Private club/public restaurant
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Private club/public restaurant
I belong to a private tennis club. There is a bar and restaurant on property that is open to the general public as well as club members. When I joined the club several years ago there was no mandatory minimum members were required to spend in the bar/restaurant. We were at liberty to use the facility or not as each member chose. The club has now instituted a mandatory minimum each member must pay to the restaurant each quarter, again this restaurant is open to the general public. Is it legal to charge members this fee?
Asked on February 11, 2019 under Business Law, Florida
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Yes, it is legal. Businesses may charge different people or different categories of customers different rates--witness, for example, airlines and their various reward or preferred flier programs. As long as the differential treatment is not based on race, color, ethinicity, religion, sex, or disability, it is legal. And here, it is not: it is based on whether you voluntarily choose to be or remain a member or not, which is not protected by law.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.