The gemara in Bava Basra 12 discusses the splitting of a field in an equitable manner such that one of the individuals receives an additional personal benefit due to some external circumstance (having a field adjacent to the property being split, in this case). They then go on to discuss the parameters of "zeh neheneh vizeh lo chaser" (one party benefitting in a non-zero sum manner) as part of the principal of "kofin all midas sedom" (we can legally force people to take an action where their refusal is solely to deny the other party a benefit).
Of the three opinions, Rabah applies it broadly (looking at strictly the market value of the field), Rav Yosef applies it to conceptual future benefits (that a specific part of the field may by chance get more or less water), and Rav Yehudah applies it to ancillary outcomes (that the hiring of additional workers for the separate fields brings a benefit to the other partners). We declare Rav Yosef the psak.
This would seem to inform the parameters of the principal of "Kofin al midas sedom" - we only consider direct outcomes and not secondary benefits resulting from denying the first party their "surplus."
I have heard of this concept being used to justify borrowing personal items (tallis, shtender, etc.) left in shul as long as they are treated properly.
Do we see this principal being applied outside of the realm of property law? For instance, does anyone apply this as a generic moral?
