A lost property Essay Example for Free

A lost property Essay A lost property is one which is found in a locality where it is likely that its true owner had no intent of placing it and the owner is not likely to find it. On the other hand, misplaced property is one which the true owner placed it somewhere and forgot to pick it up. Conversely, abandoned property is one which the true owner intended to leave somewhere due to the state it was in (Litka Inman, 1983). This plane could have been termed as lost or abandoned. The collector of the airplane Doug Chaplin, thus lost in the court ruling since the plane was a lost and found property (Stewart, Warner Portman, 2008). The plane could have remained to be the property of Chaplin but since The Navy found it and because they are the true owners; they have a right to repossess it. Chaplin should have turned the plane over to the proper authorities. Moreover, if the owner does not go to claim it for a certain time period, then the plane could be reverted back to Chaplin (Warda, 2005). The plane was ruled to be belonging to The Navy even though Chaplin could have been rewarded for his effort to recover the plane. The court could also have ruled that the plane constituted an abandoned property and thus was supposed to be a property of the government of which The Navy was also part of the government. Chaplin could never win the case because the plane’s true owners were claiming it, in addition, the law holds that lost property should be returned to the owner. Even if Chaplin collected the plane as a relic, the plane still belonged to The Navy since under the common law of America, relics are entitled to their collector unless the true owner reclaims them. References Litka, M. P. ; Inman, J. E. (1983). The legal environment of business: Public and private laws. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Stewart, M. ; Warner, R. ; Portman, J. (2008). Every landlords legal guide. Berkeley, California: Nolo. Warda, M. (2005). Landlords rights and duties in Florida. Chicago, IL: Sourcebooks, Incorporated.