You are the general manager of a fixed based operator (FBO). Your shop performed an annual inspection on a customer's airplane and allowed the customer to take the airplane after the job was complete but before the bill was paid. Later, the customer complained that the bill was excessive and has since refused to pay it. Arriving for work one morning, you noticed the airplane tie-down in one of the airport`s transient parking spots, unattended. The thought occurs to you to tow the airplane into your hangar, lock it up, and refuse to release it until the bill is paid.

1)What are the possible legal consequences to you and to your employer if you follow that course of action?

2)2) Have you or someone you know been involved in a similar situation (it does not have to be aviation related)? Please share the story with your classmates or share a brief summary of an aviation tort related article.