GUEST ROBBED IN HOTEL

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1931, Page 11

GUEST ROBBED IN HOTEL

responsibilities defined.

A decision that an hotelkeeper was liable for loss of goods belonging to his vuost was made by Mr. W. 11. MeKeen, S.M., In the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland on Friday. The question arose in a case in w'hich Ben Leen claimed damages from W. J. Hickey, licensee of the Thistle Hotel, for clothing stolen from his bedroom while he was a guest at defendant’s hotel last August. in giving judgment for plaintiff, the magistrate said the liability of an hotelkeeper for goods belonging to his guest was founded upon custom and was limited by law to £3O, except in certain cases. An. hotelkeeper was, In fact, an insurer of the goods of his guest, and if the goods were stolen he was chargeable, even though there bo no negligence on hie part. Where the action of a guest had been so negligent as to induce lose, the hotelkeeper was not liable. All that was alleged against plaintiff in the ease under review was that he >ild not lock the door of his room. Plaintiff said he could not do so because he was not supplied with a key, although he asked for one. "It has, however, been held in more than one case that an omission to lock the door of a room is not negligence and will not deprive the guest of his right to recover,” said Mr. McKean. "As there was no negligence on the part of the plaintiff which induced the loss, ho is entitled to recover the amount claimed, £1» 123.’'