The purpose of this ordinance is to preserve and care for the
safety, health, comfort and general welfare of the inhabitants of
the Village of Liberty or visitors thereto by the regulation of peddling,
hawking, vending and soliciting orders from new customers by going
from house to house.
As used in this ordinance, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
BOARD
The Mayor and Board of the Village of Liberty.
PEDDLER
A person, commonly referred to either as a "peddler" or a
"hawker," who goes from place to place by traveling on the streets,
or from house to house, and carries with him goods, wares, merchandise,
foods and food products for the purpose of selling and delivering
them to consumers.
PERSON
An individual, firm, partnership, corporation, voluntary
association or incorporated association, or agent or employee thereof.
SOLICITING ORDERS
The act of going from house to house to solicit orders from
new customers and shall be applicable only to goods which originate
within the State of New York.
TRANSIENT MERCHANT
A person, commonly referred to as a "transient merchant"
or an "itinerant vendor," who engages or proposes to engage temporarily
in merchandising business in this municipality and occupies a room,
business, tent, lot, stand or other premises for the purpose of selling
goods, wares and merchandise.
TRANSIENT MERCHANT-PEDDLER
A person who engages in business in the manner defined by
"transient merchant" and, in pursuance thereto, becomes a peddler
or hires a peddler as defined by "peddler."
It shall be unlawful for any peddler, transient merchant and
transient merchant-peddler to sell or dispose of, or to offer to sell
or dispose of, any goods, wares or merchandise within the Village
of Liberty without first obtaining a license and having paid the license
fee hereinafter prescribed.
The requirements of this ordinance shall be held not to include
the following persons who are expressly exempt from its application:
A. The peddling of meats, fish, fruit and farm products by farmers and
persons who produce such commodities.
B. Hawking or peddling by an honorably discharged soldier, sailor or
marine who is crippled as a result of injuries received while in the
naval or military service of the United States.
C. The holder of a license granted pursuant to § 32 of the
General Business Law.
D. Nonprofit and charitable organizations, including their representatives,
agents and employees.
Any person desiring a license shall file with the Village Clerk
an application blank, separate blanks being provided for each of the
three classes of licenses. The blanks shall contain the following
information and must be under oath:
A. For all license classes:
(2) Permanent home residence.
(3) Name and address of firm represented, and the names and addresses
of the persons from whom goods making up the stock were or are to
be purchased.
(4) Three business references.
(5) The place or places of residence of the applicant for the preceding
three years.
(6) The length of time for which the license is desired.
(7) A description of the wares to be offered for sale.
(8) The number either of arrests or convictions for misdemeanors or crimes
and the nature of the offenses for which arrested or convicted.
(9) To the application must be appended a letter from the firm for which
he purports to work, authorizing the applicant to act as its representative.
B. For transient merchant licenses, in addition to the foregoing items,
the application shall show:
(1) A sworn statement of the selling price, average quality or kind and
value of the goods to be offered for sale.
(2) A statement of the location of such goods by street or number, and
whether on the premises from which it is sold or in a warehouse.
C. For transient merchant-peddler licenses, in addition to the foregoing
information, the application must show:
(1) The names and addresses of each peddler in the Village of Liberty
acting for said merchant.
(2) Three personal references for each peddler.
(3) For each peddler the number either of arrests or convictions for
misdemeanors or crimes and the nature of the offenses for which arrested
or convicted.
[Amended 8-1-1988 by L.L. No. 8-1988]
A licensed peddler, transient merchant or transient merchant-peddler
shall not:
A. Resort to deceptive acts or practices, physical abuse, threats, intimidation
or harassment in the course of conducting his business, nor offer
for sale any provision, food or merchandise that is unwholesome, unfit,
deleterious or harmful to the user or consumer thereof.
B. Peddle at or solicit on private property which has displayed a sign
bearing the words "No Peddling or Soliciting" or words of like intent.
Nor shall any licensee remain on the premises after the owner or occupant
thereof shall have requested his departure therefrom.
C. Keep the vehicles and receptacles used by him in an unclean and unsanitary
condition, nor the foodstuffs and edibles offered for sale uncovered
and unprotected from dirt, dust, insects, contamination or spoilage
or as otherwise required by any competent municipal health authority.
D. Stand or permit the vehicles and receptacles 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 occupant
of the premises objects. However, in no case shall the holder of any
license issued hereunder remain in any one fixed location and vend
his goods, wares and merchandise continuously for a period in excess
of 30 minutes, nor shall said licensee resume operations during the
same business day from a new location within 1/4 mile of said former
site of operation.
E. Sell any confectionery 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.
F. Permit any vehicles and receptacles used by him to stop or remain
on any crosswalk.
G. Create, erect or maintain any booth or stand, or place any barrels,
boxes, crates or other obstructions upon any street or public place
for the purpose of selling or exposing for sale any goods, wares or
merchandise.
H. Blow a horn, ring a bell or use any other noisy device to attract
public attention to his wares or shout or cry out his wares.
I. Assign or transfer his license to any other person, and any transfer
to or use of such license by any other person shall be a violation
and shall automatically thereupon terminate such license.
J. Obstruct any street, driveway or other public or private right-of-way.
[Amended 8-1-1988 by L.L. No. 8-1988]
License fees shall be as follows:
A. Peddlers: $10 per day; $50 per week; $100 per month; and $150 per
year. Every peddler's license shall terminate at the close of
December 31 of the year in which it was issued.
B. Transient merchants: the sum of $500 for a license which shall continue
in favor of the person to whom it is issued for the period of six
months from the date the same is issued.
C. Transient merchant-peddlers: the amount prescribed by Subsection
B and, in addition thereto, the amount prescribed by Subsection
A for each peddler in his employ. The license shall continue in effect six months.
A license may be revoked by the Board by reason of the violation
of the terms of the license, the violation of any state or federal
statute or falsification in applying for a license. The licensed person
must be granted a hearing by the Board upon his request. A license
may be suspended for not more than two weeks by the Village Clerk
without a hearing.
[Amended 8-1-1988 by L.L. No. 8-1988]
Any person violating any of the provisions of any of the sections
of this ordinance shall incur a penalty of not exceeding $1,000 for
each and every offense and, in addition, a violation thereof shall
constitute disorderly conduct and the person violating the same shall
be deemed a disorderly person.
This ordinance shall become effective upon the publication thereof
in accordance with the Village Law of the State of New York.