Illinois § 4

§ 4.

In case of loss of or damage to any property or effects left by a guest after he has departed from any hotel and ceased to be a guest thereof, and in the case of loss of or damage to any property or effects forwarded to such hotel by a person prior to becoming a guest thereof, the liability of the proprietor is that of "gratuitous bailee", and in all such cases the extent of such liability is limited to not more than $100, regardless of whether any loss of or damage to such property and effects is occasioned by theft, the fault or negligence of such proprietor or manager or his agents or employees, or otherwise, unless the manager or proprietor of such hotel has contracted by a separate agreement in writing to assume greater liability. The hotel, or the proprietor or manager thereof, after holding any such property for 10 days or more, has the right to deposit such property and effects in a storage warehouse or any other public depositary, in which event he shall take from the proprietor of such storage warehouse or other public depositary a receipt for the same, in the name of the guest or person forwarding or leaving such property, and hold the same for such guest or person; and the hotel or the proprietor or manager thereof, after he has so deposited such baggage or property in such storage warehouse or other public depositary, is not responsible for any loss of or damage to such property to the guest or other owner thereof, regardless of how caused. The proprietor or manager of any such hotel shall deliver to such guest or person any such receipt upon demand and payment by such guest or person of any moving, packing or storage charges and costs reasonably incurred by the hotel in the transfer of the property to storage. In the case of loss of or damage to any such property or effects left by such departed guest which are shipped by the hotel to such guest's home or to any address that the guest may request, the hotel, or the proprietor or manager, is not liable for any loss of or damage to such property which occurs in shipping, regardless of how caused, the packing and shipping of such property being solely at the risk of the guest or other owner thereof. (Source: Laws 1959, p. 1765.)