Last week, a Minnesota man did La-Z-Boy a big favor when he pleaded guilty for driving while intoxicated in a recliner he had turned into a motorized vehicle.

Ever since, stories of the La-Z-Boy chair have populated newspapers nationwide, many wondering how the man made the chair and if it is really possible to get a DWI for driving a recliner.

The chair was seized by officers after the arrest and auctioned on eBay. The closing bid on Friday was $37,100. The chair is a traditional recliner, but it includes a converted gas-powered lawnmower engine. The engine is connected to a steering wheel, and the chair is also outfitted with headlights, roll bars, a stereo and cup holders. The chair is reported to run about 20 miles per hour at full throttle.

The man who built the machine and made it famous, Dennis Anderson, 61, was driving it from one bar to another in late August. He hit a parked car while in the chair, and he then tested .29% on a breath alcohol test. He was arrested for DWI and sentenced to 180 days in jail when he pleaded guilty. While the jail time was stayed providing for a 2 year probationary period, Anderson forfeited what has come to be a very valuable asset and  forked over $2,000 to the state in fines.

Most states do not discriminate between types of motor vehicles. This means a DWI or DUI sentence may be handed down to any person on a self-propelled vehicle, even a bicycle in some locations. People are arrested for riding scooters, golf carts or other machines while intoxicated. It is important to remember DWI and DUI laws do not just apply to cars, as you can see from this bizarre story.