Source: https://ecode360.com/13936282
Timestamp: 2018-06-23 06:37:47
Document Index: 726402667

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415', '§ 415']

Township of Toms River, NJ Precious Metals and Secondhand Goods
§ 415-1 Purpose and intent.
§ 415-3 License requirement for dealers.
§ 415-4 Application process for dealers; approval or denial.
§ 415-5 Identification of seller; recordkeeping requirements for dealers.
§ 415-6 Retention; revocation; other restrictions.
§ 415-7 Bond.
§ 415-8 Fees; license term.
§ 415-10 Implementation.
Chapter 415: Precious Metals and Secondhand Goods
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Township Council of the Township of Toms River 10-28-2014 by Ord. No. 4460-14.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
Editor's Note: This chapter also repealed former Ch. 415, Secondhand Dealers, adopted 9-8-2009 by Ord. No. 4223-09.
Chapter 415 : Precious Metals and Secondhand Goods
A current valid New Jersey driver's license or identification card, a current valid photo driver's license issued by another U.S. state, a valid United States passport, or other verifiable U.S. government issued identification, which will be recorded on the receipt retained by the dealer and subsequently forwarded to the local police department or request.
MUNICIPAL CLERK OR "TOWNSHIP CLERK"
The statutory officer whose duties are defined in N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133 and may refer to the duly appointed clerk of the "city," "town," "township," "village" or "borough."
Advertising in any print or electronic media or by sign that any of those articles or secondhand goods referred to in § 415-2 above are being bought in any location within the municipality shall constitute engaging in business as a dealer of secondhand goods for purposes of this chapter. No person, partnership, limited-liability company, corporation or other entity shall place or cause to be placed any advertisement for purchase of such articles or goods without stating in the advertising the license number issued to a person or entity by the municipality. In any print advertisement, the license number shall appear in type no smaller than eight-point in the lower-right-hand corner of the advertisement. In any advertisement in electronic media, the license number shall be visually or audibly stated. Failure to state or indicate the license number shall be a violation of this chapter and shall be subject to the penalties established in § 415-9.
Licensees may not operate at any location other than site specified in the license. Licensees operating at multiple locations must have each location separately licensed. Each location must be permanent. Itinerant businesses and transient buyers, as defined in § 415-2 above, are not eligible for licensure and are prohibited from operating in the Township.
Upon receipt of an application completed pursuant to this chapter, the Municipal Clerk shall refer such application to the Chief of Police, who shall conduct an investigation of the prospective licensee, pursuant to this chapter, for the purpose of determining the suitability of the applicant for licensing. The investigation shall include a check of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Criminal History Record Information System as authorized by N.J.S.A. 40:48-1.4 which grants authority to a municipal officer to conduct fingerprint-based FBI criminal history record checks for licensing purposes. The Chief of Police is further authorized to exchange fingerprint data and receipt of record information with the State Bureau of Identification in the Division of the New Jersey State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Criminal History Record Information System for this purpose. The investigation shall include but not be limited to the following:
[Amended 1-23-2018 by Ord. No. 4570-18]
The experience of the applicant in the business of purchase and sale of those articles or goods referred to in § 415-2 above, although nothing in this section shall be construed to warrant denial of a license solely on the basis of lack of experience.
Any criminal record of the applicant, both local and national, including any past convictions for any crime(s), disorderly person' s offense(s), or municipal ordinance violation(s) within this or any other jurisdiction. The Chief of Police shall as part of the initial application process and annual renewals, require fingerprint criminal background checks through the State Bureau of Identification in the Division of the New Jersey State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Criminal History Record Information System for the applicant and all owners and employees, which may require payment of additional fees by the applicant. The records received from the State Bureau of Identification and the Criminal History Records Information System will be reviewed to contribute to the screening of applicants for licensing.
The Chief of Police shall, upon completion of the investigation, recommend "grant" or "denial" of the license to the Municipal Clerk, who shall grant or deny the license. Any recommendation of the Chief of Police shall be in writing and, in the case of a recommendation of denial, shall state fully and specifically the reasons for said recommendation. If the Municipal Clerk accepts the recommendation of the Chief of Police to deny any license, the applicant shall be notified in writing within 10 days of such denial and the Clerk shall forward to the applicant a statement of the reason or reasons for such denial.
Grounds for recommending denial of license may include reliable information indicating that the applicant has in the past engaged in fraudulent or deceptive business practices in a business identical to or similar to a dealer in secondhand goods. A license may be denied if the investigation reveals a conviction of the applicant or any of its principal officers or employees of any crime(s), disorderly persons offense(s) in which deceit or misrepresentation is an element; or any conviction of any crime(s), disorderly persons offense involving theft or the receiving of stolen goods, regardless of whether the applicant was a principal, accessory before the fact, after the fact, or a co-conspirator; or any prior municipal ordinance violation(s) by the applicant or any of its principal officers or employees in this or any other jurisdiction. A license may be denied if the applicant fails to demonstrate an ability to satisfactorily comply with the electronic reporting requirements specified in § 415-5, the retention and inspection requirements of § 415-6, or any other portion of this chapter. Upon receipt of the recommendation of the Chief of Police, the Municipal Clerk shall issue or deny the license accordingly, contingent upon the receipt of a bond as required by § 415-7 of this chapter.
Require of each person selling or pawning precious metals or other secondhand goods acceptable identification as defined above in § 415-2.
The name, address, and telephone number of the purchaser, including the clerk or employee of the licensee making the purchase.
The name, address, date of birth, and telephone number of the seller or sellers.
A digital color photograph recording of the seller at the time of the transaction (saved photographs of the seller are not acceptable), of sufficient brightness and clarity that the seller's features are immediately identifiable to the naked eye, with a minimum resolution of 10 megapixels; that is of the seller' s full face, front view from seller' s arm pit level extending one inch beyond the seller’s head, less any hat or head gear, excluding religious attire unless it obscures the facial features below the hair line; dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless needed for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required); if the seller normally wears prescribed clear lensed glasses they should be worn when taking the picture; a written physical description of the seller, including height, weight, hair color, eye color, facial hair, and all other attendant fields found in the systems template.
A photographed recording of the seller' s presented acceptable identification in the following format on the day of sale (saved photographs of the seller' s identification arc not acceptable): a digital color photograph of sufficient brightness and clarity such that is immediately readable to the naked eye, with a minimum resolution of 10 megapixels, and shows the full document frontal view at a near perpendicular angle with a field of view not to exceed one inch beyond the edge of the acceptable identification, and that is free from glare or other obstruction that would block or otherwise obscure the view of the seller' s photograph or the acceptable identification.
A digital photograph recording that is in color of all items sold, of sufficient brightness and clarity that it is immediately identifiable to the naked eye, with a minimum resolution of 10 megapixels. All items must be positioned in a manner that makes prominent features readily and easily identifiable. Items possessing engraving or other identifiable marks must have those marks photographed separately and logged in to the database in immediate succession to the item on which they are found, and accompanied by a detailed recording as described in § 415-5C(7) below. Items must be photographed individually and must not be grouped together. Each item in a transaction must be separately and individually photographed regardless of the number of items transacted.
A detailed, legible description of the item(s) including the manufacturer and model of the item(s), if known, shall be entered into the authorized database. Descriptions of jewelry must include style, length, color, design, minerals or stones, if any, and any identifying marks, including numbers, letters, symbols, dates, shapes, initials, names, monograms, social security numbers engraved thereon, serial numbers, series numbers, or any other information, which sets apart the particular object from others of like kind. Entries must be made in the appropriate fields of the authorized database and appropriately labeled and designated to ensure that the item sold is appropriately and reasonably identifiable by users of the database.
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C(7), which required the recording of a detailed legible description of the items, was superseded 1-23-2018 by Ord. No. 4570-18. See now Subsection C(6).
The price paid for the purchase or pawn of the item(s).
If precious metals, the net weight in terms of pounds Troy, pennyweight (Troy) or kilograms/grams; fineness in terms of karats for gold, and sterling or coin for silver, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 51:5-1 and 51:6-1 et seq.
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 Chief of Police 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 Subsection C above 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 as described in § 415-6.
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 Police Department to examine any database, book, ledger, or any other record on the premises relating to the reportable transactions of precious metals or other secondhand goods, as well as the articles purchased or received and, where necessary, relinquish custody of those articles as provided in § 415-6.
All precious metals, jewelry, and other secondhand goods purchased, received for pawn, or received for consignment as described above, are to be made available for inspection by the Chief of Police or designee thereof at the designated business address for a period of at least 10 calendar days from the date the transaction information is actually reported to the Chief of Police in the approved manner described above in § 415-5. All precious metal or other secondhand goods subject to inspection must remain in the same condition as when purchased or received for pawn and shall not be sold, disposed of, changed, modified, or melted by the dealer until the ten-day retention period has expired. Itinerant businesses and transient buyers will be responsible for notifying the Chief of Police of the location where the purchased item(s) are being held.
Upon probable cause that goods held by a dealer are stolen, and providing that the seller signed the mandatory statement required by § 415-5B upon the sale of those goods, a law enforcement officer with jurisdiction should charge the seller with theft by deception under N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4 on behalf of the dealer, who shall be considered the "victim" of the offense for the purposes of N.J.S.A. 2C:43-3. The officer shall seize the goods, provide the dealer with a receipt, and issue a criminal complaint against the seller for theft by deception and any other criminal charges for which the officer has probable cause that the seller has committed. If convicted of theft by deception and if so found by an order of a court of valid jurisdiction, the seller will be responsible for providing restitution to the dealer under N.J.S.A. 2C:44-2 for the amount paid by the dealer to the seller for the stolen goods.
In addition to all other reporting requirements, every dealer shall maintain, for at least five years, a paper record of all purchases of precious metals and other secondhand goods in the form prescribed in § 415-5C.
Suspension. The Chief of Police or a designee thereof is hereby empowered to temporarily suspend for cause any dealer's license and rights to operate thereunder. This penalty shall be in addition to any fines and penalties the dealer may incur pursuant to § 415-9 of this chapter.
Revocation. A license issued under this chapter may be revoked by the Municipal Clerk upon written recommendation from the Chief of Police or the Chief's designee that the dealer is no longer qualified, capable or competent to comply with the requirements of this chapter. This penalty shall be in addition to any fines and penalties the dealer may incur under § 415-9.
Procedure for revocation. Upon a determination that appropriate grounds exist and that a revocation is warranted, the Chief of Police or the Chief's designee shall so report to the Municipal Clerk in writing. A temporary suspension will immediately and automatically issue, if one is not already in effect, pending the outcome of the charge. The Township Attorney, Assistant Township Attorney, or other official designated by the Township Attorney, shall review the stated grounds for revocation and shall issue an appropriate disposition of either suspension, revocation, or reinstatement. If it is determined that revocation is the appropriate disposition, the grounds therefor shall be set forth in writing in the form of a notice of revocation, which shall be provided to the dealer. The notice shall advise the dealer of the right to appeal. If determined that suspension is the appropriate disposition, the dealer shall be so notified in writing and shall be advised of the right to appeal. Following revocation, the dealer must relinquish his or her license and must immediately and indefinitely cease operating as a dealer of precious metals or other secondhand goods within the municipality.
Appeal. Any applicant wishing to appeal a suspension or revocation shall be entitled to a hearing as provided in § 415-4E. Any applicant exercising the right to appeal must file a written notice of appeal within 10 days of receiving written notice of revocation or suspension of license.
Each dealer covered under this chapter shall deliver a bond to the Municipal Clerk executed by the applicant as principal and executed by a surety company authorized to do business under the laws of the State of New Jersey as surety. The bond shall be subject to review and approval by the Municipal Attorney, as defined in N.J.S.A. 40A:9-139, and shall be in the penal sum of $10,000, conditioned for the due and proper observance of and compliance with the provisions and requirements of all ordinances of the municipality in force or which may be adopted respecting the conduct of this business and conditioned also that the bond shall be and remain for the benefit of any person or persons who shall have received judgment against the dealer licensed under this chapter, which damage shall be established by a judgment of a court of proper jurisdiction. Said bond shall contain the following language: "The obligation of this bond shall, in addition to the Township of Toms River, be and remain for the benefit of any person who shall obtain a judgment against obligor as a result of damage sustained in operation pursuant to any license granted under this chapter." Said bond shall be kept for a minimum of one year from the date of issuance of license and must be renewed annually along with the license.
A nonrefundable fee for initial application and license for a pawnbroker or a dealer in precious metals or other secondhand goods, as covered under this chapter, is $300. The annual renewal fee for a license is $250. These fees are separate from and in addition to any fees the dealer must pay in relation to the mandatory electronic database system designated by the Chief of Police, as provided by § 415-5D. Payments are to be made in the manner directed by the Municipal Clerk.
Violation of any provision of this chapter by any dealer shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not in excess of the limitations of N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 or by a term of imprisonment or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days in addition to a suspension or revocation of operating license as provided in § 415-6E and F above. Each and every violation shall be considered a separate violation. Each violation shall result in an additional suspension period. Any person who is found guilty of violating the provisions of this chapter within one year of the date of a previous violation and who was fined for the previous violation may be sentenced by the court to an additional fine as a repeat offender and, in addition, may be subject to revocation proceedings as provided in § 415-6F. The additional fine imposed as a repeat offender shall not be less than the minimum or exceed the maximum fine provided herein, and same shall be calculated separately from the fine imposed for the violation of this chapter.
Effective January 1, 2015, no existing licensee may continue to operate without having been re-licensed pursuant to this chapter.
Dealers holding existing licenses scheduled to expire between October 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014, may continue to operate, pending relicensure under this chapter effective January 1, 2015, including payment of the renewal fee set forth in § 415-8.
Dealers holding existing licenses scheduled to expire at any time in 2015 must be relicensed pursuant to this chapter effective January 1, 2015. No fee is due for the transition. Fees will be due upon renewal in 2016 and beyond.