Criminalizing Acts That Intentionally Damage Property

Property damage can refer to several things and can be manmade, brought about by natural causes, or both (as with a neglected wall crack that resulted in a collapse when a storm hit). Most of the damaged property that springs from a hurricane or other natural forces is unintentional and is rarely classified as a crime. However, intentional property damage, especially those that have malicious intentions can amount to huge fines and jail time.

Property Damage Defined 

Vandalism is often made synonymous with property damage, although the former deals mostly with a certain asset’s face-value or aesthetic damage (which can then be referred to as defacement). However, it the damage is done along with a societal or government threat, law enforcers classify it as a terrorist act. This is debatable in some areas and depending on your political orientation. For example, a vigilante group that defaces property yet claims to have never harmed anybody in the process may say that it is merely vandalizing, not terrorizing. The FBI thinks otherwise, as the act was done with a political goal in mind.

The fact of the matter is, whether a certain act is a terrorist activity or not is based on the discretion of those concerned and on the evidence presented by those who hold the burden of proof. 

What The Law Says

The statutes that govern damage to property cases differ from state to state. If you were in New York, post 9/11, and you destroyed a property, you could be dubbed as a terrorist and sentenced to jail. Some states give damage to property three classifications, with a first degree violation equivalent to a maximum of 5 years in jail and a fine of US$10,000. Third degree violations normally fetch jail time of not more than a year and a fine of less than US$3,000, or both. 

For example, if a person had vandalized, defaced, or damaged property due to racist and cultural reasons, he or she will be charged with a first degree damage to property charge; but if he or she had vandalized with just the intention of annoying the owner, then it is a third degree violation. Regardless of the reasons, anybody who deliberately destroys the property of another without consent is guilty of this crime.

The best defense to a possible attack on your property is to keep your family safe and your asset well-insured. Given the wide range of reasons, why some people cause damage on others, from political to the utterly petty, it is best to vigilant at all times. You never know when you could be a victim of this crime. 

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