meruit

Answer: (B)

Misrepresentation is a false statement of fact that induces someone to enter into a contract. When the misrepresentation is fraudulent, the injured party isn’t left with the contract as if nothing happened; they can undo the deal and put the parties back in the position they were in before the contract. Thatundoing is called rescission. It directly remedies the problem by voiding the contract and restoring each side to its pre-contract state, which is why rescission is the primary remedy for misrepresentation.

Why the other options aren’t the right fit here: specific performance would compel the contract’s completion, but enforcing a contract entered into under false pretenses would perpetuate the wrong arising from the misrepresentation. Reformation rewrites the contract to reflect the true terms, which is a remedy used to fix drafting errors or align the writing with the actual agreement in some fraud situations, but the most straightforward and common remedy for misrepresentation is to rescind. Quantum meruit applies when there’s no enforceable contract or for unpaid work, not to correcting or undoing a misrepresented agreement.