Watkins v. Hotel Tutwiler Co.
Supreme Court of Alabama
Appeal from City Court of Birmingham; C. W. Ferguson, Judge. Action by Leon H. Watkins against the Hotel Tutwiler Company. Judgment for defendant, and plaintiff appeals. ' Appellant is a resident of Birmingham, Ala., and is there practicing Ms profession. On or about Christmas, 191b, appellant and his wife became guests of the appellee hotel company, which is doing business in the city of Birmingham, and is one of the leading hotels or public inns in the state.
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Appeal from City Court of Birmingham; C. W. Ferguson, Judge. Action by Leon H. Watkins against the Hotel Tutwiler Company. Judgment for defendant, and plaintiff appeals. ' Appellant is a resident of Birmingham, Ala., and is there practicing Ms profession. On or about Christmas, 191b, appellant and his wife became guests of the appellee hotel company, which is doing business in the city of Birmingham, and is one of the leading hotels or public inns in the state. Appellant and his wife remained guests of appellee for about a week. On New Year’s Day, 1910, they decided to leave the hotel…
1Opinion of the Court
• MAYFIELD, J.
[1,2] The duties and obligations of public hotel and inn keepers to their guests are in the main imposed hy law. As to most of these duties and obligations, there is no need of a special contract between the parties. When the relation of host and guest is established, the rights and duties of both parties are at once fixed by law, and remain fixed so long only as the relation continues, in the absence of a binding contract to effect different results. Since the obligation of the public hotel or inn keeper to his guest, in the main, is created by and depends upon the law, and not…
2Cases cited5 opinions
- Hays v. TurnerSupreme Court of Iowa · 1867
- Beale v. PoseySupreme Court of Alabama · 1882
- Lanier v. YoungbloodSupreme Court of Alabama · 1883
- Miller v. PeeplesMississippi Supreme Court · 1883
- Glenn v. JacksonSupreme Court of Alabama · 1890
3Cited by5 opinions
- Charley v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1920
- Kentucky Hotel, Inc. v. CinottiCourt of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976) · 1944
- Keisel v. ReynoldsSupreme Court of Oklahoma · 1925
- Johnston v. Mobile Hotel Co.Alabama Court of Appeals · 1936
- Mobile Battle House, Inc. v. WolfSupreme Court of Alabama · 1961