Safekeeping Property Retention for Unrelated Debt

A person who had entrusted movable property to another for safekeeping was seeking its return, but the recipient refused, claiming a right of retention based on an alleged debt owed by the owner for unrelated services rendered. The court of appeal upheld the right of retention, considering the debt to be sufficiently related to the keeping of the property, but the high court quashed the decision, reasoning that a right of retention over property held for safekeeping can only be legitimately exercised to secure payment for expenses directly related to the preservation or improvement of that specific property, and not for general, unrelated debts.