A recent legal battle in Sweden has resulted in a landowner successfully retaining ownership of a 14-kilogram (31-pound) meteorite, following a ruling by the Svea Court of Appeals. The court determined that meteorites should be classified as 'immovable property' and considered part of the land on which they are discovered. The meteorite, composed of iron, landed on a property in Uppland, north of Stockholm, on November 7, 2020.
After being found by two geologists in December of the same year, the meteorite was initially handed over to the Swedish Museum of Natural History. However, the owner of the land where the meteorite was located, Johan Benzelstierna von Engeström, contested a previous ruling that granted ownership to the geologists, arguing that the meteorite was an integral part of the property due to its iron composition.
The appeals court supported the landowner's claim, stating that the meteorite's iron content was naturally present in the earth's surface, making it inseparable from the land itself. The court emphasized that meteorites should be treated as part of immovable property, akin to other stones, despite their extraterrestrial origin.
While Sweden's 'Allemansraetten' law allows for freedom to roam in nature, it does not grant individuals the right to remove meteorites from private land. The court dismissed the geologists' assertion of an agreement permitting them to take the meteorite, citing a lack of evidence to support such a claim.
It remains uncertain whether the geologists will pursue further legal action by appealing to Sweden's Supreme Court. The case highlights the complex legal considerations surrounding the ownership of meteorites and the classification of such objects within the realm of property law.
