Bill Proctor
Commissioner • District 1

October 2, 2019
Ashley Moody
State of Florida Attorney General
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Nikki Fried
Florida Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Re: Complaint Against Tallahassee Hotel Operators – Request for Investigation
Dear Attorney General and Commissioner of Agriculture:
I file this letter, on behalf of the Public as a formal complaint soliciting your investigation and review of
price gouging practices of Tallahassee area Hotel leaders and companies against the parents, alumni,
supporters and constituents of Florida State University and Florida A&M University. The collective
wrongful-greed filled actions conspire to make access to University functions a possibility for the
financial elite only.
On behalf of the public, I contend that:
1. Hotel prices drastically increase in Tallahassee in accordance with major university events like
graduations, family parents’ weekend, homecoming, football games, and other special occasions
associated with FAMU and FSU sponsored activities.
2. The spike in prices is intentionally calculated and set in direct proximity of FSU and FAMU events
outlined in point #1. Price preying upon FSU and FAMU constituents adversely affect these
universities and their public support.
3. The spiked prices are a dubious factor in driving would-be supporters from coming to
Tallahassee to attend various university events. Spiked hotel prices place a chilling effect on the
attendance of public events for both universities.
Leon County Courthouse
301 South Monroe Street, Fifth Floor
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
Email: proctorb@leoncountyfl.gov

(850) 606-5361
FAX: (850) 606-5303
People Focused. Performance Driven

 4. Neither university receives a profit or share from the bed taxes their activities generate for the
local tourist development council. Their generation of profits is enormous for local hotels whose
cost block other business-like restaurants from earning more.
5. Hardship is fostered upon the families of students desiring to attend graduation ceremonies at
both public universities. High prices work against the families of students who have invested big
dollars into our local economy. Many families can not attend university athletic events because
they cannot afford hotel room rates.
6. Price setting is when Corporate Hotel Bigs gather themselves to collaborate in the upward
charges leveled against the consumer public. There exists a long observable pattern of pricefixing that is tied directly to FAMU & FSU events outlined in point #1.
7. Price fixing against the public violates the Interstate Commerce clause which addresses
Interstate travel and discrimination and discriminatory practices. Hotels cannot be exempted
from state and federal rules which seek to protect consumers against price fraud.
8. By setting room rates that double and triple the norm posted on the internet these Tallahassee
hotels defame and cast a hustler’s image upon the Capital City of Florida. These hotel leaders
are basking in their hustler’s paradise at the significant expense of FSU & FAMU supporters.
These hustling habits are not exhibited against any other constituent groups by comparison.
Your tracking of the hotel accounting records and prices over the past 7 years by dates associated with
FAMU/FSU events will reveal the pattern of discrimination and hustling that is wrong, immoral and
hurtful to the reputation, name and honor of Florida’s Capital City. These wrongful practices of hotel
price gouging hurt the events sponsored by FSU/FAMU alike.
Hotels are wrongfully profiting from practices that violate federal interstate commerce rules and
likewise they allegedly set bait and switch traps for travelers who expected to be charged one price, but
after staying their rates were switched to a higher price. Bait and switch advertising and quoting is
wrong. I encourage your immediate review of hotel pricing practices in Tallahassee, Florida on behalf
of citizens.

 Requested Action
Resulting from the collective acts and practices of Tallahassee Hotel Leaders, I request the following:
1. Conduct a thorough 7-year review of hotel pricing associated with FAMU/ FSU all sports
games, graduations, and special university occasions.
2. Determine the validity of the facts as complained of in this complaint.
3. Order the appropriate sanctions, penalties and legal actions to foster the economic fair
practices which FSU and FAMU deserve to receive for its supporter.
4. Price gouging is supposed to protect travelers seeking safety during hurricanes. Price
gouging, likewise, should not be cast upon travelers who happen to support FAMU & FSU
public events. Please grant a cease and desist to protect the public from this greed driven
economic practices against the public
5. Prosecute all cases that are warranted.
Thank you for your review and attention to this important legal and economic matter. Your
intervention is greatly needed to protect consumers associated with FSU & FAMU from the unfair
business entities who drive so many away and who are unfairly gaming citizens who seek to stay
overnight in public accommodation facilities in Leon County, Florida.

Sincerely,

Bill Proctor
Leon County
District 1