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Ordinance No. 1064 03-04-1996 ORDINANCE NO. 1064 OFFICIAL TITLE AND SUMMARY I. TITLE An ordinance recodifying the Fridley City Code, Chapter 31, entitled "Pawn Shops," by amending Sections 31.07, 31.08, 31.11, 31.12, 31.13, and adding new Section 31.14, and renumbering the remaining Sections consecutively, and amending Chapter 11, "General Provisions and Fees". II. SUMMARY The City Council of the City of Fridley does hereby ordain as follows: The proposed ordinance establishes licensing, recordkeeping, property handling, and transaction requirements of pawnbrokers. It establishes license classifications for renewal purposes on the basis of the level of business generated by the pawnbroker over the previous year. It identifies the permitted methods of submitting daily reports and creates a renewal fee reduction for daily reports delivered in an electronic data format. It sets the minimum periods pawned and purchased property must be kept before forfeiture or sale. The ordinance contains requirements for the holding and seizure of suspected stolen property. It restricts transactions involving certain persons or property. It establishes restrictions on the conduct of persons on licensed premises. III. NOTICE This Title and Summary have been published to clearly inform the public of the intent and effect of the City of Fridley's ordinance requirements for pawnbrokers. A copy of the ordinance, in its entirety, is available for inspection by any person during regular business hours at the offices of the City Clerk of the City of Fridley, 6431 University Avenue, N.E. , Fridley, MN 55432. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIDLEY THIS 4TH DAY OF MARCH, 1996. M) A.t.. .., -yA WILLIAM J. ��- MAYOR ATTEST: 2 a. WILLIAM A. CHAMPA - CITY CLERK Publication: March 14, 1996 ORDINANCE NO.1064 AN ORDINANCE RECODIFYING THE FRIDLEY CITY CODE, CHAPTER 31, ENTITLED "PAWN SHOPS," BY AMENDING SECTIONS 31.07, 31.08, 31.11, 31.12, 31.13, AND ADDING NEW SECTION 31.14, AND RENUMBERING THE REMAINING SECTIONS CONSECUTIVELY, AND AMENDING CHAPTER 11, "GENERAL PROVISIONS AND FEES" The City Council of the City of Fridley does hereby ordain as follows: 31.07 LICENSE CLASSIFICATIONS AND FEES ESTABLISHED 1. License Classes. Licenses renewed under provisions of this Chapter shall be classified according to the average number of initial transactions submitted monthly by the licensee to the Public Safety Director during the period the licensee was in business prior to renewal. For the purposes of this section "initial transaction" shall mean a single reportable transaction conducted by a pawnbroker involving the initial receipt of property pawned, pledged, sold, left, or deposited by one person on one day at one time; not to include the sale, redemption, renewal, extension, or confiscation of property already in the possession of the pawnbroker. License classifications shall be: Class A - Licensee's that submit an average of seven hundred fifty (750) or more initial transactions per month. Class B - Licensee's that submit an average of more than two hundred fifty (250) but less than seven hundred fifty (750) initial transactions per month. Class C - Licensee's that submit an average of two hundred fifty (250) or less initial transactions per month. All new licenses issued pursuant to this Chapter shall be deemed to be Class A licenses and subject to all applicable fees and regulations. 2. Annual Fees. The annual license fee for all licenses required by this Chapter shall be in the amounts as specified in Chapter 11, General Provisions and Fees, of the Fridley City Code. 3. Investigation Fees. At the time of each original application for a license, the applicant shall pay, in full, an investigation fee. The investigation fee shall be as specified in Chapter 11, General Provisions and Fees, of the Fridley City Code. Page 2 -- Ordinance No. 1064 31.08 PAYMENT OF FEES 1. Initial Fees. The annual license and investigation fees for a new license shall be paid in full before the application for the license is accepted. Upon rejection of any application for a license or upon withdrawal of an application before approval of the issuance by the Council, the license fee only shall be refunded to the applicant except where rejection is for a willful misstatement in the license application. If any investigation outside the State of Minnesota is required, the applicant shall be charged the cost which shall be paid by the applicant, prior to issuance of a license, after deducting the initial investigation fee, whether or not the license is granted. 2. Pro Rated Fee for New Licenses. If the application for a new license under this Chapter is made during a license year, a license may be issued for the remainder of the license year for a fee assessed proportionally by the number of months remaining in the license year. Any fraction of a month will be counted as a complete month. No refund, reduction, or adjustment of a license fee shall be made to any licensee that ceases operation during the term of the license. 3. Renewal Fees and Adjustments. Licensee's delivering daily reports to police via the electronic reporting method as outlined in section 31.11.5. shall be eligible for an electronic reporting adjustment of the annual license fee at renewal, based on the number of months during the preceding license year that the licensee successfully delivered daily reports to police via the electronic reporting method. The electronic reporting adjustment shall be as specified in Chapter 11, General Provisions and Fees, of the Fridley City Code. Licensee's seeking renewal shall first obtain from the Public Safety Director a statement identifying the class of license to be renewed and the number of months eligible for the electronic reporting adjustment if any. The statement shall be filed with the renewal application. The annual license fee for renewal of a license, at the class identified by the Public Safety Director, less the electronic reporting adjustment if applicable, shall be paid in full at the time the renewal application is filed with the City. 31.11. CONDITIONS OF LICENSES 1. Records. Every licensee, at the time of receipt of an article deposited, left, sold, purchased, pledged, or pawned, shall immediately record, in English, on forms or in an electronic data storage and retrieval system approved by the Public Page 3 -- Ordinance No. 1064 Safety Director, the following information: A. A complete and accurate description of the article, including but not limited to, any manufacturer name, brand name, model number, serial number, identification number, or other identifying mark. B. The amount of money received by the person pawning, pledging, or selling the article, together with the annual rate of interest and the amount required to redeem the article if it was pawned or pledged. C. The date, time and place of receipt of the article. D. The full name, date of birth, current address of residence, current telephone number if possessed, and a reasonably accurate description of the person from whom the article was received including at a minimum sex, height, weight, and race. E. The identification number and state of issue from a valid photo drivers license or photo identification card issued by the state of residency of the person from whom the article was received. F. The name or unique identifier of the licensee or employee that conducted the transaction. 2. Disposition of Articles. A. When an article of pawned or pledged property is redeemed from a licensee, the records shall contain an account of such redemption with the date, interest charges accrued, and the total amount for which the article was redeemed. B. When an article of purchased or forfeited property is sold or disposed of by a licensee and the licensee receives one-hundred dollars ($100.00) or more in payment thereof, the records shall contain an account of such sale with the date, the amount for which the article was sold, and the full name, current address, and telephone number of the person to whom sold. 3. Inspection of Records. The records referred to in this section shall be open to the inspection of the Public Safety Director at all reasonable times and shall be retained by the licensee for at least four (4) years. 4. Receipt. Every licensee shall deliver to the person pawning, pledging, selling, leaving or depositing any articles, a receipt numbered to correspond with the licensee's records. The receipt shall contain the substance of the transaction and the signature of the person from whom the item was received. Page 4 -- Ordinance No. 1064 5. Daily Reports to Police. A. Method. Each licensee shall prepare and deliver to the Public Safety Director, by twelve o'clock noon the first business day following the date of transaction, the information required to be collected in section 31.11.1 and 31.11.2, through one of the following methods: (1) Manual Reporting. Daily reports on forms approved by the Public Safety Director delivered in person by the licensee or employee. (2) Electronic Reporting. Daily reports maintained in an electronic data format meeting specifications established by the Public Safety Director and delivered in person by the licensee or employee on electronic data storage media approved by the Public Safety Director or transferred from the licensee's computer via modem. B. Electronic Reporting Adjustment. A licensee delivering daily reports via the electronic reporting method may be eligible for an adjustment of their annual license fee at renewal, based on the number of months during the preceding license year that the licensee successfully delivered daily reports to police via the electronic reporting method, except: (1) If a licensee who has consistently delivered daily reports via the electronic reporting method is unable to successfully deliver the required reports via the electronic reporting method, and the problem is determined to be in the licensee's system and is not corrected by the close of the second business day following the failure, the licensee will be considered to have reported via the manual reporting method for the month in which the failure occurred and any subsequent months that such failure continues uncorrected. (2) If a licensee who has consistently delivered daily reports via the electronic reporting method is unable to successfully deliver the required reports via the electronic reporting method, and the problem is determined to be outside the licensee's system, the licensee will be considered to have reported via the electronic reporting method for the month in which the failure occurred. (3) Section 31.11.5.B(1) notwithstanding, the Public Safety Director may, upon presentation of extenuating circumstances, extend the period that a qualifying licensee is considered to have reported via the electronic reporting method. Page 5 -- Ordinance No. 1064 6. Exceptions to Reports. No licensee shall be required to furnish descriptions of any property purchased from manufacturers and wholesale dealers having an established place of business or of any goods purchased at an open sale from any bankrupt stock or from any other person doing business and having an established placed of business. Any goods referred to in this section must be accompanied by a bill of sale or other evidence of open or legitimate purchase and must be shown to the Public Safety Director on demand. 7. Redemption Period. Any person pledging, pawning or depositing an article of property for security shall have a minimum of ninety (90) days from the date of that transaction to redeem the article before it may be forfeited and sold. During the ninety (90) day holding period articles shall not be removed from the licensed premises. Licensee's are prohibited from redeeming any article of property to anyone other than the person to whom the receipt was issued; or to any person identified in a written and notarized authorization to redeem the article(s) of property identified in the receipt; or to a person identified in writing by the pledger at the time of the initial transaction and signed by the pledger; or with the approval of the Public Safety Director. Written authorization for release of articles of property to persons other than the original pledger must be maintained along with the original transaction record. 8. Holding Period. No article of property pledged, pawned or on deposit for security with any licensee shall be permitted to be redeemed for a period of seventy-two (72) hours from the date of transaction, excluding Sundays and holidays, except upon written authorization of the Public Safety Director. No article of property purchased by a licensee may be sold or otherwise disposed of for thirty (30) days from the date of the transaction except that articles of property for which there exists a valid certificate of title issued by the State of Minnesota, showing ownership and registration by the person from whom the article was received, may be sold or otherwise disposed of ten (10) days from the date of transaction. 9. Police Restrictions on Sale or Redemption. A. Investigative Hold. Whenever a law enforcement official from any agency, acting in the course and scope of his or her duties, notifies a licensee not to sell or permit to be redeemed an article of property in the licensee's possession, the article may not be sold, redeemed or removed from the premises by the licensee. The Investigative Hold shall be confirmed in writing by the originating agency within seventy-two (72) hours and will remain in effect for Page 6 -- Ordinance No. 1064 fifteen (15) days from the date of notification, or until the hold is cancelled, or until a Police Hold is issued pursuant to section 31.11.9.(B) , or until the article is confiscated, whichever comes first. B. Police Hold. Whenever the Public Safety Director notifies a licensee not to sell or permit to be redeemed an article of property in the licensee's possession, the article may not be sold, redeemed or removed from the premises by the licensee. The Police Hold shall be confirmed in writing within seventy-two (72) hours and will remain in effect for ninety (90) days from the date of notification unless the Public Safety Director determines the hold is still necessary and notifies the licensee in writing. When a Police Hold is no longer needed the Public Safety Director shall so notify the licensee. C. Confiscation Report. If an article of property in the licensee's possession is determined to be stolen, it may be confiscated and seized as evidence by any police officer. A request for restitution from any person charged in regards to the stolen property confiscated shall be made on behalf of the licensee. When an article of property is confiscated, the person doing so shall provide identification upon request of the licensee, and shall complete a confiscation report providing at a minimum the name and telephone number of the confiscating agency and investigator, and the case number of the police report related to the confiscation. The confiscation report shall be included with the daily reports to police, submitted by the licensee, for review by the Public Safety Director. 10. Payment by Check. Payment of more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) by any licensee for any article deposited, left, purchased, pledged or pawned shall be made only by a check, draft or other negotiable or nonnegotiable instrument or order of withdrawal which is drawn against funds held by a financial institution. 11. Posting License. All licensees shall post their licenses, in a conspicuous place, in the licensed premises under the licensed activity. 12. Responsibility of Licensee. The conduct of agents or employees of a licensee, while engaged in performance of their duties for their principal or employer under such license, shall be deemed the conduct of the licensee. 13. Penalty for Property Owner. It is unlawful for any person who owns or controls any real property to knowingly permit it to be used for pawnbrokering without a license required by Page 7 -- Ordinance No. 1064 this Chapter. 14. Business at Only One Place. A license under this Chapter authorizes the licensee to carry on its business only at the permanent place of business designated in the license. However, upon written request, the Public Safety Director may approve an off-site locked and secure storage facility. The licensee shall permit inspection of the facility in accordance with section 31.13. All provisions of this Chapter regarding recordkeeping and reporting apply to the facility and its contents. Articles of property shall be stored in compliance with all provisions of the city code. 31.12. RESTRICTED TRANSACTIONS 1. No licensee shall be open for the transaction of business on any day of the week before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. 2. No licensee shall purchase, accept, or receive any article of property from any minor or from any person of unsound mind or from an intoxicated person. 3. No licensee shall purchase, accept, or receive any article of property which contains an altered or obliterated serial number or an article of property whose serial number has been removed. 4. No licensee shall purchase, accept, or receive any article of property knowing, or having reason to know, that the article of property is encumbered by a security interest. For the purpose of this section "security interest" means an interest in property which secures payment or other performance of an obligation. S. No licensee shall purchase, accept, or receive any article of property, from any person, knowing, or having reason to know, that said person is not the true and correct owner of the property. 6. No licensee shall purchase, accept, or receive any article of property, from any person, without first having examined a valid photo driver's license or valid photo identification card issued by the state of residency of the person. 31.13 Inspection. 1. Premises. Any licensee shall, at all times during the term of the license, allow the Public Safety Director to enter the premises, where the licensee is carrying on business, including all off-site storage facilities as authorized in section 31.11.14 , during normal business hours, except in an emergency, for the purpose of inspecting such premises and inspecting the articles and records therein to locate goods suspected or alleged to have been stolen and Page 8 -- Ordinance No. 1064 to verify compliance with this Chapter or other applicable laws. No licensee shall conceal any article in his possession from the Public Safety Director. 2. Inspection by Police or Claimed Owner. All articles of property coming into the possession of any licensee, under the terms hereof, shall be open to inspection and right of examination of any police officer or any person claiming to have been the owner thereof or claiming to have had an interest therein when such person is accompanied by a police officer. 31.14 CONDUCT OF PERSONS ON LICENSED PREMISES 1. No person may pawn, pledge, sell, leave, or deposit any article of property not their own; nor shall any person pawn, pledge, sell, leave, or deposit the property of another, whether with permission or without; nor shall any person pawn, pledge, sell, leave, or deposit any article of property in which another has a security interest; with any licensee. 2. No minor may pawn, pledge, sell, leave, or deposit any article of property with any licensee. 3. No person may pawn, pledge, sell, leave, or deposit any article of property with any licensee without first having presented a valid photo driver's license or valid photo identification card issued by the state of residency of the person. 4. All licensee's shall by adequate signage and separate written notice inform persons seeking to pawn, pledge, sell, leave, or deposit articles of property with the licensee of the foregoing requirements. For the purpose of this section "adequate signage" shall be deemed to mean at least one sign, of not less than four (4) square feet in surface area, comprised of lettering of not less than three-quarters (3/4) of an inch in height, posted in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises and stating substantially the following: TO PAWN OR SELL PROPERTY: YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE. YOU MUST BE THE TRUE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. THE PROPERTY MUST BE FREE OF ALL CLAIMS AND LIENS. YOU MUST PRESENT VALID PHOTO IDENTIFICATION. VIOLATION OF ANY OF THESE REQUIREMENTS IS A CRIME. For the purpose of this section "separate written notice" shall be deemed to mean either the receipt, as required in section 31.11.4, or a printed form, Page 9 -- Ordinance No. 1064 incorporating a statement to the effect that the person pawning, pledging, selling, leaving, or depositing the article is at least eighteen (18) years of age; is the true owner of the article; and that the article is free of all claims and liens; which is acknowledged by way of signature of the person pawning, pledging, selling, leaving, or depositing the article. 5. No person seeking to pawn, pledge, sell, leave, or deposit any article • of property with any licensee shall give a false or fictitious name; nor give a false date of birth; nor give a false or out of date address of residence or telephone number; nor present a false driver's license or identification card; to any licensee. 11.10 FEES Section 11.10, "Fees" is amended to include the following Pawn Shop fees: CODE SUBJECT FEE 31 Pawn Shops Class A $15,000 Class B $12,500 Class C $10,000 Electronic Reporting Adjustment $400 per month Investigation Fee $400 PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIDLEY THIS 4TH DAY OF MARCH, 1996. WILLIAM J. E - MAYOR ATTEST: Ir WILLIAM A. CHAMPA - CITY LERK First Reading: February 26, 1996 Second Reading: March 4, 1996 Publication: March 14, 1996