Sec. 301. Unlawful for the proprietors of restaurants,
lunch rooms, cafes, hotels, boarding houses and
public eating houses to accept in advance money
for food and fail to deliver food or refund money advanced—penalty.
1. Definitions:
The following words and phrases when used in this section
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them, in this subsection,
except in those instances where the context clearly indicates
a different meaning.
(a) "Restaurants, lunch rooms, cafés, hotels, boarding-houses,
and public eating houses" shall for the purpose of this section
mean any place of business where food prepared for immediate
consumption is served at tables or counters for profit.
(b) "Meal Tickets" shall for the purposes of this section
mean any card or coupon book which may be sold for cash and
used in lieu of cash in exchange for food until the cash value as
stated thereon has been dissipated either by perforating the card
or by extracting coupons from the book.
(c) "Persons" shall for the purposes of this section mean
every natural person, firm or corporation, partnership, association
or copartnership whether acting by themselves or by servant,
agent or employee.
2. It shall be unlawful, and punishable by a fine of not more
than $100.00 and confinement in jail not exceeding six months
or either or both for any person engaged in the restaurant, café,
hotel, lunch room, boarding house, or public eating house business
within the City of Charlottesville where money is accepted
in advance for food either upon express written or verbal agreement
or in exchange for a meal ticket to accept money in advance
with intent to cheat or defraud the payor thereof or to refuse or
become unable through any cause whatsoever to furnish food
upon demand during business hours as a charge against the
money so advanced and to refuse or become unable through any
cause whatsoever to return at that time whatever money remains
in his hands as an unused balance of the money so advanced.
