Goddard v. Winchell
Supreme Court of Iowa
53 N.W. 1124 (1892)
Relevant factsFree
A meteorite fell onto Goddard's (plaintiff) prairie land, and a neighboring landowner who witnessed it land dug it up and sold it to Winchell (defendant); Goddard sued in replevin to recover it, the district court found Goddard the lawful owner, and Winchell appealed.
IssueFree
Whether ownership of a meteorite that lands on private property vests in the owner of that real property, rather than in the first person to find and claim it.