An Act to revise certain laws relating to the liability of hotels, motels, and similar establishments in the District of Columbia to their guests
PL 91-537 (H.R.10336), enacted 12/08/1970

84 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-537-DEC. 8, 1970 
1395 
Public Law 91-537 
AN ACT 
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D e c e m b e r 8. 1970 
To revise certain laws relating to the liability of hotels, motels, and similar estab- 
[H. R. IO336] 
lishments in the District of Columbia to their guests. 
' 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represenfatires 
of the 
United States of Arne^^a in Congress assembled, That (a) if a hotel, 
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motel, or similar establishment in the District of Columbia which pro- '^Liability uws, 
vides lodging to transient guests (1) provides a suitable depository '••^i"i°"-
(other than a checkroom) for the safekeeping of personal property 
(other than a motor vehicle), and {^) displays conspicuously in the 
guest and public rooms of that establishment a printed copy of this 
section (or summary thereof), that establishment shall not be liable for 
the loss or destruction of, or damage to, any personal property of a 
guest or patron not deposited for safekeeping, except that this sentence 
shall not apply with respect to the liability of that establishment for 
loss or destruction of, or damage to, any personal property retained by 
a guest in his room if the property is such property as is usual, com-
mon, or prudent for a guest to retain in his room. In the case of any 
personal property of a guest or patron deposited in such a depository 
for safekeeping, that establishment shall be liable for the loss or 
destruction of, or damage to, that property to the extent of the lesser 
of $1,000 or the fair market value of the property at the time of its 
loss, destruction, or damage. 
(b) If a hotel, motel, or similar establishment in the District of 
Columbia which j)rovides lodging to transient guests maintains a 
checkroom (conspicuously designated as such) ^'here guests and 
patrons may deposit personal property, that establishment shall, if it 
conspicuously posts a printea copy of this section (or summary 
thereof), be liable for the loss or destruction of, or damage to, that 
property only to the extent of the lesser of $200 or the fair market 
value O
T the property at the time of its loss, destruction, or damage 
unless the destruction or damage is caused by its agent or servant. 
SEC. 2. (a) A hotel, motel, or similar establishment in the District 
of Columbia which provides lodging to transient guests, has a lien 
upon, and may retain possession of, any personal property belonging 
to, or under the control of, a guest or patron of that establishment, for 
the amount due that establishment from that guest or patron for lodg-
ing, food, or other item of value, except that the amount of the lien 
authorized by this subsection may not exceed $1,000. 
(b) If, within 30 days after his property has been retained under 
subsection (a), a guest or patron fails to pay the establishment retain-
ing that property any amount due that establishment for lodging, 
food, or other item of value, that establishment may sell that property 
at a public sale. Prior to that sale, the establishment shall send, by 
registered or certified mail, to the last known address of that guest or 
patron a demand for payment of the amount due, and shall publish a 
notice of sale once a week for three successive weeks in a daily news-
paper of general circulation published in the District of Columbia. 
That notice shall state— 
(1) that the purpose of the sale is to satisfy the lien granted by 
subsection ( a ) ; 
(2) the amount for which that lien is granted, including storage 
charges; 
(3) the day, time, and place of sale; and 
(4) a description of the property including, in the case of the 
sale of a motor vehicle, the make, type, year, model number, serial 
number, engine number, and the year and license registration 
number of that motor vehicle. 
Lien rights. 
Retained prop* 
erty, public sale. 
Notice, 
contents. 
47-348 O - 72 - 5 (Pt. 2) 
1396 
PUBLIC LAW 91.537-DEC. 8, 1970 
[84 STAT. 
Sale proceeds, 
disposition. 
Unclaimed 
property, public 
sale. 
Notice. 
Motor vehicle. 
Sale proceeds, 
disposition. 
In the case of the sale of a motor vehicle, a notice shall be given to 
any person whose security interest, lien, or other claim upon that 
niotor vehicle is recorded with the motor vehicle registry of the State 
(including the District of Columbia) of registration of that motor 
vehicle. That notice shall be given at least 15 days prior to the date 
of sale. 
(c) The proceeds of a sale of property made under subsection (b) 
shall be applied as follows; 
(1) jfirst, to cover the expenses of the storage and sale of the 
property, and 
(2) second, to discharge any security interest, lien, or other 
claim upon the property m the order of priority provided for by 
law. 
Any amount remaining after the application provided for by para-
graphs (1) and (2) shall be paid to the party entitled to the remamder 
if that party is known and can be located. If that party is not known 
or cannot be located within one year after the date of the sale, the 
establishment shall p ^ , within a reasonable time, the remainder to 
the government of the District of Columbia. 
SEC. 3. (a) A hotel, motel, or similar establishment in the District 
of Columbia which provides lodging to transient guests may sell at 
public auction any personal property that has been deposited for 
safekeeping, checked, or left unclaimed at that establishment for more 
than 90 days. If the owner of that property is known, the establish-
ment shall, at least 15 days before that sale is held, send, by registered 
or certified mail, a notice to the owner at his last known address 
stating— 
(1) that the purpose of the sale is to dispose of unclaimed 
property; 
(2) the amount of storage and other charges (including interest 
on those charges) against that property; 
(3) the day^ time, and place of sale; and 
(4) a description of the property including, in the case of the 
sale of a motor vehicle, the make, type, year, model number, 
serial number, engine number, and the year and license registration 
number of that motor vehicle. 
In the case of the sale of a motor vehicle, a notice shall be given to any 
person whose security interest, lien, or other claim upon that motor 
vehicle is recorded with the motor vehicle registry of the State (includ-
ing the District of Columbia) of registration of that motor vehicle. 
That notice shall be given at least 15 days prior to the date of sale. 
(b) The proceeds of a sale of property made under subsection (a) 
shall be applied as follows: 
(1) first, to cover the expenses of the storage and sale of the 
property (including interest on those charges), and 
(2) second, to discharge any security interest, lien, or other 
claim upon the property in the order of priority provided for 
by law. 
Any amount remaining after the application provided for by para-
graphs (1) and (2) shall be paid to the party entitled to the remainder 
if that party is known and can be located. If that party is not known 
or cannot be located within one year after the date of the sale, the 
establishment shall pay, within a reasonable time, the remainder to 
the government of the District of Columbia. 
84 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-538-DEC. 9, 1970 
1397 
SEC. 4. (a) The Act entitled "An Act to establish a code of law 
for the District of Columbia", approved March 3,1901 (31 Stat. 1189), 
is amended— 
(1) by striking out section 1261 (D.C. Code, sec. 34-103) and 
by redesignating sections 1263 and 1264 as 1261 and 1262, respec-
tively; and 
(2) ] ^ striking out in the section redesignated as section 1261 
(D.C. Code, sec. 34-104) "by any of the last three sections" and 
inserting in lieu thereof "by section 1260". 
(b) The Act entitled "An Act establishing the liability of hotel 
Repeal. 
proprietors and innkeepers in the District of Columbia", approved 
December 21, 1920 (D.C. Code, sees. 34-101 and 34-102), is repealed, 
^i stat. losi. 
Approved December 8, 1970. 
Public Law 91-538 
AN 
A C T 
rt.i> 
rt.«^j. 
December 9, 1970 
To enact the Interstate Agreement on Detainers into law. 
[H. R. 6951] 
Be it enacted hy the Seriate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may interstate 
be cited as the "Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act". 
Detai^^rs A^t. 
SEC. 2. The Interstate Agreement on Detainers is hereby enacted 
into law and entered into by the United States on its own behalf and 
on behalf of the District of Columbia with all jurisdictions legally 
joining in substantially the following form: 
"The contracting States solemnly agree that: 
"ARTICLE I 
"The party States find that charges outstanding against a prisoner, 
detainers based on untried indictments, informations, or complaints 
and difficulties in securing speedy trial of persons already incarcerated 
in other jurisdictions, produce uncertainties which obstruct programs 
of prisoner treatment and rehabilitation. Accordingly, it is the policy 
of the party States and the purpose of this agreement to encourage 
the expeditious and orderly disposition of such charges and determina-
tion of the proper status of any and all detainers based on untried 
indictments, informations, or complaints. The party States also find 
that proceedings with reference to such charges and detainers, when 
emanating from another jurisdiction, cannot properly be had in the 
absence of cooperative procedures. It is the further purpose of this 
agreement to provide such cooperative procedures.