Acquisition by Find Flashcards

1
Q

Main rule

A

A finder of moveable property has superior rights to all the world except the true owner.

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2
Q

Bailments

A
  • A bailee has lawful possession of the good of another through: physical control
  • intent to exercise control over the property
  • the minimum duty of every bailee is to return the property
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3
Q

To be a finder one must:

A
  1. Have intent to possess the personal property

2. Must actually possess it, exercise physical control over the property

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4
Q

Intent in terms of types of found property

A
  1. Lost: Didn’t intend to sever possession
  2. Mislaid: intended to put property somewhere then forgot
  3. Abandoned: Severs all rights and connections to property [depending on whether its found on private or public prop]
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5
Q

Subrogation

A

Prior possessor has right over subsequent possessor, even if not the true owner.

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6
Q

Armory v. Delamarie

Facts

A

P found jewel while sweeping a chimney and brought it to def for appraisal. Def offered $ in exchange for the jewel, P refused and D wouldn’t give it back.

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7
Q

Armory v. Delamarie

Holding

A

P gets damages = to the best jewel that fit the socket he found.

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8
Q

Armory v. Delamarie

Reasoning

A

Even tho P not rightful owner, he can bring suit bc finding and possessing the jewel gives him prop interest good against all others in the world other than rightful owner. The measure of damages if jewel cannot be returned is the value of best jewel that fits socket he found unless D can prove another value.

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9
Q

Armory v. Delamarie

Rule

A

Finder of a chattel has a property right good against everyone except the rightful owner.

Trover: common law action for $ damages resulting from ∆s conversion to his own use of a chattel owned or possessed by P
Replevin: Trying to get it back.

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10
Q

Hannah v. Peel

Facts

A

Corporal Hannah stationed at a house and in a bedroom was adjusting curtains and found brooch on top of window frame. He informed commanding officer of his find and handed it over to police. Owner not found so police gave it back to him. Def offered a reward for the brooch but P refused to accept it and maintained possession.

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11
Q

Hannah v. Peel

Holding

A

Judgement for P

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12
Q

Hannah v. Peel

Reasoning

A

There is no doubt that the brooch was lost in the ordinary meaning of the term. D was never physically in possession even if it was on his property.
Bridges v Hawksworth: doesn’t matter on priv. property, place of finding doesn’t affect finders rights if lost property involved

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13
Q

Hannah v. Peel

Rule

A

A finder of a lost chattel on another’s property has rights to that chattel superior to the rights of the property owner.

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14
Q

McAvoy v. Medina

Facts

A

P found pocketbook with $ on table in D’s barbershop left behind by another. P first saw it and D kept it to give back to truthful owner, but P wanted $ inside.

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15
Q

McAvoy v. Medina

Holding

A

P had no right to $. Pocketbook was not lost property since it was only accidentally mislaid and not abandoned.

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16
Q

McAvoy v. Medina

Reasoning

A

Finding chattel in private place as opposed to public place means mislaid. D has duty to keep the pocketbook for the rightful owner so she can come back for it. Forgetting to remove property by accident and losing are 2 dif things.
Policy consideration to adopt rule that better secures the property for the true owner.

17
Q

McAvoy v. Medina

Rule

A

When prop accidentally left behind it’s not lost but misplaced. Subsequent finder does not have rights to that property by subsequent possession. Shopkeeper/private land owner preferred bc more likely to get back to rightful owner.

18
Q

Cases against Hannah

A
  • south staffordshire: rings in pool found by pool cleaner ; court found rings were property of homeowner
  • Yules