Legal Definitions - criminal damage to property

Criminal damage to property refers to intentionally harming, destroying, or significantly interfering with the use of someone else's property without their permission. This legal term specifically covers damage caused by means other than fire or explosion, which are typically addressed under the separate crime of arson.

It also applies when someone damages property with the deliberate intention of defrauding an insurance company or a lender who has a financial interest (a "lien") in that property.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Vandalism of a Vehicle

  Imagine a person, upset with their neighbor, uses a key to scratch a long, deep line down the side of the neighbor's parked car. This act causes significant injury to the car's paintwork and appearance without the car owner's consent.

  How it illustrates the term: This is criminal damage to property because the individual intentionally caused physical harm (injury) to another person's property (the car) without permission from the owner.

• Example 2: Disabling a Security System

  A disgruntled former tenant, before moving out, deliberately cuts the wiring to the landlord's newly installed security camera system, rendering it inoperable. The system itself isn't destroyed, but its function is completely impaired.

  How it illustrates the term: This demonstrates criminal damage because the former tenant intentionally caused a substantial impairment to the use of the landlord's property (the security system) without consent.

• Example 3: Damaging Property for Insurance Fraud

  A business owner, facing financial difficulties, intentionally smashes several windows and damages the interior of their own commercial building with a crowbar. They then file an insurance claim, falsely reporting that the damage was caused by a break-in, hoping to receive a payout from their insurer.

  How it illustrates the term: This is criminal damage to property because the owner intentionally caused destruction and injury to their own property with the specific intent to defraud an insurer.