I find that BelovedDictator has the current possessory interests in the physical land property in question. In lieu of a written agreement (reddit or in-game), audio recording, or eye-witness testimony of the purchase or rental agreement between him and Higgenbottoms, BelovedDictator’s possessory interests supersede any that are possessed by Higgenbottoms. As such, BelovedDicator was within his legal right to evict Higgenbottoms on a moment’s notice and without refund of the one (1) diamond ore. Higgenbottoms still retains possessory interests in the chest in question as well as its contents.

As noted by fmr. Judge Ckeep in Agg23 v. GuitarCrafter, the only way to acquire land in Aurora is to be granted it by the government. The APC Injunction Against Blocking Roadways and Regulations Regarding Private Construction in Aquora has implicitly established the Lockean Homesteading Principle as an appropriate way to acquire land within the Auroran Republic; less everyone which has built a home or made an improvement to the land within the Republic, without the Chancellery’s approval, be deemed a criminal.

To clarify, any attempts to dispossess BelovedDictator must supersede his original grant to the land, meaning the grant must be unlawful, a violation of reasonable discretion by the grantor (the Chancellery), or voluntarily consented to by BelovedDictator himself. Furthermore, no government action has been taken which would supersede that grant (dereliction, civil asset forfeiture, repossession for restitution, ect.), and Higgenbottoms has failed to show that BelovedDictator did in fact relinquish full ownership of the plot to him.

There are currently no laws against discrimination in Aurora and no laws regarding tenant-landlord disputes. Rapid-effecting eviction is thus a legal method of removing tenants in lieu of a binding-contract. The rights of the landlord (BelovedDictator) do not exceed the rights still retained by the tenant (Higgenbottoms), however. The removal of items from evicted tenants' shop chests is indeed theft if not returned to their evictee. As such, I am ordering 63 clay balls, a chest, a sign, and three (3) coal ore be returned to Higgenbottoms.

With regard to the three (3) coal ore, the issue at the heart of BelovedDictator’s countersuit, I reject the claim that Higgenbottoms committed fraud.

Fraud is an especially hard case to prove. It requires proving that a party gained property or financial advantage through deception or dishonesty, and did so with intent. Such proof must also be beyond a reasonable doubt.

A contract operates by one party making an offer with the other accepting. The Civcraft plugin ItemExchange, designed by our town’s very own /u/SpaceFountain, integrates this offer-acceptance dynamic straight into the plugin. Before any transaction can be made, offers are displayed to the user for them to decide whether they will go forward with the transaction.

ScarredWarlord in his opening statement admitted to being aware of the exchange he was about to enter into:

When his shop was set up, upon attempting to trade with it the chat message would say that "Clay balls" were being sold, without any extra details that would usually be present with lored and named items. in his opening statement by posting an image of the exchange offers available to him.

He goes on to say:

For even more proof, I sacrificed 3 of my own coal to buy a single clay ball…

And if that wasn’t enough, he even linked to this image (image 1) as part of his opening evidence which clearly shows he saw and understood all available exchanges he could enter into.

To recap, more time-and-effort had been spent documenting the purchase of a single clay ball than had been the land agreement established between Higgenbottoms and BelovedDictator. Insert Donald Trump voicing the word sad.

Therefore, I find that BelovedDictator has the superior possessory interests in the physical land property. Higgenbottoms still retains possessory interests in the chest and its contents. As such, the government shall return 63 clay balls, a chest, a sign, and three (3) coal ore to Higgenbottoms. BelovedDictator may keep his 1 clay ball.

Court is adjourned.