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 wrongful dealing with someone else’s personal property as if it were your own, detinue is refusing to return personal property to the person entitled to it, and trespass to chattels is wrongful interference with another person’s belongings that falls short of conversion.  Hall Paralegal Services provides Paralegal services in Ontario that can help assess which tort fits your facts, what evidence to gather, and what remedies or next steps may be available for recovering property or compensation.

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.