Infliction of Damage to Property by Deceit. Article 165 of the RF Criminal Code.

What does the law say about inflction of damage?

Infliction of damage on property by deceit or breach of trust in the absence of the elements of stealing, shall be punishable with...

The maximum penalty under par. “b” of Clause 2 of Article 165 of the RF Criminal Code is 5 years of deprivation of liberty.

This crime similarly as swindling can be committed in several ways:

• Deceit of the victim
• Breach of trust of the victim

Deceit and breach of trust causing property damage as a socially dangerous act may occur in both of the following:

• In the actions, i.e. active deceit or breach of trust (e.g., avoidance of effecting mandatory payments through the use of false documents, if the liability for such actions is not provided by special regulations of the RF Criminal Code, or the provision of false documents to substantiate the reduced price of public services or lease payments), and;
• In the inactions i.e. passive deceit or breach of trust (e.g., evasion of obligatory payments by the concealment of a certain truth, for example, by non-disclosure of data by a person deprived of benefits that were available to him in such payments before, or failing to report the termination of a contract).

Among the elements of the described offense the following ones should be highlighted:

• Absence of evil-doer’s rights to property that he will possess and enjoy;
• Voluntary transfer of property or non-resistance to acquisition and use of such property on the part of the victim and/or other people;
• Mistake of the victim and/or other people as to the legality of actions of the evil-doer;
• Absence of final irreversible withdrawal of the property in favor of the offender or other persons (no theft).

The offense has the material corpus delicti and is considered completed as soon as damage has been inflicted.

Contrary to swindling, the detriment to the victim does not arise as a result of loss of property, but in the form of lost profits from the use of the property.

Typical cases of infliction of damage to property by deceit or breach of trust:

1. A person not having the rights to real estate property, without consent of the owner, using the absence of proper control on the part of the owner or in collusion with the owner’s employees, who “do not notice” the illegal use of the property, takes (or does not vacate the previously leased) premises and uses it for his/her interests or subleases the property, extracting profit. In this case, the rent is not paid to the owner. To substantiate their lease rights, criminals can provide forged lease contracts, file lawsuits and delay court cases on eviction.

2. The illegal connection to the electricity grid and use of electricity without paying to the supplying company is also the infliction of damage to property by deceit.