M takes advantage of a business relationship with P to sign a contract of sale for an office building owned by P. P has been subjected to...

The situation described involves M leveraging a business relationship to manipulate P into signing a contract of sale, which points to the concept of undue influence. This legal doctrine occurs when one party in a position of power or trust uses that relationship to exert pressure on another party, leading them to make decisions they might not have made independently.

In the realm of contracts, undue influence arises often in situations where one party has a significant amount of power over the other, such as in fiduciary relationships or those based on trust. Here, M exploits the trust inherent in their business relationship with P to finalize the sale, which indicates that P may not have had the free will or independent judgment typically required for forming a valid contract.

The other options presented, while relevant in different contexts, do not apply here. Duress involves coercion through threats, libel pertains to defamatory statements, and escheat relates to the transfer of property to the state when there are no legal claimants. None of these accurately describe the elements of psychological manipulation or undue pressure that are central to the scenario at hand. Thus, the focus on undue influence accurately captures the essence of the interaction between M and P.