Andorra Court Cuts Rental Car Thief's Compensation Over Unproven Damage

Andorra's Superior Court has reduced the compensation owed by a man convicted of unlawfully retaining a rental car, ruling that damage claimed by the rental company did not exist when police seized the vehicle.

The man rented the car from a specialised firm but failed to return it at the end of the contract, prompting the company to file a complaint. Officers from Catalonia's Mossos d'Esquadra intercepted him in that region and impounded the vehicle to return it to its owners. Back in Andorra, he faced criminal proceedings for misappropriation.

The initial court ruling convicted him, imposing a prison sentence alongside civil liability totalling 5,650 euros. This covered the period of unauthorised use, associated travel costs, and 1,600 euros for repairs after the company identified a dent on the car, which it attributed to him.

He appealed to the Superior Court solely on the damage claim, arguing the vehicle was undamaged when handed over. Supporting his case were police reports from the interception site and a Mossos d'Esquadra inspection, both confirming no dents or scratches at the time.

Prosecutors backed the appeal during the hearing, stating it was "very likely that these damages did not exist at the time of seizing the vehicle." The court agreed, accepting the challenge and deducting the 1,600 euros. He now owes 4,050 euros in compensation.