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What is the risk if you leave without paying from a restaurant or a gas station?

Verified 14 October 2020 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice

Leaving without paying from a restaurant, a petrol station, a taxi or a hotel is an offense. We also talk about scribbling or rump..

Cases concerned

The offense of fraud exists when a person leaves without paying after consuming or using the following services:

  • Restaurant or cafe
  • Service station
  • Taxi
  • Hotel, if the stay is less than 10 days

Please note

not paying the toll is a toll trick punishable by €150 fine.

Filouterie differs from flightbecause the author must have been served and not used himself. For example, someone who takes gas at the pump without paying is committing a theft, not a fraud.

Filouterie is close fraud, but the latter concerns more serious facts. It is a fraud, not a fraud, if the author uses fraudthat is, if he lies to deceive his victims. For example, if a person pretends to be a police officer to "requisition" fuel.

Terms

In order to be convicted, the author must fulfill all the following conditions:

  • Having used the service of a professional (having slept at the hotel, having drunk a coffee, having taken a taxi...)
  • Knowing that he is unable to pay or being deliberately determined not to pay for this service
  • Being in bad faith, that is, never intended to pay

The perpetrator of a fraud offense faces 6 months in prison and €7,500 fine.

The perpetrator may be ordered to compensate the victim by paying damages..

Threading prescribed by 6 years from the commission of the facts.