Reference no: EM131657188

Question: R&J Associates leased certain commercial real estate from T&C Associates, Inc., for a one-year period beginning May 1. The lease required that T&C give R&J 10 days' notice before canceling the lease. R&J operated the leased premises as a bar that featured seminude dancers but discontinued the business during the following March when it lost a necessary dance permit. In late March and early April, T&C noticed that the bar was not open and learned that R&J had lost its permit. R&J was behind on its rent at this time. Utility companies were seeking to shut off service to the premises because R&J was also behind on its utility bills. When T&C informed R&J that its monthly rent would be higher if it renewed the lease, R&J said it had no interest in renewing. For the above reasons, T&C took possession of the premises in April. T&C, however, did not give R&J the 10 days' notice referred to in the lease. T&C leased the premises to a new tenant later that month. At approximately the same time, R&J demanded the return of certain personal property items it had left on the premises. T&C told R&J to contact the new tenant, adding that there should be no problem with the return of the items of personal property. R&J contacted the new tenant, who told R&J to submit a list of its personal property because other parties were also claiming rights to what had been left on the premises. R&J did not submit this list and did not contact T&C again about the personal propertyitems. Later, R&J sued T&C for conversion of the personal property. Did R&J have a valid conversion claim?