R2d § 359
Effect of Adequacy of Damages
(1) Specific performance or an injunction will not be ordered if damages would be adequate to protect the expectation interest of the injured party. (2) The adequacy of the damage remedy for failure to render one part of the performance due does not preclude specific performance or injunction as to the contract as a whole. (3) Specific performance or an injunction will not be refused merely because there is a remedy for breach other than damages, but such a remedy may be considered in exercising discretion under the rule stated in § 357.
Professor's notes
Elements: (1) specific performance or injunction will not be ordered if damages would be adequate to protect the expectation interest; (2) the adequacy of damages remedy for failure to render one part of the performance does not preclude SP or injunction as to the contract as a whole; (3) SP or injunction will not be refused merely because there is a remedy for breach other than damages, but such a remedy may be considered in exercising discretion.
Van Wagner v. S&M Enterprises operationalizes: damages were adequate; SP refused.
Common misunderstanding: students think uniqueness alone gets SP. The test is the adequacy of damages, which factors in (a) difficulty of valuing the loss; (b) difficulty of obtaining substitute performance in the market; (c) likelihood that damages would be uncollectible. Real estate is presumptively unique (UCC § 2-716 carries the same presumption for goods that are unique or in other proper circumstances).
Text
R2d § 359. Effect of Adequacy of Damages.
(1) Specific performance or an injunction will not be ordered if damages would be adequate to protect the expectation interest of the injured party.
(2) The adequacy of the damage remedy for failure to render one part of the performance due does not preclude specific performance or injunction as to the contract as a whole.
(3) Specific performance or an injunction will not be refused merely because there is a remedy for breach other than damages, but such a remedy may be considered in exercising discretion under the rule stated in § 357.
[VERIFICATION REQUIRED: subsection text drafted from memory; cite-check against ALI Restatement (Second) of Contracts official text before publication]