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Civil Litigation

May 5, 2022

Judge cuts claim on hotel by 90%, but says law is outdated

“Section 1859’s limit of liability has not been revised to accord with the current value of luggage, clothing, and most notable computer equipment and its data. This is one of the rare instances where the law does not allow the court to achieve the equitable result as it must apply Section 1859,” San Francisco Superior Court appellate division Judge Jeffrey S. Ross wrote.

Bahman Sabouni and his Pasadena attorney, Relani Belous, lost a small claims appeal to Marriott under the 150-year-old innkeepers’ liability law that limits damages for guests’ property to $1,000 or less, and they say the law should be updated to reflect current prices.

Marriott says the state Supreme Court has upheld the limits and Sabouni never produced receipts to prove the value of his lost luggage contents. But the losing side may be ...

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