Isle Royal Mining Co. v. Hertin

Hertin (defendant) mistakenly cut timber belonging to Isle Royal Mining Company (plaintiff), turned it into firewood, and stacked it on a nearby shore; when Isle Royal took possession of the wood, Hertin sued for the value of his labor in cutting and stacking it. The trial court instructed the jury that Hertin could recover his labor costs so long as the harvesting was a good-faith mistake rather than done in bad faith, and the jury found for Hertin, prompting Isle Royal's appeal.