[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Greene 9-11-1950; amended in its entirety at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Noise — See Ch. 75.
Sidewalk markets — See Ch. 93.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 105.
This chapter is enacted by the Village of Greene for the purpose of regulating transient peddling, vending, soliciting and commercial vending in order that the peace, health, safety, welfare and good order of the Village and its inhabitants shall not be endangered or unduly disturbed.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Peddling and Soliciting Law of the Village of Greene."
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COMMERCIAL VENDOR
Includes, unless otherwise herein provided, any person who engages in merchandising any goods, wares, commodities, books, periodicals or services and who operates out of a temporary trailer, mobile home or any other object which does not have a permanent in-ground foundation.
ESTABLISHED PLACE OF BUSINESS
A permanent building, store or depository in which or where the person transacts business and deals in the goods, wares or commodities he peddles, vends or solicits in the ordinary and regular course of business.
MERCHANDISING
The selling, bartering or trading or offering to sell, barter or trade, any goods, wares, commodities or services.
PEDDLER, VENDOR AND SOLICITOR
Includes, unless otherwise herein provided, any person who engages in merchandising any goods, wares, commodities, books, periodicals or services or who solicits contributions of goods or moneys by going from house to house or place of business to place of business or in any public street or public place or by temporarily occupying a room, building or other premises thereof.
PERSON
Includes any individual, firm, partnership, corporation and unincorporated association and principal or agent thereof.
It shall be unlawful for any person within the jurisdiction of this chapter to act as a peddler, vendor, solicitor or commercial vendor, as herein defined, without first having registered with the office of the Village Clerk.
A. 
An application for registration shall contain the following information:
(1) 
The name and description of the applicant and his driver's license identification number.
(2) 
The address of the applicant (local and legal).
(3) 
The name of the firm or company where the applicant is employed, if applicable.
(4) 
The address of the firm or company where the applicant is employed, if applicable.
(5) 
A description of the motor vehicle to be used, along with the license number, if applicable.
(6) 
A brief description of the nature of the business and the kind of goods or property to be peddled, solicited or vended.
(7) 
The date and length of time the applicant will be soliciting in the Village.
B. 
The Village Clerk shall require identification from the firm or company which the applicant purports to represent.
C. 
Each person peddling or soliciting for the same firm or company shall be required to file a separate application.
Upon completion of the registration application and of the registration fee and if reasonably satisfied with the applicant's qualifications, the Village Clerk shall issue a registration certificate to the applicant specifying the particular business authorized. This registration shall be nontransferable and shall be in the continuous possession of the registrant while engaged in the business. The registration certificate shall be produced upon the demand of any Village official, prospective buyer, police officer or Sheriff or his deputies.
The Village Clerk shall keep a record of the applications for registrations. The record shall contain the name and residence of the person, the location of the business, the amount of the fee paid, the date of the fee paid and the date of revocation and/or expiration of all registrations revoked.
A. 
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the following:
(1) 
An honorably discharged member of the armed forces who is crippled as a result of injuries received while in the military services of the United States, who has procured a license from the Chenango County Clerk as provided by the General Business Law of the State of New York.
(2) 
Any person soliciting at the express invitation of the person solicited or serving an established customer.
(3) 
A wholesaler selling articles to dealers or merchants who have established places of business within the town.
(4) 
Local representatives of national recognized charities.
(5) 
A child permanently residing in the Village of Greene and attending any public, parochial or private school located in the Village of Greene or an immediately adjacent town; or a representative of any established church maintaining a place of worship within the town or an immediately adjacent town; or a member of a veterans organization, provided that such organization has and maintains a chapter, post, lodge, camp or other group within the Village of Greene; or a member of a fraternal organization or civic group, provided that such fraternal organization or civic group maintains a chapter or local organization within the Village of Greene; and further provided that any person coming within the provisions of this exemption shall only peddle, vend or solicit in connection with an authorized activity of the organization of which such person is a member or the school which such person attends.
(6) 
Auction sales held pursuant to law by a Sheriff or other officer authorized by law to conduct such sale.
B. 
This chapter does not apply to the sidewalk market, as defined in Chapter 93, Sidewalk Markets.
C. 
This chapter shall not apply so as to interfere unlawfully with interstate commerce.
A registered peddler, vendor or solicitor shall not:
A. 
Call attention to his goods by blowing a horn, by shouting or crying out or by any loud or unusual noise.
B. 
Frequent any street in an exclusive nature so as to cause a private or public nuisance.
C. 
Stand or permit the vehicle used by him to stand in one place in any public place or street for more than 10 minutes or in front of any premises for any time if the owner or the lessee of the ground objects.
D. 
Sell confectionary or ice cream within 250 feet of any school between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on school days.
A. 
Registrations issued under provisions of this chapter may be revoked by the Village Clerk of the Village of Greene after notice and hearing for any of the following causes:
(1) 
Any violation of this chapter.
(2) 
Conducting the business of peddling in an unlawful manner or in such a manner as to constitute a breach of the peace or to constitute a menace to the health, safety or general welfare of the public.
B. 
Notice of the hearing for revocation of a registration shall be given, in writing, setting forth specifically the grounds of complaint and the time and place of the hearing. Such notice shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the registrant at his last known address at least five days prior to the date set for the hearing.
C. 
The Village Clerk, upon receiving information giving him reasonable cause to believe that the holder of any registration issued hereunder has violated any provisions of this chapter or has been convicted of any violation referred to in this section, may forthwith temporarily suspend such registration until a hearing is held by him, as provided herein, and the Village Clerk shall have issued his determination thereon.
D. 
If the registrant has one or more employee, the revocation hereunder shall apply to the registrants and all employees if either he or any one or more of his employees are determined to be in violation of this chapter.
Any person aggrieved by the action of the Village Clerk in the denial of an application for a registration, as provided in § 81-5 of this chapter, or in the decision of the Village Clerk with reference to the revocation of a registration, as provided in § 81-10 of this chapter, shall have the right to appeal to the Village Board of the Village of Greene. Such appeal shall be taken by filing within 14 days after such notice of the action complained of has been mailed to such person's last known address a written statement setting forth fully the grounds for the appeal. The Village Board shall set a time and place for a hearing on such appeal, and notice of such hearing shall be mailed to the applicant at his last known address at least five days prior to the date set for the hearing. The decision and order of the Village Board on such appeal shall be final and conclusive.
Any person who shall act as a peddler, vendor or solicitor, as herein defined, without a registration certificate or who shall continue to act as a peddler, vendor or solicitor subsequent to the revocation of his registration shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.