Legal Question in Personal Injury in Texas
I own a Saloon in Texas. On my property I have a very unique sculpture of a motorcycle. It was created by a nieghbor I will call Mr.B. Almost 10 years ago Mr. B showed up with the sculpture and gave it to me. Since then it has resided in a tree and is highly visible. It has been photographed extensivly and has contributed to the success of my business. On Sunday June 12, 2011, while I was open for business, Mr.Bs brother showed up and informed me, in front of customers, that Mr. B had died 2 days prior. He wanted to know when he could get the motorcycle because it was supposed to be mounted on Mr. B's grave. I refused to give him the motorcycle at that time and ask for a phone number to contact him after business hours to discuss it. He declined and instead said to just keep the sculpture. On Monday, I found out that Mr. B HAD NOT DIED it was all an elaborate cruel hoax, that I assume was cooked up by Mr.B and his brother, to try to get the sculpture. Do I have any legal recourse.
1 Answer from Attorneys
To sue, you need liability, damages and $. It sounds like you were too smart to allow yourself to be damaged by the ruse.
One thing you can do is tell the person if he ever returns again that you don't want liars on your property and for him to never set foot on it again. If he violates this, then you can call the police and have him charged with trespass.