The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 13 : Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Chapter 057 : Larceny and Embezzlement

Subchapter 006 : THEFT OF RENTED PROPERTY

• § 2591. Theft of rented property

  (a) A person who converts to his or her own use any personal property, other than a motor vehicle leased or rented pursuant to a written agreement that has been entrusted to the person under an agreement in writing that provides for the delivery of that personal property to a particular person or place or at a particular time, abandons it, or refuses or neglects to deliver it to the person or place and at the time specified in the written agreement, or who destroys, secretes, appropriates, converts, sells, or attempts to sell all or any part of it, or who removes or permits or causes it to be removed from this State, without the consent of its owner, shall be:

  (1) if the value of the property involved is $900.00 or less, imprisoned not more than six months or fined not more than $500.00, or both;

  (2) if the property involved exceeds $900.00 in value:

  (A) imprisoned for not more than two years or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both; or

  (B) imprisoned for not more than five years or fined not more than $5,000.00 if the person has been previously convicted of a violation of this subdivision (a)(2) of this section.

  (b) All written agreements for the rental of personal property shall bear a statement in bold face type in the following form:

  NOTICE
  

  FAILURE TO RETURN THE RENTAL PROPERTY WITHIN 72 HOURS AFTER DELIVERY TO YOU OF NOTICE TO RETURN, OR WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER THIS AGREEMENT HAS EXPIRED OR THE PRESENTING OF FALSE, FICTITIOUS OR MISLEADING IDENTIFICATION MAY BE CONSIDERED AS EVIDENCE OF AN INTENTION TO COMMIT LARCENY.

  (Added 1969, No. 165 (Adj. Sess.); amended 1971, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 1995, No. 181 (Adj. Sess.), § 24; 2005, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 7.)