Source: https://www.ecode360.com/11765761
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 04:16:07+00:00

Document:
§ 417-1 Findings and intent.
§ 417-5 Nontransferability and terms of license.
§ 417-6 Application for license.
§ 417-7 Investigation of applicant; issuance or denial of license; appeal.
§ 417-8 Revocation of license; hearing.
§ 417-9 License valid for one place of business only.
§ 417-10 Doing business at unlicensed premises.
§ 417-11 Record of transactions to be maintained.
§ 417-13 Minimum retention of articles.
Auctions and auctioneers — See Ch. 443.
Ferrous scrap — See Ch. 491.
Peddling and soliciting — See Ch. 408.
The Township Mayor and Council hereby find that there is a need to regulate and control the buying, selling, advertising and/or solicitation of gold, silver and precious or semiprecious gems or jewelry in order to prevent the easy disposal of items which have been unlawfully obtained as the result of crime while protecting and recognizing the legitimate businesses which are engaged in the buying and selling of gold, silver and precious or semiprecious gems or jewelry.
The Township Mayor and Council hereby find that there is a need to regulate and control the buying and selling of other metals such as aluminum, copper, magnesium and ferrous which have been unlawfully obtained as the result of crime while protecting and recognizing the legitimate businesses which are engaged in the buying and selling of such metals in accordance with N.J.S.A. 45:28-1 et seq. and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
The Township Mayor and Council hereby find that there is a need to regulate and control the buying, selling, advertising and/or solicitation of gift cards and secondhand goods which have been unlawfully obtained as the result of crime while protecting and recognizing the legitimate businesses which are engaged in the buying and selling of such cards and goods in accordance with N.J.S.A. 45:22-1 et seq. and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
It is the intent of this chapter to assist law enforcement officials and victims of crime in recovering those items identified in Subsections A, B, or C above by requiring reasonable reporting, maintenance and distribution criteria for buyers, dealers and transient buyers as defined in this chapter.
Acceptable forms of identification include: a current valid photo New Jersey driver's license or New Jersey identification card, a current valid photo driver's license issued by another US state, a valid United States passport, or other verifiable valid US government-issued photo identification with address. All of the above listed acceptable identifications require the dealer to capture/record evidence of the person's current address.
Any article of merchandise, including any portion of such article, whether a distinct part thereof or not, including every part thereof whether separable or not, and also including material for manufacture. This term shall also include the definition of "article" as the same that appears in N.J.S.A. 51:6-1, as that statute may be amended from time to time.
A computerized internet-capable database with hardware and software compliant with standards set by the Police Director.
A person or entity who is appointed or designated by the Police Director who is authorized to collect and maintain precious metal transaction information or other purchase information as defined herein, for the Township of Bloomfield.
Any business conducted intermittently within the Township of Bloomfield or at varying locations.
The Police Director of the Township of Bloomfield or his designee/representative.
Comprised of gold, silver, sterling, platinum and/or their alloys as defined in N.J.S.A. 51:5-1 et seq., N.J.S.A. 51:6-1 et seq. and/or N.J.S.A. 51:6A-1 et seq.; gems, gemstones, coins and all forms of jewelry herein contained. Not limited to those categories known as "diamonds, rubies, pearls and sapphires" and commonly called a "jewel."
Includes any exchange of gold, silver, precious or semiprecious metals or gems or jewelry, other metals, or secondhand goods as defined in this chapter for anything of value. A purchase or payment need not be made by way of money in order to constitute purchase for the purposes of this chapter. For purposes of this chapter a purchase may include an exchange, deposit, pledge, conveyance or trade of any tangible or intangible article.
The purchase of any used item as defined in § 417-1A and C.
Every transaction conducted by a dealer in which precious metals, or other tangible property, are purchased or exchanged from or with the public.
Any article previously sold, acquired, exchanged, conveyed, traded or otherwise formerly owned, including but not limited to scrap gold, old gold, silver, jewelry, home electronics/audio and visual equipment, musical instruments, computers, computer hardware and software, typewriters, word processors, scanners, sporting goods of all kinds, antiques, platinum, all other precious metals, tools of all kinds, televisions, DVRs, GPS, camcorders, car stereos, gift cards, cellphones, collectibles (for example, stamps, coins, comic book, sport memorabilia) other valuable articles or as listed in Appendix I.
Any person, partnership or corporation who or which, through any means, sells, transfers or offers by consignment gold, silver, precious or semiprecious metals or gems or jewelry or other metals as defined in this chapter.
A dealer who has not been in any retail business continuously for at least six months at that address in the municipality where the dealer is required to register or who intends to close out or discontinue all retail business in the Township of Bloomfield within six months. The term "transient buyer" will also include a dealer who intends to close out or discontinue all retail business in the Township of Bloomfield within six months; or as so defined in N.J.S.A. 51:6A-5 and N.J.A.C. 13:47C-1.1. Vendors doing business during a community event sponsored or sanctioned by the Township of Bloomfield shall not be considered a transient buyer for purposes of this chapter.
Editor's Note: Said appendix is on file in the Township offices.
No buyer or dealer shall engage in a regulated activity, as defined above, without having first obtained a license therefor from the Township Clerk, which license shall bear a number issued by the Township Clerk and shall be prominently displayed within the licensed premises. The requirement of a license shall apply to the buyer and/or dealer and to any individual employee who engages in a regulated activity on behalf of a buyer or dealer. Hereinafter the term "licensee" shall refer to a buyer, dealer, transient buyer, or to any individual employee who engages in a regulated activity on behalf of a buyer or dealer.
At the time of filing the application for a license, a nonrefundable license fee of $250 shall be paid for the annual license for the premises where the activity is to be conducted. Thereafter, the annual, nonrefundable renewal fee for the premises will be $250. Said license fee shall be in addition to any fee or cost associated with dealer's obligation to comply with § 417-11 of this chapter mandating the electronic reporting of all transactions.
A license issued under the provisions of this chapter shall not be transferable and shall terminate in one year after said license is issued, unless it is renewed in accordance with and pursuant to the provision of this chapter.
Proof that the licensee has obtained computer equipment and software required in § 417-11B of this chapter, for purposes of reporting all transaction data in electronic format to the Bloomfield Police Department.
Upon receipt of an application completed pursuant to this chapter, the Clerk shall refer the application to the Police Director or the Police Director's designee who shall arrange for the fingerprinting of the applicant and institute such investigation of the applicant's moral character and business responsibility as the Police Director deems necessary for the protection of the public welfare. In the event that the licensee is a business entity other than a sole proprietorship, the officers in a corporation or the partners in a partnership (or limited partnership) shall be deemed to be the applicant(s) who shall be fingerprinted and investigated according to this chapter. Upon completion of the investigation, the Police Director shall return the application or a copy thereof to the Clerk, accompanied by a recommendation as to whether the license should be issued or denied. Upon issuance of the license, the Clerk shall give the applicant a copy of this chapter.
If the recommendation of the Police Director is to deny the license, the grounds for the recommendation shall be stated in writing. Any person aggrieved by such denial may file a written appeal to the Township Mayor and Council through the Township Clerk within 15 days from the date of denial. This appeal may be perfected by service of a notice of appeal on the Township Clerk either personally or by certified mail. The Township Mayor and Council shall conduct a hearing on an appeal within 30 days of the Township Clerk's receipt of the filing of a notice of appeal, and a decision shall be rendered, in writing, on the appeal within 20 days of the close of the hearing. The Township Mayor and Council may confirm or reverse the denial as deemed advisable.
As to any applicant for a license under this chapter, the Police Department of the Township of Bloomfield shall, upon the initial application, conduct a full background investigation. With respect to subsequent renewals of the license, the Police Department shall conduct a background investigation by applicant's name, social security number and date of birth for the purpose of the annual renewal of said application.
Any license may be revoked by Township Mayor and Council for any violation of this chapter, in addition to any other penalty imposed for any violation. Any license may be revoked if the licensee has failed to pay any fee or charge properly imposed under the authority of this chapter. Upon any violation, the Township Mayor and Council may suspend a license upon written notice to the license holder. Upon receipt of the notice of suspension, the license holder may, within 10 days, file with the Township Clerk a written request for a hearing on the suspension before the Township Mayor and Council. The hearing shall be held within 30 days of the request, at which hearing the license holder shall have the opportunity to be heard. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Township Mayor and Council shall either revoke the license or shall reinstate the license. In the event that the license holder shall not request a hearing, the license shall be automatically revoked upon the expiration of 10 days after the notice of suspension has been given to the license holder.
Failure by the licensee to enter all transaction information set forth in § 417-11B(1) through (9) into the database within 24 hours after purchase, receiving for pawn, or receiving for consignment, any property, precious metals, metals, or secondhand goods as defined in § 417-1 or as described in Appendix I, from the public.
Failure by the licensee to properly maintain computer equipment in a reasonable fashion or failure by the licensee to replace faulty computer equipment such as is required under § 417-11C.
Failure by the licensee to admit to the premises during business hours any member of the Bloomfield Police Department or other sworn law enforcement officer acting in the performance of their duty or to permit such officer(s) to conduct an inspection or review of records or regulated activity in accordance with § 417-11E.
Conviction of an offense under the laws of the United States or any other state, which is substantially equivalent to the offenses named in Subsection B(4) or (5) above.
Record using a unique transaction number on a numbered receipt the name, address and telephone number of the purchaser; the name, address and telephone number of the seller or sellers; the time and date of the transaction; the net weight in terms of pounds Troy, pennyweight (Troy) or kilograms/grams of the precious metals; fineness in terms of karats for gold, and sterling or coin for silver, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 51:5-1 et seq. and N.J.S.A. 51:6-1 et seq., and any property containing a serial number. This information is to be documented through use of an electronic database software system as designated by the Police Director the information listed in § 417-11B(1) through (9). These records shall be subject to the inspection of any authorized police officer or any sworn law enforcement officer acting in the performance of their duty as set forth in Subsection E below.
Dealer shall be responsible for any and all costs associated with purchasing, maintaining and updating the electronic database software system, as well as any annual licensing or subscription fees. Said licensing and/or subscription fees associated with the electronic database software system shall be in addition to any other fees or costs required under this chapter.
Require each seller to execute a declaration of ownership, which shall contain the following certification: "My signature confirms that I am the sole legal owner of and am legally authorized to sell the goods being sold. By signing below I certify that I did not obtain and do not possess the identified goods through unlawful means. I am the full age of 18 years old and the identification presented is valid and correct."
In the event of a database failure, or dealer's computer equipment malfunction, all transaction information is required to be submitted on paper forms approved by the Police Director within 24 hours from the date of purchase. In the event that paper forms are used, the dealer is responsible to enter all transaction information set forth in § 417-11B(1) through (9) into the database as soon as possible upon the dealer's equipment being repaired or replaced, or the database coming back into service. Failure by the dealer to properly maintain computer equipment in a reasonable fashion, or failure by the dealer to replace faulty computer equipment, may result in the dealer being cited for a violation of this chapter and subsequently being subject to the penalties for doing so including revocation of the dealer's license under § 417-8.
Dealer payment to sellers in cash shall be limited to two transactions during a seven-day period for the same seller. The seven-day period will commence on the day of the first transaction and end seven days after the transaction; i.e., if transaction No. 1 occurs on Monday, the seven-day period ends on Sunday. Furthermore, no cash payments shall be made to the same sellers who make more than five transactions in any given thirty-day period. Sellers making transactions over the number of proscribed weekly and monthly periods will be paid by the dealer by means of a bank check drawn from the dealer's business account.
It shall be the requisite duty of every dealer, and of every person in the dealer's employ, to admit to the premises during business hours any member of the Bloomfield Police Department or other sworn law enforcement officer acting in the performance of their duty to examine any database, book, ledger, or any other record on the premises relating to the purchase, receiving for pawn, or receiving for consignment, any property, precious metals, other metals, or secondhand goods as defined in § 417-1 or as described in Appendix I, from the public. Bloomfield Police Officers or other law enforcement officers acting in the performance of their duty are empowered to take possession of any article known by the police officer or official to be missing or to have been stolen, or where the officer or official has reasonable suspicion to believe the article is missing or stolen. A receipt will be provided to the dealer for any property seized by the Bloomfield Police Department or other law enforcement officer.
A licensee shall not engage in regulated activity with any person under the age of 18 years, unless such minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian and said parent or guardian gives specific written consent to the transaction and acknowledges the receipt required by the buyer to be given to the seller. A licensee shall not engage in regulated activity with any individual who is in an intoxicated state and/or is under the influence of intoxicating liquor, narcotics or hallucinogenic or habit-producing drugs.
All property purchased, received for pawn, or received for consignment, precious metals, other metals, or secondhand goods as defined in § 417-1 or as described in Appendix I, from the public, are to be made available for inspection by the Police Director or any member of the Bloomfield Police Department or other law enforcement officer acting in the performance of their duty for a period of 15 days from the date the transaction information is reported to the Police Director in accordance with § 417-11 above. All property, precious metals, other metals, secondhand goods as defined in § 417-1 or as described in Appendix I shall remain in the same condition as when purchased and shall not be sold or disposed of, changed, modified, or melted by the purchaser until the fifteen-day retention period has expired. During this fifteen-day retention period, all property, precious metals, other metals, secondhand goods as defined in § 417-1 or as described in Appendix I shall be placed in public view (during normal business hours) at the licensed location where the transaction occurred between licensee and seller.

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