Theft of Services

V.S.A. tit. 13, ch. 57, subch. 5

in effect

13 V.S.A. § 2581 Definitions

2581. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “Services” includes labor, professional service, transportation, public services not provided for in section 2021 of this title, accommodation in hotels, restaurants, or elsewhere, admission to exhibitions, or amusements or recreational facilities, use of vehicles or other movable property. (2) “Movable property” means property the location of which can be changed, including things growing on, affixed to, or found in land, and documents although the rights represented thereby have no physical location. (3) “Obtain” means: (A) in relation to property, to bring about a transfer or purported transfer of a legal interest in the property, whether to the obtainer or another; or (B) in relation to labor or service, to secure performance thereof. Added 1967, No. 202, § 1, eff. April 17, 1967; amended 1973, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1999, No. 35, § 3.

13 V.S.A. § 2582 Theft of services

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.

13 V.S.A. § 2585 Hotel lien

2585. Hotel lien (a) A hotel shall have a lien for the reasonable value of any service furnished or for the amount of any accommodation extended by cashing drafts, checks, or otherwise to a person upon all baggage and other property belonging to or under the control of such person and in or on the premises of such hotel and may retain possession of such property until the same are paid. (b) The hotel may enforce the lien by sale as provided in 9 V.S.A. §§ 1952 and 1953. The owner of such property subject to hotel lien who desires to question the reasonableness of such charges shall have the rights provided in 9 V.S.A. § 1954. Added 1967, No. 202, § 5, eff. April 17, 1967.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/13/057Fetched: 10/21/2026