Also known as: bonum · goods · chattels
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
Personal property or chattels. The term encompasses movable assets distinct from real property and includes items such as household goods, vehicles, and other tangible personal effects.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Byron Bishop purchased a warehouse from a seller who had previously conveyed the same property to another buyer via an unrecorded deed. Bishop paid value, lacked notice of the prior conveyance, and promptly recorded his deed under the state's notice recording act. The court awarded title to Bishop because he qualified as a subsequent purchaser of the bona without notice.
Bruce Baldwin entered a neighbor's yard to retrieve his escaped livestock that had wandered onto the property and threatened to damage his own equipment. Baldwin used only the force necessary to guide the animals back without harming the neighbor's land. The entry was privileged because it was reasonably necessary to protect his bona from serious harm.
Bristol Steel, a foreign manufacturer, shipped component parts through distributors into several states but took no steps to target sales specifically in State A. When a defective part injured a resident there, the court held that personal jurisdiction was lacking because the company had not purposefully directed its bona toward the forum.
After Bernard Bass died, his surviving spouse selected household furniture, appliances, and an automobile from the estate under the exempt property statute. The value of these bona, net of any security interests, reached the statutory cap and took priority over other claims.
Bella Barnes orally agreed to pay a broker a commission if the broker found a buyer for her vacant lot. Because the agreement concerned only the broker's services and did not transfer an interest in the bona itself, the court held that the statute of frauds did not apply.
After the buyer repudiated, Boreal Energy elected to resell the identified but undelivered equipment rather than pursue other remedies. The seller proceeded under the provision governing goods still unidentified to the contract and recovered damages measured by the difference between the contract price and the resale price.
Bona refers to personal property or chattels as distinguished from real property. It includes movable items such as household goods, vehicles, and other tangible personal effects.
A subsequent purchaser of bona who takes without notice and records first may prevail over a prior unrecorded interest under notice or race-notice statutes.
The core meaning of bona is limited to chattels and tangible personal property. Intangible interests are typically analyzed under separate doctrines.
…for sale or purchase of merchandise there. It maintains no stock of merchandise in that state and makes there no deliveries of goods in intrastate commerce. During the years from 1937 to 1940, now in question, appellant employed eleven to thirteen salesmen under direct supervision and control of sales managers located in…