The discovery of dinosaur fossils presents a core property law issue involving ownership. In 1990, Sue Hendrickson excavated Sue the T-Rex, one of the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossils on a ranch owned by Maurice Williams. Hendrickson was working with the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research (BHI), a private commercial fossil collector, and gained William’s permission to excavate. In 1992, the FBI seized Sue the T-Rex, claiming the fossil belonged to the government because it was found on land held in government trust. What followed was a legal battle over who owned Sue the T-Rex. The courts found that Williams was the rightful owner based on his possessory interest in the land. However, because the land was held in trust by the government, Williams’ ownership functioned like a possessory interest while the government maintained legal title over Sue the T-Rex. Williams would later require government permission to sell Sue for $8.4 million.

In 2019, a couple in Pennsylvania discovered that their bank accidentally deposited $120,000 into their account. A BB&T Bank teller entered the wrong account number when a customer in Georgia made the deposit. When the customer contacted the bank to ask about the missing deposit, the money was found to have gone into the Williamses’ joint account. Upon discovery of their sudden windfall, the couple proceeded to spend the surprise money on an SUV, a camper, two four wheelers and a car trailer, instead of contacting the bank to ask about the situation.

In early February, an adorable two-year-old goldendoodle was left at the airport by its owner and subsequently adopted by one of the officers who found him. The owner arrived at the airport with her goldendoodle, now named JetBlue, to take a flight but was unable to bring JetBlue because he was not properly registered. Due to the inconvenience, the owner left JetBlue behind and took the flight. Officer Black was one of the original officers to find JetBlue at the airport. The police cited the owner for abandoning JetBlue and then brought him to the shelter. The owner did not reclaim JetBlue in the ten-day recovery period offered to owners.

If you come across a floating package in the middle of the ocean, just drifting away, can you claim ownership over it? You might think, “Sure, why not? Finders keepers.” However, it’s hardly that simple as it depends on several underlying factors. For one, there might be competing property interests. The parties here can typically be narrowed down to two key players: the original owner of the goods and the party that finds it. However, in some cases, there may be a third-party interest. This can occur when the first party to retrieve the floating goods unintentionally loses control of it, letting it float away again and a new finder retrieves it.

Who really owns the legendary pirate ship known as the Black Pearl? This dispute centers on the ownership of the infamous pirate ship. Originally known as the Wicked Wench, the vessel was owned by the East India Trading Company (EITC) and captained by Jack Sparrow. After Sparrow disobeyed orders and freed enslaved individuals, the Company, led by Cutler Beckett, had the ship destroyed. Years later, Sparrow reclaimed the wreck by making an agreement with Davy Jones, who raised the ship from the sea. Sparrow renamed it the Black Pearl, transformed it, and became an infamous pirate captain. The EITC never reclaimed or repaired the wreck, and it was lost to the sea.