Baltimore, Montgomery Counties Settle With Orbitz
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Montgomery and Baltimore counties have settled a lawsuit against online hotel-room booking company Orbitz over allegedly unpaid occupancy taxes.
The Daily Record reports that both counties agreed to dismiss Orbitz and its affiliated websites from the lawsuits filed in 2010. An attorney representing all defendants says the settlement amounts are confidential.
The counties previously reached settlements with Priceline and Expedia and their affiliated travel websites. Travelocity is now the remaining online hotel-room booking company in lawsuits filed by the counties and Baltimore City.
Several Maryland jurisdictions filed suits arguing that the companies must pay room taxes on the rates charged to customers, not on the lower rates they pay to hotels, but the companies argue that they are providing a booking service, not operating the hotel.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
