Columbia Claim of right ordinance (§ 16-173)
Chapter 16: Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions · Article II. Code of Offenses
(a) A person does not commit an offense under section 16-171 if, at the time of the appropriation, he:
(1) Acted in the honest belief that he had the right to do so; or
(2) Acted in the honest belief that the owner, if present, would have consented to the appropriation.
(b) The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of claim of right.
Secs. 16-174, 16-175. - Reserved.
Official source: City of Columbia official Code of Ordinances (online): look up Sec. 16-173
Text from Supplement 139 (September 3, 2026).
Last checked November 1, 2026. The city's official copy controls; this page is a reading copy, not legal advice.