Chap. 136.—An ACT to define the duties and liabilities of inn-keepers, hotel-
keepers, and keepers of ordinaries.

Approved March 10, 1906.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it shall be
the duty of keepers of hotels, inns and ordinaries to exercise due care and
diligence in providing honest servants and employees, and to take every
reasonable precaution to protect the person and property of their guests
and boarders. No such keeper of hotel, inn or ordinary shall be held
liable in a greater sum than three hundred dollars, for the loss of any
wearing apparel, baggage or other property not hereinafter mentioned.
helonging either to a guest or boarder, when such loss takes place from
the room or rooms occupied by said guest or boarder, and no keeper of a
hotel, inn or ordinary shall be held liable for any loss of any guest or
boarder of jewelry, money or other valuables of like nature belonging to
any guest or boarder: provided, such keeper shall have posted in the
room or rooms occupied by guests or boarder in a conspicuous place, and
in the office of such hotel, inn or ordinary a notice stating that jewelry,
money and other valuables of like nature, must be deposited in the office
of such hotel, inn or ordinary unless such loss shall take place from
such office after such deposit is made.

And provided, further, that the keeper of any such hotel, inn or ordi-
nary shall not be obliged to receive from any one guest for deposit, in
such office, any property hereinbefore described, exceeding a total value
of five hundred dollars.

2. That whenever the keeper of such hotel, inn or ordinary shall pro-
vide suitable locks or bolts on the doors of the sleeping rooms used by
his guests, and suitable fastenings on the transoms and window's of said
rooms, and shall keep a copy of this act conspicuously posted in each
of said rooms, together with a notice requiring said guests or boarders
to keep said doors locked or bolted, and transoms fastened: and if said
guests or boarders fail to lock or bolt said door or doors, or to fasten
said windows and transoms, then the said keeper of such hotel. inn or
ordinary, shall not be liable for any property taken from such room or
rooms: provided, however, that the burden of proof shall be upon such
keeper to show that he has complied with the provisions of this section,
and that such guest or guests have failed to comply with these require-
ments. But nothing in this act shall be construed to in any wise exempt
the keeper, or keepers, of hotels, inns and ordinaries from being liable for
the value of any property of guests taken or stolen from any room
therein by any employee or agent of said keeper or keepers.

3. In the case of loss by fire or overwhelming disaster the keeper of
any hotel, inn or ordinary shall be answerable to his guests or boarders
for ordinary and reasonable care in the custody of their baggage or other
property, but in no case shall the extent of hig liability exceed two hun-
dred and fifty dollars to any one guest or boarder, unless it shall clearly
appear that the said fire or disaster was caused by the negligence of or
otherwise by said keeper of such hotel, inn or ordinary, or by his servant
or servants or employees.

4, That no liability shall attach to any hotel keeper, keeper of an inn
or ordinary for the baggage, hats, umbrellas, coats or other wearing ap-
parel of a guest until the same is actually placed by said guest in the
actual custody of the proprietor or an employee of said hotel. inn or
ordinary, and the mere depositing of said baggage, hats, umbrellas, coats.
or other wearing apparel inside of said hotel, inn, or ordinary, shall not
he construed as being in actual custody until taken in charge by said

las a
uprictor or his employee, or is properly placed in a room or rv
iened to said guests.

4‘, That no suits or claims arising under the four sections of this
al: te brought after one year from the time the cause of action
Ses.