A more thorough explanation:

Definition: Detinet (det-i-net) is a Latin term that means "he detains." It refers to a legal action in debt where the plaintiff claims that the defendant wrongfully kept goods, as opposed to wrongfully taking them.

For example, if someone borrowed a book from you and refused to return it, you could bring an action in detinet to recover the book. Similarly, if you were an executor of an estate and someone refused to return property that belonged to the estate, you could bring an action in detinet to recover the property.

An action of replevin is also considered to be in detinet when the defendant retains possession of the property until after the judgment. This means that the defendant is holding onto the property even though they have been ordered by the court to return it to the plaintiff.

Example: John borrowed a lawnmower from his neighbor, but when he returned it, the neighbor claimed that it was damaged. John denied causing any damage and demanded the return of his lawnmower. When the neighbor refused to return it, John brought an action in detinet to recover the lawnmower.

Explanation: In this example, John is claiming that his neighbor wrongfully kept his lawnmower. He is not alleging that the neighbor stole the lawnmower, but rather that the neighbor is holding onto it without justification. Therefore, John's legal action is in detinet.