Bray

The instant suit was brought by Bray against Peck under Section 205 of the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, to recover threefold damages for alleged overcharges of rent on housing accommodations in Los Angeles, and a reasonable attorney’s fee.

The premises as a whole were registered originally with the Office of Price Administration under the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix, § 901 et seq., by the then owner, Gilbert, and testimony showed that the rent for the unfurnished structure was $45.00 per month on March 1, 1942, the maximum rent date. Date of registration was not given. On November 4, 1942, six rooms within the dwelling house were registered by a lessee, Barrett, on Form DH-D covering “Registration of Hotels, Rooming Houses * On November 4, 1946, Chambers, then the owner-occupier of the premises, registered on a similar form six additional rooms in the dwelling house and an adjacent building, formerly a garage but later converted to housing, at which time he designated the “establishment” on the form as a “hotel”, employing the name “Rilla Hotel”.

Peck acquired the property and took over its operation in October, 1947. On May 7, 1948, by a written…