Bailment
2007-04-05 00:29 - Links
Bailment describes a legal relationship in common law where physical possession of personal property (chattels) is transferred from one person (the 'bailor') to another person (the 'bailee') who subsequently holds possession of the property.
There's the classic Seinfeld episode where the mechanic runs off with Jerry's car; He calls the police, but they refuse to do anything, because he willingly handed the keys over. Here, much later, I discover the real law behind this situation. And, big surprise, the sitcom story was made up for a laugh. It is complicated, as all law, but it's rather clear that transferring possession does not revoke ownership directly.
A nifty piece of information, nonetheless. And as an aside, a huge part of the reason why I'm so unhappy with the people that deride Wikipedia. Look at that article! There's a lot of detail, covering a lot of important angles. In short, I'm wiser than I was before I opened that page. This is a good thing. Sure, you have to verify important information. This is why your teacher made you list at least six sources in the bibliography of your reports back in the 8th grade. At least it's there for those of us who are wise enough to use it properly.
