545.21 DEFRAUDING A LIVERY OR HOSTELRY.

   (a)   No person, with purpose to defraud or knowing that he is facilitating a fraud, shall do either of the following:

      (1)   Hire an aircraft, motor vehicle, motorcycle, motorboat, sailboat, camper, trailer, horse or buggy, or keep or operate any of the same which has been hired;

      (2)   Engage accommodations at a hotel, motel, inn, campground or other hostelry.

   (b)   It is a prima-facie evidence of purpose to defraud if the offender does any of the following:

      (1)   Uses deception to induce the rental agency to furnish the offender with any of the property listed in subsection (a)(1) hereof, or uses deception to induce the hostelry to furnish him with accommodations;

      (2)   Hires any of the property named in subsection (a)(1) hereof, or engages accommodations, knowing he is without sufficient means to pay the hire or rental;

      (3)   Absconds without paying the hire or rental;

      (4)   Knowingly fails to pay the hire or rental, as required by the contract of hire or rental, without reasonable excuse for such failure;

      (5)   Knowingly fails to return hired property as required by the contract of hire, without reasonable excuse for such failure.

   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of defrauding a livery or hostelry, a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(Ord. 96-78. Passed 7-2-96.)