Legal Definitions - crimes against property

Crimes against property refer to a category of criminal offenses where an individual unlawfully interferes with another person's possessions or assets, either to gain an unauthorized benefit from them or to cause damage, all without using or threatening physical force against a person.

These crimes focus on the property itself, rather than directly harming an individual. They are also commonly known as property crimes.

• Example 1: Vandalism

  Imagine a situation where someone spray-paints graffiti across the exterior wall of a privately owned business building. This act causes damage to the property without the perpetrator attempting to steal anything or using any physical force against the business owner or employees. The intent is solely to deface or harm the property.

• Example 2: Embezzlement

  Consider an office manager who, over several months, secretly diverts small amounts of money from the company's petty cash fund into their personal bank account. This individual is deriving an unlawful financial benefit from the company's property (its money) through deception and a breach of trust, rather than through direct theft involving force or threat of force.

• Example 3: Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle

  A teenager finds a spare key to a neighbor's car and takes the vehicle for a joyride late at night, returning it before morning without causing any damage. In this scenario, the teenager unlawfully used another person's property (the car) for their own benefit without permission. No force was used against the neighbor, nor was there an intent to permanently deprive the neighbor of the car, but the unauthorized use itself constitutes a crime against property.