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What is a promisee?

Bar Exam Prep Contracts Third Parties What is a promisee?
🤔 Contracts • Third Parties K#173

Legal Definition

The promisee is the person who obtains the promise that benefits a third party.

Plain English Explanation

A promisee is the person who gets a promise from someone that will benefit a third party. In simpler terms, the promisee is the one who makes the deal with the promisor and arranges for someone else to benefit from it.

For example, if Bob promises to pay Sam $500 to mow Amy's lawn, Sam is the promisee because he is the one who got the promise from Bob, even though the benefit (the mowed lawn) goes to Amy, the third-party beneficiary.

So, the promisee is the middle person making sure that a third party gets the benefit from the promisor’s action.

Hypothetical

Hypo 1: Bob offers Sam $100 to paint Amy's house. Sam agrees. Result: Bob is obligated to pay Sam $100, and Sam is obligated to paint Amy's house. Here, Bob is the promisee and Sam is the promisor. They are both parties to the contract. Amy is a third-party beneficiary of the contract.

Visual Aids

What is a promisee?
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