Ban on Hotel Inspections Denied

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge this week rejected a request by Inglewood’s hotel and motel owners for an immediate ban on surprise city inspections to enforce the city’s hotel bed tax.

Judge William Huss had issued a ruling last month that temporarily halted the city’s aggressive inspection program until Tuesday’s hearing seeking the preliminary injunction.

Accusing hotels of not paying their fair share of the transient occupancy tax, the city has sent auditors to the businesses to inspect cash registers, rooms and various business records. The Inglewood Hotel/Motel Assn. filed suit, charging that the policy violated the innkeepers’ rights. A trial date for the suit has not been set.

The suit also challenges the city’s policy of charging the tax on hotel and motel guests who stay for up to 90 days, instead of the 30-day limit used throughout most of the state.

City officials said their hard-line position began several years ago when audits and spot visits to hotels and motels showed that some were shortchanging the city by renting rooms, charging the bed tax and then not turning over the money to the city.