Roxas v. Marcos
Supreme Court of Hawai'i
969 P.2d 1209 (1998)
Relevant factsFree
Treasure hunter Roxas (plaintiff) discovered buried gold and a diamond-filled golden Buddha in the Philippines, but Philippine military personnel raided his house and seized much of it for the government; Roxas sued former President Ferdinand Marcos (defendant) for conversion. The trial court instructed the jury to calculate damages based on the treasure's fair market value at the time of the conversion, and the jury awarded $1.4 million; both parties appealed.
IssueFree
Whether damages for conversion of commodities with fluctuating value are calculated based on the highest value of the commodities between the time of conversion and a reasonable time after the plaintiff learns of the conversion.