Originally Posted by 865sp300e

AN ACT CONCERNING THE FAILURE TO RETURN RENTAL PROPERTY

SUMMARY: This act makes changes to two crimes regarding rented or leased property. It (1) modifies an element of the crime of conversion of leased property (a type of larceny) and excludes personal property rented or leased under consumer rent-to-own agreements from the types of property subject to its penalties and (2) adds a definition of economic loss to the crime of 2nd degree criminal trover.

2ND DEGREE CRIMINAL TROVER

By law, someone commits the crime of “criminal trover in the 2nd degree” when, knowing he is not licensed or privileged to do so, he uses another's personal property without consent and damages or diminishes its value or causes economic loss, fine, or penalty. The act provides that “economic loss” includes situations in which:

1. a property owner is in the business of renting or leasing personal property,

2. the person who rented or leased the property did so under a written agreement requiring its return at a specified time,

3. the person does not return it within 120 hours after the owner sends a written demand for return of the property by registered mail to the person's address in the agreement unless a most recent address is known (acknowledgement of the receipt of the demand is not necessary to show that 120 hours have passed),

4. the owner suffers over $500 of uncompensated economic loss, and

5. the property is not rented or leased for personal or household purposes or under a consumer rent-to-own agreement.

By law, 2nd degree criminal trover is a class A misdemeanor.