Another Hotel Gets Slammed For Ike Price-Gouging
Categories: Courts, Hurricane Ike
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This time it's the Sealy Rodeway Inn. And if you're going to be staying in lovely Sealy, in a lovely Rodeway Inn, why not be gouged while you're at it?
Abbott's office says the hotel "charged evacuees a higher, 'special event' rate for rooms during the declared disaster. According to court documents, the defendants, Hsiang-Ting 'Angel' Huang and Wei-Cheng 'Michael' Kao, increased rates for children and other extra guests. They also charged state and local taxes even after the governor waived those taxes."
Hey, it was a special event of sorts. And if evacuees are going to be so selfish as to take their kids with them when they run from a hurricane, then they better expect to be charged.
The hotel charged as much as 140 percent over its normal rates.
The AG's office is looking for restitution for customers, up to $20,000 in penalties per violation of the DTPA and up to $250,000 in penalties if customers are 65 or older.
The Sealy Rodeway Inn is not the first hotel Abbott has targeted -- earlier he filed complaints against hotels in Katy and Nacogdoches.
-- Richard Connelly
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