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Let's say hypothetically someone rents a vehicle to another person. They sign a contract and the other individual agrees to pay $300 to the person at the start of every month. The contract also states that if they are two months late on rent the car will be reported stolen. Both parties sign this contract.

Now let's say the individual does not pay after 2 months. Can the car be reported as stolen to the authorities?

If the police find the car and the individual would the individual be charged with grand theft auto? Or would the police be angry at the person reporting the crime because they had a contract to rent the car the other individual was just not paying?

Let's say hypothetically this is in the United States and New Jersey

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user55665484375
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In Colorado, the relevant statute states:

(1) A person commits theft when he or she knowingly . . . retains, or exercises control over anything of value of another without authorization . . . and: . . .

(e) Knowingly retains the thing of value more than seventy-two hours after the agreed-upon time of return in any lease or hire agreement[.]

Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยง 18-4-401.

The law in this fact pattern is not entirely uniform across the United States, so other states may have a criminal statute that leads to a different outcome.

ohwilleke
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