Case Name: Alfred E. REICHENBACH and Thia Reichenbach, Appellant, v. DAYS INN OF AMERICA, INC., and Sentry Indemnity Company, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1981-07-15
Citations: 401 So. 2d 1366
Docket Number: No. 80-300 & 80-603
Parties: Alfred E. REICHENBACH and Thia Reichenbach, Appellant, v. DAYS INN OF AMERICA, INC., and Sentry Indemnity Company, Appellees.
Judges: COBB, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 401
Pages: 1366–1371

Head Matter:
Alfred E. REICHENBACH and Thia Reichenbach, Appellant, v. DAYS INN OF AMERICA, INC., and Sentry Indemnity Company, Appellees.
No. 80-300 & 80-603.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
July 15, 1981.
Rehearing Denied Aug. 18, 1981.
Thomas M. Burke of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, Orlando, for appellants.
Mary Patricia C. Fawsett of Akerman, Senterfitt & Eidson, Orlando, for appellees.

Opinion:
FRANK D. UPCHURCH, Jr., Judge.
This is an appeal from a summary final judgment holding a motel not liable for an assault on one of its guests. We affirm.
Appellant, Alfred E. Reichenbach, was a guest at appellee's motel. At approximately 10:00 p. m., he parked his car in the parking lot and proceeded to step out of the car. At this point, an assailant came up and stated: "Don't do anything foolish." Reichenbach responded, "what" and was immediately shot twice. The assailant fled. The incident occurred so quickly that appellant could not identify or describe the assailant. A bus driver, the only eyewitness, was present with a charter group as a guest of the motel. Just before the shooting he had noticed a security guard making his rounds in the area where the event took place. Another employee was also patrolling. A few minutes after seeing the guard he saw a young, white male on the walkway. They greeted each other and he noticed "nothing unusual whatever" about the man and nothing to indicate he was armed. The bus driver walked upstairs onto the breezeway overlooking the parking lot. He then noticed appellant drive into the parking lot. As appellant got out of the car, the young man ran up to him, shot twice, ran to another car in the parking lot and left.
An innkeeper may be liable if he fails to take reasonable precautions to deter the type of criminal activity which resulted in a guest's injury. See Orlando Executive Park v. P.D.R., 402 So.2d 442 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981). In the case before us, there was no evidence that the innkeeper could have deterred or prevented appellant's injury by reasonable precautions which were not taken. There was no evidence that this incident was foreseeable or that the motel had any practical or reasonable method to protect its guest from or prevent this unprovoked hit and run attack.
AFFIRMED.
COBB, J., concurs.
COWART, J., concurs specially.