South Carolina

A common property damage crime is called malicious injury in South Carolina.  Under SC law, it is illegal to willfully or maliciously injure, damage, or destroy the property of another. This includes buildings, animals, land, or any other personal property.  The charge and potential penalty you face for this offense depends on the value of the damage committed.

Damage Value Charge Potential Sentence
$5,000 or more Felony Up to 10 years in prison
$1,000 to $5,000 Felony Up to 5 years in prison
Less than $1,000 Misdemeanor Up to 1 year in jail.

Ref: SC Code §16-11-510

Malicious Injury to a Place of Worship

If the prosecution has probable cause to believe you willfully, unlawfully, and maliciously damaged, vandalized, or destroyed or if you attempted to do any of these things to a place of worship, you will be charged with this serious felony offense.

Malicious Injury to a place of worship is a felony that carries a potential sentence of 6 months to 10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. This means that you will serve at least 6 months if convicted of this crime.

Ref: SC Code §16-11-535

Burning Personal Property to Defraud Insurer

The charge of burning personal property to defraud insurer is the legal term in South Carolina for arson by fraud. If you are charged with this arson, the prosecution has reason to believe that acting with an intent to defraud, you willfully set fire or burned insured personal property of any kind (whether your own or someone else’s).

This is a serious felony offense which carries a potential sentence of at least one and up to 5 years in prison.

Ref: SC Code §16-11-130

Negligently Allowing Fire to Spread to Lands or Property of Another

This offense is committed when you carelessly or negligently set fire or burn any grass, leaves, or other combustible matter on land in a way that allows the fire to spread onto the land of another. Whether you set the fire or were an accomplice in the matter, you could be charged with this offense.

This is charged is cases of arson without fraudulent or deliberate intent to damage property.

This is a misdemeanor charge and for a first time offense the potential sentence is from 5 days to 30 days in jail and a fines reaching from $25 to $200. If you have been convicted of this offense before your sentence would be from 30 to 100 days with fines of $100 to $500.

Ref: SC Code §16-11-180