[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners (now City Council) of the City of Atlantic City as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-21-1946 by Ord. No. 8-1946]
No person shall engage in or carry on the business or profession of appraising, evaluating or estimating the actual intrinsic or artistic value, retail or wholesale, of diamonds, pearls or other precious stones, gems, semiprecious stones, silverware, antiques or other goods, wares and merchandise offered or submitted for appraisal, evaluation or estimate, unless a license, as herein provided for, shall have been first obtained therefor.
All appraisals shall be in writing; shall clearly describe the article or articles appraised; shall fix and determine the retail value of the article or articles submitted and shall be signed by the person licensed.
No person shall be licensed until he shall first satisfy the Director of Revenue and Finance that he is qualified by experience and knowledge to appraise, evaluate or estimate the value of the goods, wares and merchandise to be covered by his license. The license shall be limited to specific categories of goods, wares and merchandise if the qualification of the applicant is limited to a specific category or categories.
Every license granted shall entitle the licensee to operate anywhere within the legal limits of the City of Atlantic City for a period of one year from July 1 to July 1 of the succeeding year. No license shall be transferred from one person to another. The annual fee for each license shall be $50.
Any person or persons who are authorized and specifically directed to appraise or fix and estimate the value of personal property, by the laws of the State of New Jersey, or any other state or territory of the United States, or who may be authorized or ordered to appraise, fix and estimate the value of personal property by court order or judicial decree issued by the courts of this state or any other state or territory of the United States, shall not be affected by the provisions of this article.
The use of any masculine pronoun shall be construed to refer to the feminine as well as the masculine gender, and the use of the word "person" shall apply to the plural as well as the singular and shall be deemed to include firm, partnership, copartnership and corporation.
[Amended 2-1-1989 by Ord. No. 2-1989; 11-25-2008 by Ord. No. 104]
Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished for each offense by a fine not to exceed $2,000 or by imprisonment for any term not exceeding 90 days in the county jail or in any place provided by the municipality for the detention of prisoners, or both.
In addition, the City Council of the City of Atlantic City may, after due notice and opportunity to be heard, suspend or revoke the license of any person who violates any of the provisions of this article.
[Adopted 5-9-1935 by Ord. No. 6-1935]
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep, maintain or operate what is commonly known as an "old gold shop" or otherwise engage in the business of purchasing, selling and/or storing of old gold, old silver or other old precious metals, without first obtaining a license therefor, in accordance with the provisions of this article.
[Amended 2-1-1989 by Ord. No. 2-1989]
The Director of Police shall, from time to time, on application, issue a license to any person, firm or corporation as a dealer in old gold, old silver or other old precious metals, to engage in the business of purchasing, selling, dealing in and/or storing any or all of said articles. Any person, firm or corporation receiving such license shall pay to the City of Atlantic City an annual license fee of $50 therefor, provided that any such license may be revoked at the option of said City Council for good cause on complaint, after due notice thereof, and a hearing thereon. All such licenses shall expire December 31st of each year.
No license issued hereunder shall entitle such licensee to operate thereunder at, in or on any other premises or location than that which is specified in said license.
No licensee hereunder shall purchase any old gold, old silver or any other old precious metal, or any other goods, articles or things whatsoever, from any person under the age of 21 years.
[Amended 2-1-1989 by Ord. No. 2-1989]
Every licensee hereunder who shall receive or be in possession of any goods, articles or things which may have been lost or stolen shall forthwith, on demand to view the same, present the same to, or permit, the Director of Police, or the police authorities of the City of Atlantic City, New Jersey, to inspect the same.
[Amended 2-1-1989 by Ord. No. 2-1989]
Every licensee hereunder shall record every purchase of old gold, old silver or other old precious metals in a book especially kept for that purpose. Said record shall contain the name of the seller, his, her or its address, his or her age and his, her or its occupation and residence or place of business, with a description of the articles purchased, and shall also specify the date and hour when such old gold, old silver or other old precious metals were purchased and the price paid therefor by the licensee. Such records shall be open for inspection at all times to the Director of Police and to the police authorities of the City of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Every licensee hereunder shall, on the morning following the close of each day's business, present to the Chief of Police of the City of Atlantic City a written statement showing all purchases of old gold, old silver and other old precious metals made during the day previous to the filing of said report.
Every licensee hereunder shall keep in his possession all purchases of old gold, old silver or other old precious metals for a period of not less than 72 hours after the purchase thereof. After the expiration of said period of 72 hours, he may dispose of said purchases in the ordinary course of trade, unless notified in writing by the Police Department of said City of Atlantic City not so to do.
No person, firm or corporation shall, under any circumstances, go from house to house soliciting the purchase of old gold, old silver or other precious metals.
[Amended 2-1-1989 by Ord. No. 2-1989; 11-25-2008 by Ord. No. 104]
Any person, firm or corporation violating or refusing or neglecting to comply with any provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be liable to a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the discretion of the court.