Salt Lake City Theft of Services Lawyer

You may Need a Salt Lake City Theft of Services Lawyer

Salt Lake City Theft of Services Lawyer
Theft of services can result from paying with a check which has no funds on which to draw.

More and more Utah is moving away from a producing or manufacturing economy and becoming a service-oriented economy. With that comes more theft of services charges. If you’ve been charged with such a crime you will need a Salt Lake City theft of services lawyer.

Over the past 25 years most manufacturing industries in Utah have left for greener pastures.  Utah has been fortunate, however, in that it has been able to attract many service-based companies such as software companies, internet companies, and other high tech industries. As a result of the influx of service-based companies into Utah, there is much more opportunity for would-be thieves to steal services.  Theft of services can be as easy as hiring a company to do work, say a landscaping company, and then refusing to pay the landscaper for his hard work.

The Legal Requirements

There are two primary ways that a person can commit theft of services.  First, theft of services can be committed by obtaining services which are only available for compensation through deception, threat, force or any other means designed to avoid paying for them.  In other words, if you know you’re supposed to pay and you figure out an unlawful way not to pay for them, then you’re on the hook for criminal liability.

Second, a person can commit theft if he controls the disposition of services of another, to which he knows he is not entitled, and he diverts those services to benefit himself or someone else who is not entitled to the services.  This second way to commit theft of services is a little more vague.  Most charges brought under the statutes are under the first prong.

What Are Services?

The definition of services is very broad.  It includes labor, professional services (lawyers, doctors, etc.), restaurants, hotels, motels, admission to entertainment (movies, plays, etc.), sporting events and other “services.”

If you are charged with this crime, give a Salt Lake City theft of services lawyer on our team a call at 801.413.1753 for a free consultation.