Legal Definitions - detinue

Detinue is a legal term that refers to the act of recovering possessions or goods that have been wrongfully detained or held by someone else.

For example, if someone borrows your laptop and refuses to return it, you can file a detinue action to recover your laptop. Similarly, if a landlord refuses to return a tenant's security deposit, the tenant can file a detinue action to recover the deposit.

Detinue is different from theft because in detinue, the person holding the goods or possessions had a lawful right to possess them at some point, but is now wrongfully withholding them.

Overall, detinue is a legal remedy that allows individuals to recover their rightful possessions that have been wrongfully detained by someone else.