During a Storm in Tornado Alley, a House Is Destroyed

question 40

Essay

During a storm in Tornado Alley, a house is destroyed, but its owner Dorothy survives. Dorothy plans to return to the site to salvage her possessions, but she delays. Meanwhile, Elliott combs through the ruins and removes all useful items. Dorothy learns of the recovery and files a suit against Elliott, claiming that the items are hers. Elliott responds that the destroyed house was abandoned and therefore he has good title to whatever he took possession of. What is the court likely to rule, and why?​

---

Definitions:

Consensus Information

Information or belief that is widely accepted and agreed upon by a majority of members within a particular group or community.

External Attribution

Assigning the cause of one's own or another's behavior to external factors or situations beyond the individual's control.

Kelley's Terminology

Refers to concepts and nomenclature introduced by psychologist Harold Kelley, particularly in relation to attribution theory.

Distinctiveness Information

Information that highlights how an object, individual, or event is different from others, enhancing memory and perception.