The purpose of this chapter is to prevent fraud, crime and unethical and dishonest business practices. All application fees are not charged as revenue but for the purpose of covering the expenses of investigation. All license and permit fees are to cover the regulations and control of licenses and permits. The purpose of this chapter, in addition to that stated above, includes the regulation of the distribution of certain materials, canvassing, soliciting, peddling and other forms of door-to-door activities and outdoor sales activities within the Borough of Lawnside. The registration of persons engaged in the above-mentioned activities is required so that the identity of persons going door-to-door within the borough may be established so that the general crime and unethical and dishonest business practices in the solicitation of funds within the borough is prevented and for the protection and maintenance of the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of the borough.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings as indicated:
Includes all goods, wares, food, fruit, vegetables, farm products, magazines, periodicals and all kinds of articles of personal property for domestic use. Orders or contracts for services, home improvements or alterations shall be considered "merchandise" within the terms of this chapter. The definition of "merchandise" shall include meats, fish and seafood, ice cream, printed matter, services and orders or contracts for services, home improvement or alterations and anything that may be sold or distributed on a door-to-door basis by canvassers, solicitors or peddlers as defined herein.
A person who sells goods or services, the proceeds of which are devoted exclusively to the purposes of a philanthropic, charitable or religious society on whose behalf he acts as agent, with or without pay.
A person who goes from place to place by traveling on the streets, or from house to house, and carries with him goods, wares or merchandise for the purpose of selling and delivering them to consumers or buyers. The definition of "peddler" or "hawker" shall include any person, whether a resident of the borough or not, who goes from house to house, from place to place, from street to street, traveling by foot or motor vehicle or any other type of conveyance carrying or transporting merchandise for the purpose of selling and delivering the merchandise to customers for the purpose of profit. The definitions of "peddler" and "hawker" shall also include the word "huckster".
Any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, organization, club or association, or any principal or agent thereof.
A person selling goods by sample or taking orders for services, home improvements or alterations to be furnished, done or delivered at a future date, with or without accepting an advance payment for the goods, wares, merchandise or services sold or contracted for. The definition of "solicitor" shall include any person, whether a resident of the borough or not, who goes from house to house, from place to place or from street to street, traveling by foot, automotive vehicle or any other type of conveyance, soliciting, taking or attempting to take orders for the sale of merchandise or services of any kind for future performances or delivery for the purpose of profit, whether or not such individual has, carries or exposes for a sale a sample of the merchandise or services or whether or not he is collecting advance payments for such sales or orders, or who engages in any of the foregoing activities from a semi-stationary location on any street or any other public place. The word "solicitor" shall also include the word "canvasser". For the purposes of this chapter, a "canvasser" or "solicitor" shall also be deemed to be one who is not in the business of selling goods, but one who makes surveys for research purposes, analysis, opinion polls, ratings, data and any such similar work which by its nature involves a door to door or place to place activity for the purpose of profit.
Any person engaged in the activities commonly referred to as "transient merchant" or "itinerant vendor", who merchandises or sells for the purpose of profit with intent to close out or discontinue such business within a period of one year from the date of commencement and who does not occupy a permanent structure or building for the purpose of selling merchandise.