Legal Definitions - chattel

Chattel is a type of property that refers to movable goods. This includes things like animals, money, and leases. In the past, chattel referred to all property that wasn't real property, but now it usually only refers to tangible personal property that can be moved around.

For example, if you own a car, that car is considered chattel because it's a movable piece of property. Similarly, if you have a pet dog, that dog is also considered chattel because it's a movable piece of property that you own.

Chattel is different from real property, which refers to things like land and buildings. There are different laws that apply to chattel property and real property. For instance, if someone steals your car, you can sue them for conversion, which is a type of tort that only applies to chattel property.