A repair technician employed by a photocopier company was called to a bank to fix a copy machine. It was Friday afternoon, and the technician planned to be on vacation the next week, so he decided to try to complete the repairs on the spot even if it required working past the normal end of the work day at 5 p.m., when he was supposed to leave. He believed that he would be able to exit the building when he was finished.

Thus, he continued to work after the bank closed without alerting anyone as to his presence. At 5:30 p.m., the bank's security guard activated its electronic security system, which automatically locked the locks in every door in the building. The guard then went home for the weekend. When the technician completed his work at 5:45 p.m., he attempted to leave the
photocopy room, but discovered that the door was locked. There was no phone in the room and
his cell phone was dead, and he realized that no one would be back at the bank until Monday.

Noticing a smoke detector on the ceiling, he dumped a file of papers into a waste basket and set them ablaze. Eventually, the detector picked up the burning particles from the fire and set off a fire alarm. The fire department arrived soon after and freed the technician. The papers were copies of documents for which the bank had the originals.

What cause or causes of action may the bank assert against the technician?

(A) Conversion and trespass to land.

(B) Conversion but not trespass to land because the technician believed that he would be able to get out when he was finished.

(C) Trespass to land but not conversion because the bank had original copies of the papers that the technician burned.

(D) Neither conversion nor trespass to land.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Answer Conversion and trespass to land Explanation A ... View the full answer