Can you get in trouble for damaging property to collect insurance money in Illinois? Absolutely – but the amount of trouble you get in depends on a few factors. Here’s what you need to know.
Can You Get in Trouble for Damaging Property to Collect Insurance Money?
Damaging property to collect insurance money is a type of property crime, which means that under Illinois law, you can get into serious trouble.
The severity of your punishment after a conviction (remember, you can only get into trouble if you’re actually convicted of a crime) depends on the amount of damage you did to the property and whether this instance was your first offense.
Property damage can be a misdemeanor or a felony, and if you’re convicted, the punishments could look like this:
- Class A misdemeanor: When the damage is less than $300, you could go to jail for up to a year and pay fines of up to $2,500.
- Class 4 felony: If the property damage is valued between $300 and $10,000, you could go to prison for up to 3 years and pay fines of up to $25,000.
- Class 3 felony: If the property damage is valued between $10,000 and $100,000, or if the damage was done to agricultural equipment, a school or a church, you could go to prison for up to 5 years and pay up to $25,000 in fines.
- Class 2 felony: If the damage is valued at more than $100,000 or it was done to agricultural equipment, a school or a church, you could go to prison for up to 7 years and pay fines of up to $25,000.
Criminal Damage to Property to Collect Insurance Money Could Also Mean Fraud Charges
You could also be charged with fraud if you were attempting to collect insurance money by damaging your own property (or helping someone else damage their property to collect insurance money). That comes with another set of penalties.
Do You Need to Talk to an Attorney About Damage to Property to Collect Insurance Money?
If you’ve been accused of damaging property with the intent to defraud an insurance company, even if the allegations are untrue, we may be able to help you. Call us at 847-920-4540 or fill out the form below for your free case evaluation. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you move forward.
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