Here’s a fun little tidbit from a contracts case involving a farmer who thought he had $25,000 coming to him after a coal miner failed to fix up his land when they were done. The $25,000 would’ve improved the value of the property by a whole $300! ( Peavyhouse v. Garland Coal and Mining Corporation)
“We therefore hold that where in a coal mining lease, lessee agrees to perform certain remedial work on the premises concerned at the end of the lease period and thereafter the contract is fully performed by both parties except that the remedial work is not done, the measure of damages in an action by lessor against lessee for damages for breach of contract is ordinarily the reasonable cost of performance of the word; however where the contract provision breached was merely incidental to the main purpose in view, and where the economic benefit which would result to lessor by full performance of the work is grossly disproportionate to the cost of performance, the damages which lessor may recover are limited to the diminution in value resulting to the premises because of the non-performance.”