What does it mean when a person is not committing a crime if no other person has a possessory interest in the damaged property?

When someone is not committing a crime because no other person has a possessory interest in the damaged property, it indicates that the act in question does not violate any criminal law due to the absence of ownership or possessory rights by another individual. In the context of arson—where damage to property is a key element of the crime—the absence of a possessory interest means there is no victim who has legal ownership over the property that was damaged. Therefore, without a victim, the individual may not face criminal liability for actions like arson, as criminal responsibility typically hinges on the infringement of someone else's rights or property.

This principle emphasizes that criminal law often requires a violation of rights or damage to property belonging to another party for an offense to occur. In this case, without that critical aspect of ownership, the individual cannot be held criminally responsible for the act.