---
title: "Property Damage Defense"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/property-damage-defense-en"
field: "Criminal Law"
description: "Article 187 Criminal Code of Georgia — property damage or destruction: fine up to 12 years. Defense lawyer — Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-10-14"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Property Damage Defense

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/property-damage-defense-en

## What the Article on Damage to Property Covers

Article 187 of the Criminal Code of Georgia covers the damaging or destruction of another person’s item when this caused significant damage. This is a property crime that in practice often surfaces against the backdrop of quarrels, family conflicts, vandalism or household disputes. The mandatory element of the article is the consequence — significant damage: if the damage is not significant, the case does not proceed under this criminal norm. The criterion of “significant damage” is not defined numerically in the article itself — it is established by other provisions of the Code, and its assessment in a case rests on a broad body of evidence.

For the accused, the danger of this article lies in the steepness of the ladder: the penalty starts with a fine and rises sharply with the circumstances — the means of commission, repetition and the gravity of the consequence — up to nine to twelve years of imprisonment. That is why the defense in these cases always begins with three questions: what exactly was damaged, to what extent, and who committed the act and how.

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### What is the penalty for damaging property?

Where significant damage is caused — a fine, community service of one hundred to one hundred eighty hours, corrective labor for up to one year, house arrest from six months to two years, or imprisonment from one to five years. An act committed by arson, explosion, another universally dangerous means, more than once, or by a group — imprisonment from three to six years.

### What if the damage was followed by a death?

If an act under the second part negligently caused a person’s death or another grave consequence, the penalty is imprisonment from six to ten years; where two or more persons died — from nine to twelve years. The expert establishment of the causal link is decisive here.

### What counts as “significant damage”?

This threshold is not defined in the text of the article — it is established by other provisions of the Code. In a case, the amount of damage is established by assessment, and it is this figure that decides whether the case falls under this article at all.

### Can the case end with a fine?

Yes — for the basic composition a fine is the very first alternative, so a precise damage assessment and challenging the intent often bring the case back into the mildest frame.

### When should I hire a lawyer?

Immediately, as soon as the fact of damage is recorded — under this article the first examinations decide which composition the charge will proceed under.