Legal Definitions - recovery

In legal terms, recovery refers to the successful obtaining of money, property, or rights through a legal process, often as a result of a court judgment, settlement, or other legal action. It can also refer to the specific amount of money or the item itself that is obtained.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of legal recovery:

• Imagine a small business that contracted with a software developer to create a custom application. The developer failed to deliver the software on time and the product, when finally delivered, was riddled with critical bugs, causing the business significant financial losses. The business sues the developer for breach of contract. After a trial, the court orders the developer to pay the business $50,000 to cover its losses and additional damages.

  This $50,000 represents the business's recovery, as it is the monetary compensation obtained through the legal process to address the harm it suffered.

• Consider a situation where an individual's valuable antique watch is stolen from their home. The police investigate and eventually locate the watch in the possession of a pawn shop. Through a legal proceeding, the original owner is able to prove their ownership and secure a court order for the return of the watch.

  The act of getting the watch back through this legal process is the recovery of their stolen property.

• A tenant moves out of an apartment and expects to receive their security deposit back, as they left the property in excellent condition. However, the landlord refuses to return the deposit without a valid reason. The tenant decides to take the landlord to small claims court. The judge rules in favor of the tenant, ordering the landlord to return the full security deposit plus additional statutory penalties.

  The total amount of money the tenant receives from the landlord as a result of the court's decision is their recovery.