Sec. 78.

(1) Except as provided in sections 72 to 77, a person shall not do any of the following:

(a) Willfully and maliciously burn, damage, or destroy by fire or explosive any of the following or its contents:

(i) Any personal property having a value of $200.00 or more but less than $1,000.00.

(ii) Any personal property having a value of less than $200.00, if the person has 1 or more prior convictions.

(iii) Any personal property having a value of less than $200.00.

(b) Negligently, carelessly, or recklessly set fire to a hotel or motel or its contents, and, by setting that fire, endanger the life or property of another person.

(2) Subsection (1) applies regardless of whether the person owns the building, structure, hotel, motel, or its contents, or the personal property.

(3) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable as follows:

(a) If the person violates subsection (1)(a)(i) or (ii), imprisonment for not more than 1 year and a fine of not more than $2,000.00 or 3 times the value of the property damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater.

(b) If the person violates subsection (1)(a)(iii) or (b), imprisonment for not more than 93 days and a fine of not more than $500.00 or 3 times the value of the property damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater.

History: 1931, Act 328, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- CL 1948, 750.78 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 533, Eff. Apr. 3, 2013 ;-- Am. 2014, Act 111, Eff. July 9, 2014 Former Law: See section 1 of Ch. 45 of R.S. 1846, being CL 1857, § 5924; CL 1871, § 7790; How., § 9402; CL 1897, § 11653; CL 1915, § 15424; and CL 1929, § 16942.