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Frustration

A supervening event destroys the purpose of the contract, excusing performance though performance remains physically possible.

Frustration excuses performance when an unforeseen event undermines the principal purpose both parties understood, the non-occurrence of that event was a basic assumption, and the frustrated party is not at fault. Impossibility (e.g., destruction of subject matter, death of a personal-service obligor) and commercial impracticability are the related excuse doctrines.

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