Criminal conversion in the context of "Conversion (law)"

Conversion is an intentional tort consisting of "taking with the intent of exercising over the chattel an ownership inconsistent with the real owner's right of possession". In England and Wales, it is a tort of strict liability. Its equivalents in criminal law include larceny or theft and criminal conversion. In those jurisdictions that recognise it, criminal conversion is a lesser crime than theft/larceny.

Examples of conversion include: 1) Atamba cuts down and hauls away trees on land s/he knows is owned by Tonny, without permission or privilege to do so; and 2) Anthony takes furniture belonging to Delta and puts it into storage, without Delta's consent (and especially if Delta does not know where Anthony put it). A common act of conversion in medieval times involved bolts of cloth that were bailed for safekeeping, which the bailee or a third party took and made clothes for their own use or for sale.