[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Plattsburgh 10-23-1980 (Ch. 215 of the 1989 Code).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Common Council of the City of Plattsburgh finds that the
high price of gold, silver and other precious metals has caused a
substantial increase in the theft of items containing gold, silver
and other precious metals and the sales of such stolen items to itinerant
dealers in such objects, interfering with the identification and prosecution
and conviction of persons committing such thefts, all to the detriment
of the general welfare of the citizens of the City of Plattsburgh,
New York.
No person, corporation, partnership or firm shall hereafter
carry on the business of dealing in gold, silver and other precious
metals or objects containing the same, without having first obtained
a license authorizing such person to carry on the same in the manner
and upon the conditions stated in the succeeding sections of this
chapter.
A.
The City Clerk may from time to time grant under her hand and the
Official Seal of the City, to such citizens as she shall deem proper
and who shall produce satisfactory evidence of their good character,
a license authorizing such citizen to carry on the business of dealing
in gold, silver and other precious metals and objects containing the
same, in the City of Plattsburgh, New York, which license shall designate
the place within the City of Plattsburgh, New York, in which such
person shall carry on said business, and no person, corporation, partnership
or firm shall carry on the business of dealing in gold, silver and
other precious metals or objects containing the same within the City
of Plattsburgh at any place other than the one designated in said
license under penalty of $100 for each day he or they shall exercise
or carry on said business without such license or at any other place
than the one so designated.
B.
Any person receiving such license shall pay a fee as set from time
to time by the Common Council by resolution, and each such license
shall expire one year from the date thereof, and may be renewed on
application to the City Clerk each and every year on payment of the
same sum and upon performance of the other conditions herein contained.
[Amended 11-24-1981;
at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Every such dealer in gold, silver and other precious metals
and objects containing the same shall keep a book in which it shall
be clearly written at the end of each purchase of gold, silver or
other precious metals or objects containing the same, an account and
description of the item, articles or things so purchased and the date
and hour of purchase and the name and address of the person or persons
selling the said items, articles or things. The dealer shall retain
such book for a period of three months from the date of the purchase
of the goods, articles or things purchased.
Every such dealer in gold, silver and other precious metals
or objects containing the same shall retain the goods, articles or
things purchased for a period of 72 hours.
The purchase record books and any and all other books and records
regularly kept by the dealer shall at all reasonable times be open
to inspection of any member of the Police Department of the City of
Plattsburgh, New York, the District Attorney of the County of Clinton,
any Assistant District Attorney of the County of Clinton, all Judges
of the Police Courts, and the City Judge and City Corporation Counsel,
or any or either of them. The Mayor of the City of Plattsburgh, the
City Clerk, the District Attorney or any Assistant District Attorney
of the County of Clinton and any person duly authorized by them shall
have the power to administer oaths and to examine under oath any dealer
or any officer or agent of such dealer and any other person having
custody or control of the purchase record book and other records.
The application for a license shall contain a statement under
oath of the citizen applying for the same, his permanent post office
address, his temporary address in the City of Plattsburgh, New York,
his identifying features, height, weight, the period of time that
the applicant has engaged in the business of purchasing gold, silver
or other precious metals or objects containing the same, the estimated
period of time that the applicant intends to be in the City of Plattsburgh,
New York, permanent telephone number and temporary telephone number.
[Amended 10-5-1989 by L.L. No. 4-1989]
In addition to the penalty provided in § 265-3 of this chapter, any person, partnership, corporation or firm who violates any provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine not exceeding $250 for each offense or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding 15 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
