Favorite v. Miller
Supreme Court of Connecticut
407 A.2d 974 (1978)
Relevant factsFree
Pieces of a statue of King George III, torn down by patriots during the Revolutionary War, were buried by loyalists in Connecticut and never recovered. In 1972, Louis Miller (defendant), after hearing that a piece might be buried on the land of Mr. and Ms. Favorite (plaintiffs), entered their property knowing it was private, used a metal detector to locate a piece, dug it up, and contracted to sell it to the Museum of the City of New York for $5,500. The Favorites sued, and the trial court found the piece was mislaid property belonging to them as the landowners; Miller appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a finder is entitled to keep property he discovers on land where he is a knowing trespasser.