8.01-42 - Loss or injury to clothing in dyeing, dry cleaning, or laundering.
§ 8.01-42. Loss or injury to clothing in dyeing, dry cleaning, or laundering.
No person engaged in the business of dyeing, dry cleaning, or launderingwearing apparel, cloth or other articles, shall be liable, or in any actionor suit against him be held liable, for the loss of, or injury to, anywearing apparel, cloth or other articles delivered to him to be dyed, drycleaned, or laundered, in an amount greater than the purchase price minusdepreciation of such wearing apparel, cloth or other articles, unless at thetime of the delivery to him of any such wearing apparel, cloth or otherarticles, the value of the same, and when there is more than one piece orarticle the value of each piece or article, be agreed upon and evidenced by awriting stating such value, or separate values when there is more than onepiece or article, signed by him; provided, however, that:
1. Nothing in this section contained shall be construed as requiring of anysuch person more than the exercise of such degree of care as is now imposedby existing law;
2. In no event shall any such person be held liable in any suit or actioninvolving any such loss or injury for any sum greater than the damagessuffered, and proved, by the plaintiff therein when such damages would notunder the rules of law existing prior to June 18, 1920, exceed the purchaseprice minus depreciation of such wearing apparel, cloth, or other article;
3. Nothing in this section shall be construed as interfering with orinhibiting, or impairing the obligation of, any written contract between anyhotel, railroad company, steamboat company or other patron and any personengaged in the business of dyeing, dry cleaning, or laundering of wearingapparel, cloth or other article, in relation to such work;
4. No liability shall rest upon or be borne by any hotel for any loss of ordamage to wearing apparel, cloth or other article, the property of any guestof such hotel who shall have delivered, or caused the same to have beendelivered, for dyeing, dry cleaning, or laundering to any person engaged inthe business of dyeing, dry cleaning, or laundering.
5. [Repealed.]
(Code 1950, § 8-654; 1977, cc. 192, 617.)