Imputed Notice

Imputed notice refers to the legal principle that a person is deemed to have been informed of certain facts even if he is not. This would attribute knowledge of certain information to the person based on his duty to discover certain facts, regardless of whether he is actually aware of of those facts. Once notice is imputed, he is assumed to have knowledge of certain information and his legal position is affected accordingly.

Imputed knowledge is knowledge that is deemed to exist for a person because of his role, status, position, relationship, or connection to a situation. It is not necessarily knowledge that the person actually possesses, but it is attributed to him by law.

A person with a certain relationship or responsibility are accountable for knowing or discovering specific information. For example, if an agent is made aware of certain facts within the scope of his authority or employment, that knowledge is imputed to the principal (the person the agent represents). This ensures that the principal is treated as having knowledge of those facts and hence liable for what his agent does, even if he is not directly informed.

Normally, the information or facts that are subject to imputed knowledge are those that could have been reasonably discovered through proper inquiry or investigation. A person is expected to have a duty to become aware of and inform himself about those relevant facts. If the facts are open to discovery, then the law assumes he has that knowledge. Therefore, if an agent is deemed to have constructive notice, such knowledge will be imputed to the principal as imputed notice.

Imputed knowledge is an important legal concept that ensures accountability and fairness in various legal situations. It is important for agents and principals to understand when imputed knowledge may apply to them.