It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of pawnbroker
in the village or to receive goods in pledge for loans for which a rate of
interest is charged without first obtaining a license therefor from the Village
Clerk.
A license fee as set forth in Chapter
118, Fees, shall be charged per year for the issuance of a license for carrying on the business of pawnbroker in the village.
A license issued under the provisions of this chapter to engage in the
business of pawnbroker shall not be transferable.
A license to engage in the business of pawnbroker shall terminate on
December 31 of the year in which such license is issued.
Every licensed pawnbroker shall keep in a substantially bound book,
in which shall be legibly written in ink and in English at the time of making
a loan, an account and description of the goods, articles or things pawned
or pledged, including the number or numbers and any monograms, inscriptions
or other marks or identification that may appear thereon, the amount loaned
thereon, the time and day of the loan and its maturity, the rate of interest
paid on such loans and the name, general description and residence of the
person pawning or pledging such goods, articles or things. Such book and all
articles pawned or pledged shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection
of any police officer or any person duly authorized, in writing, for such
purpose by the Chief of Police, who shall exhibit such written authority to
the pawnbroker. No entry in such book shall be erased, obliterated, altered
or defaced.
It shall be the duty of every licensed pawnbroker to make or cause to be made to the Chief of Police or his representative every day, except Sunday, before the hour of 12:00 noon, a copy of the record required to be kept by §
178-5, of every article upon which he has made a loan during the preceding day or, if that is Sunday, the two (2) preceding days, together with the number of the memorandum or note issued therefor. All reports required in this section shall be made on blank forms prepared and furnished by the Chief of Police, and each report shall be signed at the end by the licensee or his representative.
If any pawned or pledged articles are found to have been stolen, then
the pawnbroker or person doing such pawnbroking business shall, upon request
of the Chief of Police, hold said articles until released by said Chief.
Violations of this chapter shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed
five thousand dollars ($5,000.) or imprisonment not to exceed fifteen (15)
days, or both.