TROVER (Fr. trouser, to find). In Prac tice. A forun of action which lies to recover damages against one who has, without right, converted to his own use goods or personal chattels in which the plaintiff has a general or special property.
The action was originally an action of trespass on the case where goods were found by the defend ant and retained against the plaintiff's rightful claim. The manner of gaining possession soon came to be disregarded, as the substantial part of the aotion is the convereion to the defendant's use: so that the action lies whether the goods came into the defendant's possession by finding or otherwiee, if he fails to deliver them up on the rightful claim of the plaintiff. It differs from deiinue and reple vin in this, that it is brought for damages and not for the specific articles ; and from trespaen in this, that the injury is not necessarily a forcible one, as trover may be brought in any case where trespass for injury to personal property will lie ; but the converse is not true. In case possession was gained by a trespass, the plaintiff by bringing his action in this form waives his right to damages for the taking, and is confined to the injury resulting from the conversion. 17 Piek. Mass. 1; 21 id. 559; 11 Me. 434; 7 T. B. Monr. Ky. 209.
2. The action lies for one who has a gene ral or absolute property, Buller, Nisi P. 33 ; 2 Hill, So. C. 587 • 25 Me. 220 ; 7 Ired. No. C. 418; 23 Ga. 484; 22 Mo. 495, together with a right to irnmediate possession. 15 East, 607 ; 7 Term, 12 ; 1 Ry. & M. 99 ; 5 Pick. Mass. 185 ; 9 id. 156 ; 22 id. 585 ; 15 Wend. N. Y. 474 ; 6 Blackf. Ind. 47,0 ; 7 id. 361 ; 9 Yerg. Tenn. 262 ; 1 Brev. So. C. 495 •, 4 Dev. No. C. 20 ; 4 Dev. & B. No. C. 323 ; 2 Penn. St. 318 ; 5 id. 466 ; 11 Ala. 859 ; 42 Me. 197 ; 19 N. H. 419, as, for example, a vendor of property sold upon condition not fulfilled, 2 Brev. So. C: 324 ; 1 Meigs, Tenn. 76 ; 19 Vt. 371 ; see 11 Vt. 388 ; as to the effect of an intervening lien, see 7 Term, 12 ; 2 Crompt. M. & R. Exch. 659 ; 1 Wash. C. C. 174 ; 1 Hayw. No. C. 193 ; 15 Mass. 242; 6 Serg. & R. Penn. 300 ; 2 N. H. 319 ; 6 Wend. N. Y. 603 ; or a special property, including actual possession as against a stranger ; 2 Saund. 47 ; 1 Barnew. & Ad. 159 ; ll East, 626 ; 2 Bingh. 173 ; 34 Eng.. L. & Eq. 122 ; 6 Johns. N. Y. 195 ; 11 id. 285 ; 12 id. 403 ; 7 Cow. N. Y. 297 ;• 13 Wend. N. Y. 63 ; 15 Mass. 242 ; 1 Pick. Mass. 389 ; 9 id. 364 ; 2 N. H. 66, 319 ; 5 id. 237 ; 11 Vt. 351 ; 4 Blackf. Ind. 395, as, for example, a sheriff holding under rightful process, I Pick. Mass. 232, 389 ; 9 id. 164 ; 1 N. H. 289 ; 7 Johns. N. Y. 32 ; 4 Vt. 81 ; 5 id. 181 ; 15 id. 464 ; 12 Me. 328 ; 2 Murph. No. C. 19 ; a mort gagee in 'possession, 5 Cow. N. Y. 323 ; Gmst. So. C. 141 ; 6 Harr. & J. Md. 100 ; 3 Brev. No. C. 68 ; and see 12 N. H. 382 ; 31 Ala. N. s. 447 ; 23 Conn. 70 ; a simple bailee, 15 Mass. 242 ; Wright, Ohio, 744, or even a finder merely, 9 Gow. N. Y. 670 ; 2 Ala. 320; 3 Bibb, Ky. 284 ; 3 Harr. Del. 608 ; and including lawful custody and a right of de tention as against the general owner of the goods or chattels. 2 Taunt. 268 ; 7 Cow. N.
Y. 329 ; 8 Wend. N. Y. 445 ; 3 Blackf. Ind. 419 ; 2 Rich. So. C. 13. An executor or ad ministrator is held an absolute owner by relation from the death of the decedent, 2 Greenleaf, Ev. 641 ; 8 East, 410 ; 9 Meth. Mass. 504 ; 2 Ga. 119 ; 1 Rice, So. C. 264, 285 ; 3 Sneed, Tenn. 484 ; see 4 Barnew. & Ald. 744 ; and he may maintain an action for a conversion in the lifetime of the de cedent, T. U. P. Charlt. Ga. 261 ; 1 Root, Conn. 289 ; 6 Mass. 394, and is liable for a conversion by the decedent. 1 Hayw. No. C. 21, 308, 362.
3. The property affected must be somesper sonal chattel, 3 Serg. & R. Penn. 513 ; N. H. 484; 2 D. Chipm. Vt. 116, specifically set off as the plaintiff's, 4 Taunt.648; 4 Barnew. & C. 948 ; 5 id. 857 ; 6 id. 360 ; 3 Pigk. Mass. 38 ; 7 Ired. No. C. 370 ; 5 Jones, No. C. 16 ; 20 Vt. 144 ; including title-deeds, 2 Yeates, Penn. 537 ; a copy of' a record, Hardr. 111 ; 11 Pick. Mass. 492 ; money, though not tied up, 4 Taunt. 24 ; 4 E. D. Smith, N. Y. 162; see 1 Mo. 64; negotiable securities, 4 Barnew. & Ald. 1 ; 3 Barnew. & C. 45 ; 4 Tyrwh. Exch. 485 ; 3 Johns. N. Y. 432 ; 1 Root, Conn. 125, 221 ; 15 Mass. 389 ; 1 Pick. Mass. 503 ; 3 Vt. 99 ; 9 id. 216 ; 5 Blackt Ind. 419 ; 17 Ala. 218 ; 27 Ala. x. s. 228 ; animals Ares naturce, hut reclaimed, 10 Johns. N. Y. 102 ; trees and crops severed from the inheritance, 1 Term, 55 ; 3 Mo. 137, 393 ; 7 Cow. N. Y.
; 15 Mass. 204 ; 8 Penn. St. 244 ; 9 id.
343 ; 4 Cal. 184. It will not lie for property in custody of the law, 9 Johns. N. Y. 38i, if rightfully held, see 2 Ala. 576 ; 1 Add. Penn.376, or to which the title must be deter mined by a court of peculiar jurisdiction only, 1 Catn. & N. No. C. 115 ; see 14 Johns. N. Y. 273 ; or where the bailee has lost the property, had it stolen, or it has been de stroyed by want of due care. 2 Ired. No. C. 98. See CONVERSION.
There must have been a conversion of the property by the defendant. 5 T. B. Monr. Ky. 89 ; 8 Ark. 204. And a waiver of such conversion will defeat the action. 20 Pick. Mass. 90. For what constitutes a conversion, see CONVERSION.
The declaration must state a rightful pos session of the goods by the plaintiff, 1 Hempst. C. C. 160 ; must describe the goods with convenient certainty, though not so accurately as in detinue, Buller, Nisi. P. 32; 5 Gray, Mass. 12 ; must formally allege a finding by the defendant, and must aver a conversion. 12 N. Y. 313. It is not indis pensable to state the price or value of the thing converted, 2 Wash. Va. 192.
The plea of not guilty raises the general issue.
Judgment when for the plaintiff is that he recover his damages and costs, or, in some states, in the alternative, that the defendant restore the goods or pay, etc., 19 Ga. 579 ; when for the defendant, that he recover hie costa. The measure of damages is the value of the property at the time of the,conversion, with interest. 17 Pick. Mass. 1 ; 1 Mete. Mass. 172 ; 7 T. B. Monr. Ky. 209 ; 8 Dan. Ky., 192 ; 38 Me. 174 ; 17 Ala. 191 ; 26 Ala. N. s. 213 ; 2 Hill, N. Y. 132 ; 4 Cow. N. Y. 53 ; 21 Barb. N. Y. 92 ; 30 Vt. 307 ; 19 Mo, 467 ; 22 id. 394.