← Demand letters

Restitution Request to Prosecutor

Send toProsecutor or victim services
WhenCriminal charges are filed, before sentencing

💡 When to use it

Send this letter to the prosecutor's office, or its victim services or victim-witness unit, when someone has been charged with a crime that caused the loss, such as arson, vandalism, theft, or a hit-and-run. It asks the court to include your client's payments in any restitution order at sentencing. Send it as soon as charges are filed, and always before the sentencing date.

  • Find the case first. Get the case number, court, and defendant's name from the police report or the state's online court search.
  • Send it to the right person. Call the prosecutor's office and ask who handles restitution for that case. Many offices use a victim advocate or a restitution coordinator.
  • Proof beats argument. Attach proof of every payment. Courts usually order restitution only for losses that are documented.
  • Keep it to actual losses. Include what your client paid and the insured's deductible. Leave out admin fees, recovery fees, and interest.
  • List the insured's own losses separately. The insured may be owed restitution for the deductible and uninsured items. Coordinate with them so nothing is counted twice.
  • Diary the sentencing date. Follow up a week before. After sentencing, ask for a copy of the restitution order and how payments will be sent.
  • Plan for slow payments. Restitution is often paid in small amounts over years, through the court clerk or probation.

✉️ The letter

Fill in the boxes and the letter updates as you type. Anything you leave blank stays [in brackets]. What you type stays on your device. Free downloads and prints include a light Subrobuddy watermark.

[Prosecutor's Office Name]
Attn: [Assistant Prosecutor or Victim Services / Restitution Coordinator]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

[Today's Date]

RE: Restitution Request

Defendant: [Defendant's Name]
Court and Case No.: [Court Name], Case No. [Criminal Case Number]
Police Report No.: [Report Number]
Victim / Property Owner: [Insured's Name]		Loss Location: [Loss Address]
Date of Loss: [Date of Loss]
Insurer: [Client Name], Claim No. [Client Claim Number]
Amount Requested for Insurer: $[Amount Paid by Client]

Dear [Name or Restitution Coordinator]:

[Your Company Name] is the recovery agent for [Client Name], which insures [Insured's Name]. On [Date of Loss], property at [Loss Location] was damaged in the incident described in [Police Report Number]. We understand [Defendant's Name] has been charged in the case listed above.

Because of this incident, [Client Name] paid $[Amount Paid by Client] to or on behalf of [Insured's Name] for the damage. We ask that this amount be included in any restitution order entered in this case, payable to [Client Name].

The enclosed documents show each payment. [Insured's Name] also paid a $[Insured's Deductible] deductible and may have other losses that insurance did not cover. Those amounts belong to [Insured's Name] and are not included in our request.

Please let us know:

  1. The date of the next hearing and the sentencing date
  2. Whether you need a victim impact statement, an affidavit, or any other form from us
  3. Where to send any updated payment information

If restitution is ordered, please send payments to the address below, or tell us how the court or probation office will send them.

Payment instructions

Make payment payable to [Client Name], and include claim number [Client Claim Number] and case number [Criminal Case Number].

Mail to: [Your Company Address]

Enclosures

  1. Itemized list of payments with dates and amounts
  2. Proof of payment (payment ledger or copies of checks)
  3. Estimates, invoices, and photographs
  4. Police or fire report
  5. Declarations page showing the deductible

Thank you for your help. Please contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Title]
[Company]
[Address]
[Phone] · [Email]

cc: [Insured's Name]