The alleged theft of unmetered natural gas is not a “debt” under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to those seeking repayment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Tuesday.

The determination in Beauvoir v. Israel, 14-3794-cv, was the circuit’s first on the question of whether money owed as a result of an alleged theft represents a debt under FDCPA.