Legal Definitions - intermixture of goods

Intermixture of goods is when things of the same nature but belonging to different owners are mixed together, making it impossible to identify the original items. This is also known as confusion of goods.

If the mixing of goods is done with the consent of all owners, they become owners in common. However, if one person mixes the goods without consent, they lose all rights to the property unless the goods can be separated or the mixed goods are of equal value.

For example, if two farmers accidentally mix their wheat harvests together, it becomes impossible to tell which wheat belongs to which farmer. If they agree to share the wheat, they become owners in common. However, if one farmer intentionally mixes their wheat with the other's, they lose their right to the wheat unless they can separate the grains or the mixed wheat is of equal value.

Confusion of goods is a legal concept that combines the civil-law concepts of confusio (a mixture of liquids) and commixtio (a mixture of dry items).