A Swedish landowner successfully retained ownership of a 14-kilogram (31-pound) meteorite in a legal battle on Thursday. The appeals court deemed such rocks as “immovable property” belonging to the land where they are discovered. The meteorite, made of iron, landed on a property containing iron, making it inseparable from the land, according to the ruling by the Svea Court of Appeals.
On November 7, 2020, a surprising event occurred in Uppland, north of Stockholm, when an iron meteorite fell from the sky and landed on private property. In December of the same year, geologists Andreas Forsberg and Anders Zetterqvist discovered the meteorite and gave it to the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Little did they know that this would lead to a legal dispute.
The landowner, Johan Benzelstierna von Engeström, found himself in a legal battle with the geologists who argued that the meteorite, being movable property without an owner, belonged to them, as stated in the Uppsala district court’s ruling in December 2022. Benzelstierna von Engeström, however, appealed the decision, escalating the case to higher levels of the Swedish legal system.
The Svea Court of Appeals shifted the balance on March 21, 2024 with a ruling that reflects the fundamental connection between earth and sky.It declared that “the iron meteorite is made up of substances that are already present in the earth’s surface,” effectively tethering the space rock to the land itself. “It cannot be easily separated from what is usually regarded as (immovable) property,” the court elucidated.
Judge Robert Green cast a pivotal view on the matter, stating, “meteorites or space rocks should be considered part of immovable property just like other stones, even though it may intuitively feel like it is something foreign to the earth.” This perspective reframes our understanding of meteorites, not as alien bodies, but as integrally connected to the earthly terrains they encounter.
Complicating the saga, the geologists alleged the existence of an agreement that would allow them to claim the meteorite. The appeals court, however, found no substantiation for such a pact , leaving open the question of whether the dispute would ascend to Sweden’s Supreme Court.
The ruling also underscores a broader legal principle encapsulated by ‘Allemansratten,’ the Swedish ‘Freedom to Roam’ law. While it grants individuals the liberty to wander through Sweden’s natural spaces with respect for the environment, it notably “does not give anyone the right to take a meteorite from someone else’s land,” the court emphasized.
Relevant articles:
– Swedish appeals court rules space rock should stay with the owner of the property where it landed, AP News, Mar 21, 2024
– Swedish landowner wins legal battle to keep meteorite, The Canberra Times, Mar 21, 2024
– Swede wins court battle to keep 14-kilogram meteorite, KOHA.net, Mar 24, 2024
– Swedish appeals court rules space rock should stay with the owner of the property where it landed, San Diego Union-Tribune, Mar 21, 2024