Source: https://ecode360.com/31390139
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 14:40:51
Document Index: 420237884

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153', '§ 153']

Township of Bridgewater, NJ Precious Metals and Secondhand Goods, Dealers of
§ 153-3 License requirements for dealers.
§ 153-4 Application process for dealers; approval or denial.
§ 153-5 Identification of sellers; recordkeeping requirements for dealers.
§ 153-6 Investigation; retention; criminal complaint.
§ 153-7 Suspension; revocation; appeal.
§ 153-8 Bond.
§ 153-9 Fees; period of license validity.
Chapter 153 Precious Metals and Secondhand Goods, Dealers of
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Bridgewater3-21-2016 by Ord. No. 16-08. Amendments noted where applicable.]
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 United States government issued identification, which will be recorded on the receipt retained by the dealer and subsequently forwarded to the local police department on request.
A computerized internet capable database with hardware and software compliant to that set by the Chief of Police.
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 Township.
Used goods such as antiques, gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metals, jewelry, coins, gemstones, gift cards, any tools, telephones, typewriters, word processors, GPS devices, computers, computer hardware and software, television sets, radios, record or stereo sets, electronic devices, musical instruments, sporting goods, automotive equipment, collectibles, game cartridges, DVDs, CDs, and other electronically recorded material, firearms, cameras and camera equipment, video equipment, furniture, clothing, and other valuable articles. For the purposes of this chapter, secondhand goods shall not include goods transacted in the following manner: 1) judicial sales or sales by executors or administrators; 2) occasional or auction sales of goods sold from private homes; 3) auctions of real estate; 4) the occasional sale, purchase, or exchange of collectibles by a person at his permanent residence or in any municipally owned building who is engaged in the hobby of collecting coins or stamps and who does not solicit the sale, purchase, or exchange of such collectibles to or from the general public by billboard, sign, handbill, newspaper, magazine, radio, television, or other form of printed or electronic advertising.
No person, partnership, limited-liability company, corporation, or other entity (and which meets the definition of a dealer as defined in § 153-2) shall engage in the business of buying, selling, or pawning of precious metals or other secondhand goods, as defined in § 153-2, within the jurisdiction of the municipality, without having first obtained a license therefore from the Municipal Clerk, which license shall bear a number issued by the Municipal Clerk.
Advertising in any print or electronic media or by sign that any of those articles or secondhand goods referred to in § 153-2 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 § 153-9.
Licensees may not operate at any location other than a site specified in the license. Licensees operating at multiple locations must have each location separately licensed. Each location must be permanent.
The experience of the applicant in the business of purchase and sale of those articles or goods referred to in § 153-2 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, including any past convictions for any crime(s), disorderly persons 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, for the applicant and all owners (and employees), which may require payment of additional fees by the applicant.
The type of operation contemplated to be conducted by the applicant, particularly whether the business is to be operated from a fixed location, whether it is to be conducted from a location primarily devoted to the purchase and sale of precious metal or other secondhand goods, and other factors bearing on whether the licensed business will be of a fixed and permanent nature. This subsection shall not be construed to require denial of any license solely on the grounds that the business is not from a fixed location or that the applicant is a transient buyer or itinerant business. However, applicants who fall under the category of a transient buyer or itinerant business must state, with specificity in the license application, the business address where transaction records required by §§ 153-5 and 153-6 of this chapter will be stored as well as a location where purchased goods will be retained during the mandatory inspection required under § 153-6A.
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 based upon that recommendation. 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. Once 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. Any applicant exercising the right to appeal must file a written notice of appeal with the Township Clerk within 10 days of receiving written notice of denial of a license to act as a dealer of secondhand goods.
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) in which deceit or misrepresentation is an element; or any conviction of any 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 which deceit or misrepresentation is an element or involving theft or the receiving of stolen goods 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 § 153-5, the retention and inspection requirements of § 153-6, 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 § 153-8 of this chapter.
Whenever any application for a permit is denied, the applicant shall be entitled to a hearing within 30 days of the Township's receipt of the Notice of Appeal articulated in § 153-4C hereinabove. This appeal shall be heard before the Township Council at which time the applicant shall be permitted to introduce such evidence as may be deemed relevant to such denial.
Require of each person selling or pawning precious metals or other secondhand goods acceptable identification as defined above in § 153-2.
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 eighteen years and the identification presented is valid and correct."
A photographed recording of the seller in a format acceptable to the Chief of Police, along with a physical description of the seller, including height and weight (approximate), hair color, eye color, and facial hair, if any, etc.;
A photographed recording of the seller's presented acceptable identification, as set forth in § 153-2, in a format acceptable by the Chief of Police;
A detailed, legible description of the item(s) and the manufacturer and model of the item(s), if known; in the case of jewelry, the descriptions must include style, length, color, design, and stones, if any; any identifying marks, including numbers, dates, sizes, 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;
If precious metals, the net weight in terms of pounds, 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 N.J.S.A. 51:6-1 et seq.; and
The information outlined in Subsection C above must additionally be electronically documented through the use of an electronic database system authorized by the Chief of Police. Installation and training in this software will be made mandatory as of the effective date of this chapter and licensing will be conditional upon compliance with proper use of the system as described herein. These records shall be subject to the inspection of any authorized police officer or any sworn law enforcement officer acting in the performance of his or her duty as set forth in Subsection F below. Through the use of applicably required computer equipment, and using the electronic format approved by the Chief of Police, every dealer shall enter all reportable transactions into the electronic database by the end of the close of business on the same date as the purchase or receipt of property for pawn or consignment. The information entered must contain all pertinent information outlined in Subsection C above.
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 § 153-10.
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 § 153-6. Itinerant businesses and transient buyers will be responsible for notifying the Chief of Police of the address where these records and articles will be stored.
All 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 seven calendar days from the date the transaction information is actually reported to the Chief of Police in the approved manner described above in § 153-5, except for precious metals and jewelry, which must be maintained for at least 10 business days or for the statutory period provided in N.J.S.A. 2C:21-36(d). 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 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 § 153-5B 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 § 153-5C.
Suspension. The Chief of Police 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 § 153-10 of this chapter.
Procedure for suspension. Upon determination that appropriate grounds exist and that a suspension is warranted, the Chief of Police or a designee thereof shall issue a written notice of suspension of license to the offending dealer and to the Municipal Clerk, which shall set forth the grounds for the suspension and notify the dealer of his or her right to appeal pursuant to § 153-7C. A temporary suspension shall issue immediately, pending the outcome of any appeal taken. Suspended dealers must immediately cease engaging in the business of purchasing for resale, receiving for pawn, and/or selling of precious metals and/or other secondhand goods in the municipality until reinstatement.
Revocation. A license issued under this chapter may be revoked by the Municipal Clerk upon written recommendation from the Chief of Police 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 § 153-10.
Procedure for revocation. Upon determination that appropriate grounds exist and that a revocation is warranted, the Chief of Police or a designee thereof shall issue a written notice of revocation of license to the offending dealer and to the Municipal Clerk, which shall set forth the grounds for the revocation and notify the dealer of his or her right to appeal pursuant to Subsection C below. A temporary suspension will immediately and automatically issue, if one is not already in effect, pending the outcome of the charge. The offending dealer must immediately cease engaging in the business of purchasing for resale, receiving for pawn, and/or selling of precious metals and/or other secondhand goods in the municipality until reinstatement.
Appeal. Any applicant exercising the right to appeal any suspension or revocation must file a written notice of appeal with the Township Clerk within 10 days of receiving written notice of the suspension or revocation. The Applicant shall be entitled to a hearing within 30 days of the Township's receipt of the Notice of Appeal. This appeal shall be heard before the Township, which shall review the stated grounds for suspension or revocation and shall issue an appropriate disposition of suspension, revocation, or reinstatement. At that time the applicant shall be permitted to introduce such evidence as he/she may be deemed relevant to such denial. If the disposition, on appeal, is revocation, the dealer must permanently relinquish his or her license and must cease operating as a dealer of precious metals or other secondhand goods within the municipality.
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 Township Attorney 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 Bridgewater, 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 $300. 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 § 153-5D. 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 § 153-7 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 § 153-7. 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.