How do you know when someone has given something to you?

Elsewhere

I have come upon a situation in which I am a bit confused. How do you know when someone has given something to you?

If someone drops a phone book on your front porch. Has the phone book become your property? Has the previous owner transferred ownership to you?

If someone affixes a bumper sticker to your car. Has the bumper sticker become your property? Has the previous owner transferred ownership to you? If not, then if you remove the bumper sticker, could they sue you for damaging their property?

If you are taking a nap in a park and while you are asleep someone affixes a watch to your wrist and walks away, has the watch become your property? Has the previous owner transferred ownership to you?

If someone affixes a "boot" device to your car and walks away, has the boot become your property? Has the person not transferred ownership of the boot to you as a gift?

If someone leaves a "boot" device on the side of the road, has that device been abandoned? If you were to find it and take it home, is it now your property?

If someone leaves a "boot" device on your car, has that device been abandoned? Is it now your property?

No... my car has not been booted. I've just been watching anti-booting videos on YouTube and I started wondering about property ownership rights.

leavingwt

You cannot fight City Hall.

Gregor

When your doctor says, "someone has given something to you"

Elsewhere

> You cannot fight City Hall.

In Texas private companies, such as parking lots, can place their boot devices on your car and demand you pay a "release fee".

shamus100

Well, that's the states for you... all those wacky laws.

undercover

You cannot fight City Hall.

Well, you can fight...probably won't win but you can waste the time and money if want...

As for the boot.. interesting way to look at it. I guess if you had the means to detach the device, you could throw it in the trunk and drive home with your newly acquired property. But would that be within your rights?

Here's another situation. You park illegally. The property owner or the city has your car towed. Now your car has been delivered to a third party compound lot. The lot owner comes in and finds your car. Has ownership of the car been transferred just because the car is now in his lot?

Elsewhere

> Has ownership of the car been transferred just because the car is now in his lot?

No, because the car was placed there temporarily under an agreed upon contract by the person who requested use of the lot.

However, if the owner of the lot walked outside one day and found a car on his property and he has no idea how it got there, he could claim it as his own. The vehicle was abandoned and he salvaged the abandoned property.

Paralipomenon

Interesting question in the context given.

If you had the boot removed would they try to charge you for replacement? How could they prove you removed and even had it? All they have as record that someone put it there.

If they charge you with replacement, then it does imply that at very least responsibility without ownership was placed on you without your concent.

I'd be interested in hearing if any city has tried to procecute someone for boot-theft, lol.

minimus

What Gregor said, And if it gets real itchy.

Elsewhere

> If they charge you with replacement, then it does imply that at very least responsibility without ownership was placed on you without your concent.

If one was forced to return the boot and the boot had been cut off of the vehicle, one could claim that the damages were there when you found it. Can the person who affixed the boot prove it was not damaged when it was affixed to the car?

This is no different than you claiming that a mechanic dented your car. He would just say the dent was there when you dropped off the car.

How do you know when someone has given something to you?

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