Clear and unambiguous promise
A promise is an indispensable element of promissory estoppel, and it has to be clear. Matt told
Ben that he looked forward to working with him and offered help Ben with his move to San
Francisco. Based on this statement, Ben assumed he had been offered the job so he went back
to Los Angeles, quit his job and moved to San Francisco.
Reliance on the promise to whom its being made
Ben went back to Los Angeles after his interview with Matt (the interviewer and the personnel
manager) thinking he had been hired for the new position. Ben relied on Matt’s statement of “I
look forward to working with you”. Ben’s reliance on this statement made him go back to Los
Angeles quit his job, give a 30-day notice to his landlord, rent an apartment in San Francisco
and move to San Francisco. Had Matt not made the statement, Ben wouldn’t have quit his job
