Interference With Belongings: Conversion, Detinue, and Trespass to Chattels

Question: What’s the difference between conversion, detinue, and trespass to chattels in Ontario?

Answer: In Ontario, conversion is a civil claim for seriously interfering with your ownership rights over personal property, detinue focuses on someone’s refusal to return your belongings, and trespass to chattels addresses lesser wrongful interference or damage without necessarily taking the item.  Hall Paralegal Services provides paralegal services in Ontario to help you assess which claim fits your situation, gather evidence of possession and loss, and pursue appropriate civil remedies or settlement.

Understanding Conversion, Detinue, and Trespass to Chattels

Tortion misconduct related to personal property, meaning property that is other than real property being land, encompasses rights and responsibilities around possession and ownership.  In the context of the torts of conversion, of detinue, and of trespass to property, as civil law causes of action (reasons for suing) being the legal mechanisms for addressing wrongful possession or wrongful interference.  Recognizing the nuances of these torts is necessary to the safeguarding of proprietary interests and to ensuring rightful ownership and use of property.