Henson v. Reddin
Court of Appeals of Texas
358 S.W.3d 428 (2012)
Henson (defendant) owned a half-interest in a business with a clogged, inoperable polyurethane spray machine mounted in an enclosed trailer. Reddin agreed to buy the machine if he could get it working, spent $4,561.52 on new parts, and installed them. Instead of selling, Henson moved the trailer to an undisclosed location within a day or two, avoided nearly all of Reddin's calls, and refused to return the new parts; the leftover resin then crystallized inside the machine, ruining the parts. Reddin sued Henson for conversion and won $5,419.46 at trial; Henson appealed, arguing he didn't know he was taking Reddin's property when he moved the trailer.
Whether moving property containing another's recently installed parts, and refusing to return them, establishes conversion even absent proof the mover knew the parts belonged to someone else.