Can a property owner be held liable for criminal acts which occur on his/her property?
Generally, if the property owner knew or had a reason to know that an attack by a criminal was likely, the property owner can, in certain circumstances, be liable for criminal acts committed against a person on his/her property. For example, a significant period of criminal activity on or around a property that would put a reasonable property owner on notice that certain measures were necessary to protect people on the property could be used to prove an owner’s liability for later criminal acts. If a property owner knows that someone has placed an illegal animal trap on his property and the owner fails to do anything about the trap, he/she might be liable for injuries inflicted on someone else as a result of the trap.
