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Fed up: California restaurants seek booze, health fee refund

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

FILE - In this July 18, 2020 file photo, patrons eat at a table set up on a sidewalk in Burbank, Calif. California's financially battered restaurants filed government claims Monday to recover more than $100 million in fees for liquor and health permits and tourism charges that they say were assessed even though their businesses were shuttered or only partially operating under long-running coronavirus orders. Few industries have been hit as hard during the pandemic as restaurants. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

By: Associated Press

Posted at 12:23 PM, Oct 26, 2020

and last updated 2020-10-26 15:23:02-04

LOS ANGELES — California restaurants want state and county officials to refund more than $100 million in fees for liquor and health permits and tourism assessments that they say were charged while their businesses were shut down or partially closed because of coronavirus rules.

Claims filed say governments in what was described as “a cruel twist” forced restaurants to close because of the virus, but continued to collect fees. The establishments say they were threatened with permanent closure if they didn't pay up.

A government claim is an initial step before filing a class-action lawsuit. California officials have 45 days to respond to the claims.

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Fed up: California restaurants seek booze, health fee refund

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