Any mortgagor, conditional sales contract vendee, pledgor or debtor under a security agreement of personal property, or his or her legal representative, who, while such mortgage, security agreement or conditional sales contract remains in force and unsatisfied, conceals, sells or in any manner disposes of such property, or any part thereof, or removes such property, or any part thereof, beyond the limits of the county, or materially injures or willfully destroys such property, or any part thereof, without the written consent of the holder of such mortgage or conditional sales contract, secured party or pledgee under a security agreement shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony if the value of the property is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more and shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a period not exceeding three (3) years or in the county jail not exceeding one (1) year, or by a fine of not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). If the value of the property is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), the person shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one (1) year, or by a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). Provided, however, the writing containing the consent of the holder of the mortgage or conditional sales contract, secured party or pledgee under a security agreement, as before specified, shall be the only competent evidence of such consent, unless it appears that such writing has been lost or destroyed.

R.L. 1910, § 2755. Amended by Laws 1957, p. 166, § 1; Laws 1965, c. 105, § 1; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 421, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 307, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2016, c. 221, § 20, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 421 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.