Legal Definitions - quanti minoris

Quanti minoris refers to a legal claim or action initiated by a buyer to request a reduction in the agreed-upon purchase price of an item. This claim is typically made when the purchased item is found to have defects or deficiencies that were not known or disclosed at the time of sale, and these defects diminish the item's value. Instead of returning the item or canceling the sale entirely, the buyer seeks to pay "how much less" the item is truly worth due to its flaws.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a couple purchases a historic home, and the seller assures them the roof was recently replaced and is in excellent condition. After closing the sale, a professional inspection reveals significant structural damage to the roof that was not visible during initial walkthroughs and was not disclosed. The cost to repair this damage is substantial. Instead of trying to reverse the entire home purchase, the couple might pursue a quanti minoris claim to reduce the original purchase price by the amount necessary to cover the roof repairs, thereby compensating for the undisclosed defect.

• Consider an art collector who buys a painting from a gallery, believing it to be an original work by a famous artist. The sale price reflects this belief. Later, an independent art authenticator determines that while the painting is old, it is actually a very high-quality copy or a work by a lesser-known artist from the same period, significantly reducing its market value. The collector, wishing to keep the painting for its aesthetic appeal but having overpaid, could bring a quanti minoris action to recover the difference between the price paid and the painting's true value as a copy or a work by a different artist.

• A small business owner buys a used commercial espresso machine advertised as being in "perfect working order" for their new coffee shop. Upon delivery, they discover that the machine has a malfunctioning steam wand and a cracked drip tray, issues that were not disclosed and prevent it from operating at full capacity. Rather than going through the hassle of returning the large piece of equipment and delaying their shop's opening, the owner could file a quanti minoris claim to reduce the purchase price by the cost of repairs and replacement parts, reflecting the machine's actual condition.