Art. 253.1 CP
Misappropriation
Appropriating goods received with a duty to return: six months to three years.
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Misappropriation · Breach of trust · Throughout Spain
Misappropriation lawyer in Spain
Keeping what was entrusted: the line between civil debt and criminal misappropriation is narrow.
Keeping money, goods or assets received on deposit, commission or for administration: misappropriation (Article 253 of the Spanish Criminal Code) sits at the border of fraud and unfair administration. The exact qualification and the existence of a duty to return are at the heart of the defence.
In brief. misappropriation (Art. 253 CP) punishes anyone who appropriates, to another’s harm, money, goods or assets received on deposit, commission or for administration, or under any title creating a duty to deliver or return them. It differs from fraud (no prior deception) and from unfair administration (Art. 252). It is aggravated above 50,000 euros. The duty to return and intent are decisive.
Key facts
253
Misappropriation of goods received with a duty to deliver or return.
250
Aggravation, notably above 50,000 euros of value.
24h
English-speaking lawyer, defence and recovery throughout Spain.
A duty to return
Misappropriation presupposes lawful receipt. The asset was handed over legitimately — on deposit, commission or for administration — with a duty to return or deliver it. Appropriating it, or denying having received it, is what the law punishes.
It differs from fraud and unfair administration. Fraud (Art. 248) requires prior deception; unfair administration (Art. 252) an abuse of management powers. Misappropriation (Art. 253) is the breach of a duty to return.
The civil border is decisive. A mere failure to pay or a contractual dispute over accounts is not necessarily criminal; distinguishing debt from misappropriation is a central line of defence.
What we defend
Misappropriation and related offences
Art. 253 + 250 CP
Aggravated misappropriation
Value above 50,000 € or qualified circumstances: one to six years.
Art. 254 CP
Wrongful appropriation
Keeping a lost thing or one received by mistake: fine or prison.
Art. 252 CP
Unfair administration
Abuse of management powers causing harm to the assets managed.
Art. 248 CP
Distinction from fraud
Fraud requires prior deception, absent in misappropriation.
Art. 295 CP
Corporate context
Misappropriation within a company by directors or administrators.
Art. 116 CP
Civil liability
Restitution of the asset and compensation of the harm.
Art. 21.5 CP
Return before trial
Returning the asset mitigates and may resolve the dispute.
Contract
Mere civil debt
A dispute over accounts, without appropriation, is a civil matter.
Penalty framework
Indicative overview
| Offence | Article | Penalty framework | Key aggravating factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Misappropriation | 253.1 | 6 months – 3 years | Position of trust |
| Aggravated misappropriation | 253+250 | 1 – 6 years | Value > 50,000 € |
| Wrongful appropriation | 254 | Fine or prison | Value of the thing |
| Unfair administration | 252 | Fraud penalties | Management powers |
| Corporate context | 295 | Prison or fine | Director’s role |
| Return before trial | 21.5 | Mitigation | Full restitution |
| Civil liability | 116 | Restitution + compensation | Harm caused |
| Civil debt | — | Outside criminal law | No appropriation |
Indicative figures based on the Spanish Criminal Code. The penalty depends on the value, the position of trust and the circumstances. This table does not replace a lawyer’s analysis.
Our difference
Criminal appropriation or civil debt: the decisive line
Not every unpaid sum is misappropriation. Criminal law requires the breach of a duty to return, not a mere dispute over accounts. Establishing a good-faith disagreement often sends the matter to the civil courts.
We rebuild the flow of the assets. Title of receipt, accounting of the funds and the reality of the duty to return determine the qualification — and open the way to the mitigation of return (Art. 21.5).
01
Distinguishing misappropriation from a civil debt
02
Analysis of the title of receipt and the duty to return
03
Return strategy and mitigation before trial
04
Defence of the accused or private prosecution for the victim
How we act
A structured defence at every stage
Phase 01
Analysis of the facts and the accounting
Phase 02
Complaint or investigation
Phase 03
Forensic accounting expertise
Phase 04
Trial, return and reparation
Who we represent
Very different situations
E
Administrators and agents
People who managed funds or goods and are accused of appropriating them.
V
Victims
People or companies whose entrusted assets have not been returned.
P
Professionals
Agents, depositaries and intermediaries facing a duty-to-return dispute.
F
Families
Inheritance or joint-asset disputes turning into accusations.
Related
Related pages
FAQ
What you should know
What is misappropriation?
Appropriating, to another’s harm, money or goods received with a duty to deliver or return them (Art. 253) — for example on deposit, commission or for administration.
How does it differ from fraud?
Fraud (Art. 248) requires prior deception; in misappropriation the asset was received lawfully and the offence is the breach of the duty to return.
Is a mere unpaid debt misappropriation?
No. A dispute over accounts, without appropriation of an entrusted asset, is a civil matter.
Does returning the asset help?
Yes. Return before trial (Art. 21.5) is a strong mitigating factor and often resolves the dispute.
When is it aggravated?
Notably where the value exceeds 50,000 euros or where a special position of trust is abused (Art. 250).
What should I do?
Preserve the title of receipt and the accounting, and contact the firm, available 24/7 throughout Spain.
Speak to a criminal lawyer
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