A fire threatens to engulf a commercial building in Metro City. The building's owner promises a cash reward to the Metro Fire Department to extinguish the fire. The firefighters cannot claim the reward because
A) extinguishing the fire is the firefighters' preexisting duty.
B) extinguishing the fire represents past consideration.
C) extinguishing the fire is a foreseen difficulty.
D) the promise of a cash reward is illusory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the preexisting duty rule, if a party is already obligated to perform a duty, then performing that duty is not consideration. In this case, extinguishing fires is the preexisting duty of firefighters. Therefore, they cannot claim the reward promised by the building owner.

A Fire Threatens to Engulf a Commercial Building in Metro