If I found some golf clubs that were laying in the middle of a field and sold them to a pawn shop, is it possible I’ll have legal problems later?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

If I found some golf clubs that were laying in the middle of a field and sold them to a pawn shop, is it possible I’ll have legal problems later?

Asked on April 10, 2012 under Criminal Law, Missouri

Answers:

S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

If the golf clubs were abandoned property, which appears to be the case, you shouldn't worry about it.  However, if you had a reasonable clue as to the identity of the owner of the golf clubs, you could be charged with larceny.  Larceny is theft.  Larceny is defined as the trespassory taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with the intent to permanently deprive.  Taking and carrying away the golf clubs and then selling them to the pawn shop would permanently deprive the owner of his/her property and would constitute larceny.  Again, this is only if you had a reasonable clue as to the identity of the owner. 

If the owner somehow discovers that you took the golf clubs and sold them to the pawn shop, the owner could sue you for conversion.  Conversion is the unauthorized assumption and the right of ownership over the personal property of another to the exclusion of the owner's rights.  Conversion is any unauthorized act which deprives an owner of his/her property permanently or for an indefinite time.  In a lawsuit for conversion, damages (the amount of compensation one is seeking in the lawsuit) would be a forced sale which is the value of the golf clubs.  You may be able to argue that the golf clubs were abandoned property left in the field and therefore your action did not constitute conversion.  You shouldn't worry about it because the golf clubs appear to have been abandoned property left in the field where you found them.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption