537.17 DEFRAUDING A LIVERY OR HOSTELRY.

   In a prosecution of a person for a theft offense that alleges that the person, with purpose to defraud or knowing that the person was facilitating a fraud, hired an aircraft, motor vehicle, motorcycle, motorboat, sailboat, camper, trailer, horse, or buggy, or kept or operated any of the same that has been hired, or engaged accommodations at a hotel, motel, inn, campground, or other hostelry, it is prima-facie evidence of purpose to defraud if the person did any of the following:

   (a)   Used deception to induce the rental agency to furnish the person with the aircraft, motor vehicle, motorcycle, motorboat, sailboat, camper, trailer, horse or buggy, or used deception to induce the hostelry to furnish the person with accommodations;

   (b)   Hired any aircraft, motor vehicle, motorcycle, motorboat, sailboat, camper, trailer, horse, or buggy, or engaged accommodations, knowing the person was without sufficient means to pay the hire or rental;

   (c)   Absconded without paying the hire or rental;

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

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

   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(Ord. 25-97. Passed 5-20-97.)