(740 ILCS 90/4) (from Ch. 71, par. 4)
Sec. 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.)
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