1605-1615
CIVIL CODE
SECTION 1605-1615
1605. Any benefit conferred, or agreed to be conferred, upon the promisor, by any other person, to which the promisor is not lawfully entitled, or any prejudice suffered, or agreed to be suffered, by such person, other than such as he is at the time of consent lawfully bound to suffer, as an inducement to the promisor, is a good consideration for a promise. 1606. An existing legal obligation resting upon the promisor, or a moral obligation originating in some benefit conferred upon the promisor, or prejudice suffered by the promisee, is also a good consideration for a promise, to an extent corresponding with the extent of the obligation, but no further or otherwise. 1607. The consideration of a contract must be lawful within the meaning of Section 1667. 1608. If any part of a single consideration for one or more objects, or of several considerations for a single object, is unlawful, the entire contract is void. 1609. A consideration may be executed or executory, in whole or in part. In so far as it is executory it is subject to the provisions of Chapter IV of this Title. 1610. When a consideration is executory, it is not indispensable that the contract should specify its amount or the means of ascertaining it. It may be left to the decision of a third person, or regulated by any specified standard. 1611. When a contract does not determine the amount of the consideration, nor the method by which it is to be ascertained, or when it leaves the amount thereof to the discretion of an interested party, the consideration must be so much money as the object of the contract is reasonably worth. 1612. Where a contract provides an exclusive method by which its consideration is to be ascertained, which method is on its face impossible of execution, the entire contract is void; but this section shall not apply to the cases provided for in sections 1729 and 1730 of this code. 1613. Where a contract provides an exclusive method by which its consideration is to be ascertained, which method appears possible on its face, but in fact is, or becomes, impossible of execution, such provision only is void; but this section shall not apply to the cases provided for in sections 1729 and 1730 of this code. 1614. A written instrument is presumptive evidence of a consideration. 1615. The burden of showing a want of consideration sufficient to support an instrument lies with the party seeking to invalidate or avoid it.