November 30, 1954 Mrs Ann Elizabeth Hodges became the only human to be stuck by a meteorite. She was not feeling well and was asleep in her living room when the 8lb meteorite crashed through her ceiling and struck her in the leg. She was 34 living in a rental property in Sylacauga, Alabama.
You would think this strange twilight-zone type of encounter with a falling meteorite would be the biggest problem that Mrs. Hodges had to deal with, however, you would be underestimating her pending legal battle with her landlord.
Mrs. Hodges kept the meteorite in her home while the legal battle of ownership ensued. Turns out that just because a meteorite falls on you doesn't mean you can claim ownership. After the rock was sent to the Smithsonian it took the work of Alabama Congressman Kenneth Roberts to get the meteorite returned back to Alabama. Birdie Guy, Mrs Hodges landlord, felt that after a meteroite crashed through his roof and into his living room and cost him some rental repair costs, he had legal ownership of the space rock as the property owner.
Mr Guy sued Mrs Hodges for possesion of the space rock, Mrs Hodges with a great deal of public support after seeing the injuries she obtained threatened to counter sue for injuries. Finally landlord and tenant came to a private settlement and Mr Guy gave up claim to the meteorite to Mrs. Hodges.
Now in Jan 18, 2010 doctors Marc Gallini and Grank Campi working in Room No 2 in the Williamsburg Square Family Practice in Virgina were nearly hit on the head by a meteorite. The doctors planned to give the meteorite to the Smythsonian and donate the $5,000 - $10,000 from the museum towards charity. However, the landlords of their office space also stated that legally the meteorite was property of the landlord who felt a private purchase could bring $86,000- $300,000 to a private buyer, and was not property of the doctors to give to the museum.
In this case it was argued that a rock falling from the sky and ambigous property ownership laws of the state could lead to a legal conclusion that the rock was akin to abandoned property and arguably property of the tenants. This was apparently a perswausive argument as the landlords dropped their claim to the meteorite and it now resides in the Smithsonian. So what happens if a meteorite crashes into a rental. Well based on these past precedents, both ended in settlements without a offical court ruling. Both tenants ended up with legal possesion of their space rocks. If you are worried about a meteorite crashing through your rental, you can always request a special clause in your lease. Since there is only a 1 in 3,921,910,064,328 chance that a home would be struck by a meteorite, the chance of it hitting a rental home is even more rare it could be an etirnity before we get a legal court ruling to set a newer precedent in this type of landlord tenant battle.
- http://archive.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/061130/meteorite.shtml
- http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1280
- http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2467
- http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/2015327/virginia_meteorite_on_display_at_the_smithsonian/
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012804235.html?sid=ST2010012902613
- http://www.wm.edu/research/ideation/issues/2011-fall/who-owns-this-meteroite6478.php
