[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township
of Springfield 5-13-1981 by Ord. No. 703. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
The following definitions shall be applicable in this chapter:
An individual, partnership, association, corporation or other
business entity, including an itinerant merchant doing business in
the Township of Springfield, which purchases or makes appraisals of
precious metals and their alloys for resale to refiners, brokers or
the public.
Items of gold, silver, platinum and their alloys, including
but not limited to jewelry, but excluding coins and bullion.
No person shall engage in the business of or be employed as
a dealer in precious metals unless he or she first obtains a license
from the Township of Springfield.
A.
No license shall be issued unless the applicant furnishes the township
with an application setting forth the following:
(1)
The name, home and business address and telephone number of the dealer
in precious metals.
(2)
The exact locations, if other than the business address of the dealer,
where transactions in precious metals are to be conducted.
(3)
The former business address of the dealer for the preceding three
years.
(4)
Such other information as the township may require.
B.
The licensee shall notify the township, in writing, within 72 hours,
of any changes in the information supplied to the township.
C.
The applicant for a license hereunder shall pay an annual license
fee of $100.
D.
The license shall be prominently displayed on the premises.
E.
Each license shall be valid for one place of business only. A dealer
with more than one place of business must secure a license for each
location.
F.
All licenses shall be conditioned upon continued compliance with
the provisions of this chapter. Any licensed dealer who violates any
provisions of this chapter, in addition to the fine prescribed by
this chapter, shall have his license revoked by the township.
A.
All scales or other devices used by dealers to weigh precious metals
must be of the type approved for commercial use in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania and must be inspected and sealed by the Bureau of
Weights and Measures.
B.
The dealer of precious metals must notify the Montgomery County Bureau
of Weights and Measures whenever a weighing device is moved from one
location to another.
C.
All weighing devices shall be so positioned that their indications
may be accurately read and the weighing operation observed by the
seller.
The dealer shall post a conspicuous sign in proximity to the
place where weighings are made quoting the prices offered for the
various units and fineness of precious metals.
All dealers in precious metals shall maintain records of each
transaction in which they purchase precious metals from the public
or give a statement of appraisal. Such information will be kept in
a bound book and shall include, at least, the following information:
A.
The name, current address and telephone number of the person making
the transaction as evidenced by two documents of identification, one
of which must prove the individual is at least 18 years of age.
B.
The date and time of the transaction.
C.
An accurate description of each item.
D.
The source of acquisition.
E.
Name, current address and telephone number of the purchaser or appraiser
of such property.
F.
The seller's left thumbprint.
A.
The book required by § 70-5 shall be subject to the periodic inspection and approval of the Springfield Township Police Department.
B.
The dealer shall return to the office of the Chief of Police a sheet to be furnished by the Police Department showing all business transacted the previous week, including the information required by § 70-5.
C.
The information given to the Police Department shall be made under
penalty of prosecution pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 490-1(b),
relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.
The dealer shall retain articles purchased for a period of 15
days in their original condition, and such articles shall be subject
to the examination by the Police Department.
No dealer or his clerk or employee shall purchase any article
from any person under 18 years of age, anyone intoxicated, any habitual
drunkard or any person known to be a thief, an associate of thieves
or receiver of stolen property or any person he has reason to suspect
to be such, and must require that valid identification be presented
to the dealer prior to the transaction of any business.
This chapter shall not apply to the purchase by a retailer of
merchandise from an established wholesaler located within or outside
of the boundaries of Springfield Township.
[Amended 7-13-1988 by Ord. No. 756]
Any dealer in precious metals who violates the provisions of
this chapter shall, upon summary conviction, be subject to a fine
of not more than $600 and costs and, in default of payment thereof,
shall be imprisoned for not more than 30 days.
