The ownership of a thing, whether it be real or personal, movable or immovable, carries with it the right to all that the thing produces, and to all that becomes united to it, either naturally or artificially; this is called the right of accession. The original owner of any thing which receives an accession by natural or artificial means is entitled to his right of possession to the property of it, under such its state of improvement. The owner must be able to prove the identity of the original materials.
The doctrine of accession involves the problems created when one party adds value to the property of another with labor or new materials. Under the doctrine of accession, the general result when a party adds labor to the goods of another is as follows: Unless there is a substantial increase in the value of the original property, the original owner is entitled to the value added. If there is a substantial increase in value, the taker must show that he acted in good faith and not willfully. If labor and materials are added to the original goods, the final product is generally awarded to the owner of ...