At the time of this story, I was working in the tech department of a law firm that had several partners.
I was tasked with performing laptop inventory. The last laptop ended up being checked out to one of the senior partners, but he also had one of the newest laptops issued to him in the recent weeks.
I asked my manager if we shouldn't try and have the older laptop back to close this year's inventory? My manager said we could ask, but as a partner, he could not be forced to return his laptop. I sent an email to the partner, cc'ing my manager, asking for the return of the old laptop so that our inventory for the year could be closed.
I received an email back that he would bring the laptop in the next Monday, but it was in terrible shape and not to expect it to be in operational condition. I assured him that we simply needed to account for the laptop and, if he wasn't using it, to remove it from inventory.