Community Forums

luckyd · 02-14-2016, 08:25 PM

If you skip out without paying for gas...it is theft.
If you check in late at a CG, leave early next morning without paying, it is theft.

Why is it not theft if you do not pay rent on a house, apt, etc?
It takes months to get someone booted out for non payment.

Mr_D · 02-14-2016, 08:31 PM

Because that's the way the laws are written! Protection from unscrupulous property owners also works to protect the law breakers.

**CLIFFTALL** · 02-14-2016, 08:32 PM

It's still theft.

firedoc · 02-14-2016, 08:37 PM

Ahh, the life of a landlord.

Mr_D · 02-14-2016, 08:49 PM

Yep
When my wife and I got married she owned a house and so did I, then we bought a third one during a Parade of Homes show. Moved into it and put both "old" houses on the market. Hers sold in about a month, mine was on the market for a year and I took a $25,000 loss on it rather than rent or lease it. Just didn't want the headaches.

Mr_D · 02-14-2016, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifftall

It's still theft.

Yes, but until the laws change they will get away with it.

cwsqbm · 02-14-2016, 09:30 PM

Its not theft. The house/apartment is still there. Its a civil disagreement about a contract. Calling the deadbeats law-breakers isn't correct because they're not really breaking laws even if their actions are immoral.

If they remove stuff when they leave/kicked out, then that's theft but its usually not worth trying to get money from broke people.

Scarab0088 · 02-14-2016, 11:34 PM

Non-payment for services, including agreed fees for access to private properties (lease or rental) is most certainly theft.

The authorities of most western nations have ammended laws to separate different types of theft like laceny, fraud and robbery, and further drafted laws to protect renter's rights, but it is still theft.

Wonder...what's the OP's backstory?

Ramets · 02-15-2016, 05:42 AM

Or how about this. There's been instances where deadbeat squatters have moved into an unoccupied home, and it almost takes an act of congress to throw them out. In one case in FL., a couple had closed up their home for a one year trip around the world. When they came back squatters had moved in. The local police were unable to legally throw them out. Even with a court order they were able to stay while their lawyer(?) kept things tied up in our convoluted legal system.

wnytaxman · 02-15-2016, 06:26 AM

Theft of services is a common problem. Every so often we will prepare a tax return and not get paid. Most collection agencies don't want to bother with trying to collect a bill for a couple of hundred dollars so we just write it off. We had one tax audit that the deadbeats refused to pay for the time we had to put into keeping them out of trouble with the IRS. Then they had the audacity to ask us for copies of past returns that had already been given to them.

The laws are set up to benefit the wrong doers rather than those of us who provide services. It's still theft, but when it involves services it just becomes another bad debt to us with little or no recourse.

luckyd · 02-15-2016, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Wonder...what's the OP's backstory?

A close friend owns a CG and has people "sleep and go"
a few times. He called the police and was informed he
could charge them with theft if he had the licence number.

He also rented out a second home and has had lots of problems
collecting rent. He has been trying to figure out why these
people cannot be charged with theft.

As one poster said "the house is still there, so it is not theft".
So is the campground, but it is theft.

Maybe we would not have problems with renters if they could
be charged criminally.

Lifemember · 02-15-2016, 09:35 AM

As a lawyer once told me, it does not have to make sense it is the law!

ralphie · 02-15-2016, 09:43 AM

Theft of services is indeed theft, however, State and local laws are controlling, as are the terms of the lease. If you could write a lease subject to the law and that also states failure to pay for the services is theft, and if a tenant were stupid enough to sign it, I still doubt you'd prevail by charging theft, as the former is criminal and the latter is civil. Lots of law out there to protect the rights of tenants, and many laws give tenants more favorable treatment than landlords. Interesting question though.

**TonyDi** · 02-15-2016, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Non-payment for services, including agreed fees for access to private properties (lease or rental) is most certainly theft.

The authorities of most western nations have ammended laws to separate different types of theft like laceny, fraud and robbery, and further drafted laws to protect renter's rights, but it is still theft.

Wonder...what's the OP's backstory?