Opinion ID: 1406950
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Re: Conversion of Personalty

Text: In order to prevail on their cause of action for conversion of personal property left in the cafe, the plaintiffs were obliged to meet this basic requirement of conversion: That there be a wrongful exercise of control over personal property in violation of the rights of its owner. [5] Reverting to the terms of the lease as recited above, it will be recalled that any unpaid rent was covenanted to be a lien upon plaintiffs' personal property and that it would not be removed from the premises until the rent was paid. Since the plaintiffs were delinquent in the rent for February and March, 1975, they were not entitled to remove the property until that rent was paid. Hence, the trial court was justified in refusing to find the defendants had committed a conversion of the property. [6]