Randy Quaid, wife settle legal tussle in California

Actor Randy Quaid is shown in this Santa Barbara County Sheriff booking mug shot released to Reuters April 27, 2010.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Randy Quaid and his wife settled their legal dispute with California authorities on Wednesday as Evi Quaid pleaded no contest to defrauding an innkeeper and paid $10,500 in restitution.

A similar charge against Randy Quaid, who has appeared in movies such as "Brokeback Mountain," was dropped, said a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County District Attorney.

Evi Quaid, who oversees the financial accounting for her and her husband, was ordered to perform 240 hours of community service and told to stay away from two hotels in the Santa Barbara area, which is northwest of Los Angeles.

The dispute erupted late last year over a claim by the San Ysidro Ranch, a hotel in the seaside enclave of Santa Barbara County, that the Quaids failed to pay a $10,000 hotel bill.

The Quaids claimed that they had paid the bill, and that the matter was a misunderstanding. But an arrest warrant was issued last September and thus began their legal troubles with county officials.

The pair were arrested again earlier this week for missing several court appearances in the matter, which ultimately led to Wednesday's settlement.

Randy Quaid is the brother of Hollywood actor Dennis Quaid.

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Jill Serjeant)