Legal Question in Product Liability in Pennsylvania

Dog eats 12 year old bed in hotel, should I pay for it?

I was a guest in a hotel for several months, and this hotel allowed guests to keep dogs (any size) in their rooms. On several occasions, my dog got bored and started gnawing away at the mattress (12 years old) and box spring (14 years old). The hotel informed me that they needed to charge me for the bed, so I asked them to provide me with tax records showing that the bed had not been fully depreciated, and their assurance that they would not file a claim with their insurance for the bed before we could settle on a fair price. Without providing me this information or discussing the dollar amount, the hotel charged my credit card $335, the price of a new mattress & box spring. I am disputing this charge with my credit card company. What, if anything, should I expect to pay?


Asked on 7/18/00, 4:42 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
William Marvin Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C.

Re: Dog eats 12 year old bed in hotel, should I pay for it?

Put yourself in the hotel owner's shoes. Is it reasonable for him to go out and try to buy a used bed? What he's charged sounds pretty fair.

Also, think about how few hotels and motels allow pets. I assume you don't want to discourage those that do allow pets, but refusing to replace the damaged bed makes it toughter on other pet owners.

As to insurance, that is purchased for the hotel's benefit, not yours. Even if the insurance paid (and it's almost certainly under the deductible) the insurer would be entitled to sue you.

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Answered on 9/11/00, 6:06 pm


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