Q: In Tennessee if I'm driving down the highway and I see a trailer abandoned. Can i take it or can i be arrested?
A:
A Tennessee attorney could advise best, but your post remains open for three weeks. Don't do it. You can't tell it's abandoned by looking at it. Abandonment occurs when the rightful owner relinquishes their rights in property - the fact that it doesn't look valuable or that it has streaks of rust doesn't tell you that. Taking it could open the door to a property crime. Further, depending on the type of highway, there could be statutes that govern unlawful stops for motorists, even just to take a closer look. The law aside, from a common sense standpoint, people don't generally leave good, working trailers on the side of the road where they could be stolen. It might wind up turning out to be nothing more than a disposal headache for the local department of transportation. Good luck
Tim Akpinar
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