a house and takes up residence in it while admitting that the title belongs to its rightful owner, he must pay that owner the going rent. Should the house collapse without any act of his, he owes nothing beyond the rent for the period he occupied it; but if he demolishes it himself, he is liable for its full value.

Whoever hires an animal, a house, a plot of land, or a boat, and it is then seized from him by the authorities—or by someone from whom he has no power to reclaim it—the loss falls upon the owner. Yet if the taker is a person against whom a judicial ruling can be enforced and the lessee still chooses not to pursue him, the loss is borne by the lessee, not by the owner.

Anyone who destroys a hunting dog, livestock, or any other trained creature used for hunting and benefit must pay its market value. The same applies to one who kills an umm walad: he is liable for her value in the state she was in. Likewise, whoever ruins crops that have not yet shown signs of ripeness must pay their estimated value, taking account of both the prospect of success and the risk of failure.

Whenever the usurper and the owner disagree about the kind of the usurped item, the amount of its measure or weight, or its quality, the burden of proof rests entirely with the owner; failing that, the usurper swears to what he has asserted. Even after taking such an oath, the usurper remains responsible for the item’s value and must restore what he seized.

Similarly, if it is proven that he has concealed the article in order to be charged its value and thereby bar the owner from it, he must pay that value and the article is kept from its owner. If neither of these two conditions obtains, the article stays with the usurper, while the owner keeps whatever amount of its price or assessed value he has already received.