Utah Teen Charged With Theft of a Rental Vehicle

A 19 year old Utah teen was arrested on Christmas Day for theft of a rental vehicle after fleeing from police in a U-Haul van that was two weeks late being returned.

Failure to stop for police officer

19 year Russian-born United States citizen Murad Mansurovich Kurbanov was spotted in Murray, Utah driving a rental vehicle that had been reported stolen after not being returned on time to the rental company. When officer attempted to pull Kurbanov over in the stolen U-Haul van, he continued on – driving through multiple red lights and recklessly weaving in and out of traffic. Kurbanov eventually ditched the van in an apartment lot parking lot, attempting to pass himself off as a visitor to one of the tenants.

Theft of a rental vehicle

Kurbanov was questioned by police and after his story was not adding up, officers were able to tie him to the abandoned U-Haul and arrested him for multiple charges including theft of a rental vehicle. Utah Code 76-6-410.5 states “A renter is guilty of theft of a rental vehicle if, without notice to and permission of the rental company, the renter knowingly fails without good cause to return the vehicle within 72 hours after the time established for the return in the rental agreement.” Theft of a rental vehicle is punishable as a second degree felony, the same as theft of any motor vehicle as stated in section 76-6-412.

Teens and rental vehicles

Many wonder why a teenager, even an older one, was allowed to rent the U-Haul van in the first place. Several rental vehicle companies require the driver to be 25 years age or older to rent a vehicle with them. Some companies however, allow younger drivers to rent with them but require a young driver fee that could be nearly as much as the daily fee for the vehicle rental itself. Unknown to many, there are in fact quite a few rental companies that let persons as young as 18 rent vehicles which is in line with federal law. According to their website, U-Haul allows teens as young as 18 to rent their drivable trucks while even younger 16 year olds are permitted to rent their pull-along trailers. Regardless of the age of the responsible party, anyone renting a vehicle is expected to return the vehicle or trailer by the agreed upon time or they could face criminal charges.