The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Subchapter
005
:
THEFT OF SERVICES
(Cite as: 13 V.S.A. § 2582)
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§ 2582. Theft of services
(a) A person who purposely obtains services that he or she knows are available only for
compensation, by deception or threat, or by false token or other means to avoid payment
for the service shall if the services exceed $900.00 in value be imprisoned for not
more than 10 years or fined not more than $5,000.00, or both. Otherwise, a person
who violates a provision of this subsection shall be imprisoned for not more than
one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. Where compensation for service
is ordinarily paid immediately upon the rendering of such service, as in the case
of hotels, restaurants, and transportation, refusal to pay or absconding without payment
or offer to pay gives rise to a rebuttable presumption that the service was obtained
by deception as to intention to pay.
(b) A person who, having control over the disposition of services of others, to which
he or she is not entitled, knowingly diverts such services to the person’s own benefit
or to the benefit of another not entitled thereto shall if the services exceed $900.00
in value be imprisoned for not more than 10 years or fined not more than $5,000.00,
or both. Otherwise a person who violates a provision of this subsection shall be imprisoned
for not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Added 1967, No. 202, § 2, eff. April 17, 1967; amended 1973, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2005, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 6.)