[meteorite-list] Fight Over Meteorite Crashes Into Court

[Jeff Kuyken]

Yeah it's a pretty riduculous argument when you think about it. If it didn't 
touch/imbed itself in the ground??? C'mon! How about we skydive onto the 
roof of the White House and see how they feel about that! Hey... we wouldn't 
imbed ourselves in the ground! ;-)

Cheers,

Jeff

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <meteorhntr at aol.com>
To: "Thunder Stone" <stanleygregr at hotmail.com>; 
<meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com>; 
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 5:56 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Fight Over Meteorite Crashes Into Court


List,

If declared by the judge as so, would this mean meteorites found on top of 
the ground, and not imbeded into the ground on federal lands would now not 
belong to landowner (U.S. Govt)?

I wonder what the Smithsonian's stance is on this issue will be when their 
representatives are called if the case goes to court?

Very interesting.

Steve Arnold
of Meteorite Men
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Thunder Stone <stanleygregr at hotmail.com>
Sender: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:43:17
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Subject: [meteorite-list] Fight Over Meteorite Crashes Into Court



List:

I'm curious how this will turn out; may set a precedent. For the owner of 
the land to own the meteorite, it has to "imbed" itself into the land or 
building... Hmmmm

We'll see...


http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/07/21/29000.htm

Fight Over Meteorite Crashes Into Court

By RYAN ABBOTT



FAIRFAX, Va. (CN) - A family medical practice has sued its landlord to 
determine who owns the palm-sized meteorite that crashed through the 
building's roof into an examination room. The doctors say the meteorite is 
in "safekeeping" at the Smithsonian Institutions, which offered $5,000 for 
the space rock, which the doctors want to donate for relief work in Haiti.
Williamsburg Square Family Practice sued its landlord, Mutlu Property 
Management and several members of the Mutlu family, in Fairfax County Court.
The doctors claim that the Mutlus swooped in and claimed ownership of the 
meteorite "after the incident garnered local publicity."
The doctors say they lease the office suite from the Mutlu family and are in 
"exclusive possession of that property during [their] lease term."
"The meteorite did not imbed itself in the land or building, and thus did 
not become a part of the land or fixture," the doctors point out.
The meteorite crashed into an examination in the doctors' suite at 5:45 p.m. 
on Jan. 18 this year. No one was in the room when the meteorite broke 
through the ceiling and "came to rest in pieces on the floor," and nobody 
was hurt.
The doctors say that Erol Mutlu initially agreed to donate the rock to the 
Smithsonian for preservation and study. Then the Mutlus changed their mind, 
said they "intended to pick up the meteorite," and objected to its being 
handed over to the Smithsonian, according to the complaint.
The doctors office says that if the court declares it the owner of the 
"historical artifact," it will stay with the Smithsonian, and the money will 
go to the Haitian relief effort of Doctors Without Borders.
The Practice seeks declaratory judgment. It is represented by Keith Marino 
with Arent Fox.

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