Q&A: Returning stolen property when prices or ownership have changed
Returning stolen property when prices or ownership have changed
Question
If I return stolen property several years after the theft, do I need to take inflation into account?
If I stole from a company that is publicly traded on the stock exchange, then after a year ownership may have changed significantly. Am I considered someone who does not know to whom to return it, and therefore should donate it for public needs?
Answer
The ownership belongs to the company. If there were people who were harmed, then it is indeed theft from the public.
As for inflation, in my opinion returning an inflation-adjusted value is not interest, certainly when the basis is not a loan but theft. So yes, inflation should be taken into account. And even regarding the loss you caused in potential income, that is indirect causation, which one is obligated to pay in the judgment of Heaven.