[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Maple Bluff 4-9-1992
(§ 12.04 of the 1986 Code); amended in its entirety at time of adoption
of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II). Subsequent amendments noted
where applicable.]
It shall be unlawful for any direct seller or solicitor to engage in
direct sales or solicitations within the Village of Maple Bluff without being
registered for that purpose as provided herein.
In this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Any benevolent, philanthropic, patriotic or eleemosynary person,
partnership, association or corporation, or one purporting to such.
Any individual who, for him/herself or for a partnership, association
or corporation, sells goods, or takes sales orders for the later delivery
of goods, at any location other than the permanent business place or residence
of said individual, partnership, association or corporation and shall include
but not be limited to peddlers and transient merchants. The sale of goods
includes donations required by the direct seller for the retention of goods
by a donor or prospective customer.
Includes personal property of any kind and shall include goods provided
incidental to services offered or sold.
A direct seller who, for at least one year prior to the consideration
of the application of this chapter to said merchant, has continuously operated
an established place of business in this Village or has continuously resided
in this Village and now does business from his/her residence.
The Maple Bluff Police Department.
Any individual who, for him/herself or for any other person, organization,
society, association or corporation, personally solicits money, property or
financial assistance of any kind from persons other than members of such organization,
society, association or corporation.
The following shall be exempt from all provisions of this chapter:
A.
Any person delivering newspapers, fuel, dairy products
or bakery goods to regular customers on established routes.
B.
Any person selling goods at wholesale to dealers in such
goods.
C.
Any person selling agricultural products which such person
has grown.
D.
Any permanent merchant or employee thereof who takes
orders away from the established place of business for goods regularly offered
for sale by such merchant within this county and who delivers such goods in
his regular course of business.
E.
Any person who has an established place of business where
the goods being sold are offered for sale on a regular basis and in which
the buyer has initiated contact with and specifically requested a home visit
by said person.
F.
Any person who has had, or one who represents a company
which has had, a prior business transaction, such as a prior sale or credit
arrangement, with the prospective customer.
G.
Any person selling or offering for sale a service unconnected
with the sale or offering for sale of goods.
H.
Any person holding a sale required by statute or by order
of any court and any person conducting a bona fide auction sale pursuant to
law.
I.
Any employee, officer or agent of a charitable organization
who engages in direct sales or solicitation for or on behalf of said organization,
provided that there is submitted to the Police Department proof that such
charitable organization is registered under § 440.42, Wis. Stats.
Any charitable organization not registered under § 440.42, Wis.
Stats., or which is exempt from that statute's registration requirements shall
be required to register under this chapter.
J.
Any person who claims to be a permanent merchant but
against whom complaint has been made to the Police Department that such person
is a transient merchant, provided that there is submitted to the Police Department
proof that such person has leased for at least one year, or purchased, the
premises from which he/she is conducting business or proof that such person
has conducted such business in this Village for at least one year prior to
the date complaint was made.
K.
Any resident of the Village of Maple Bluff under age
18. (Permitted exceptions include scouting organizations, sport teams, etc.)
A.
Applicants for registration must complete and return
to the Police Department a registration form furnished by the Department which
shall require the following information:
(1)
Name, permanent address and telephone number, and temporary
address, if any.
(2)
Age, height, weight, and color of hair and eyes.
(3)
Name, address and telephone number of the person, firm,
association or corporation that the direct seller or solicitor represents
or is employed by or whose merchandise is being sold.
(4)
Temporary address and telephone number from which business
will be conducted, if any.
(5)
Nature of business to be conducted and a brief description
of the goods offered and any services offered, if applicable.
(6)
Proposed method of delivery of goods, if applicable.
(7)
Make, model and license number of any vehicle to be used
by the applicant in the conduct of his/her business.
(8)
Last cities, villages, towns, not to exceed three, where
the applicant conducted similar business.
(9)
Place where the applicant can be contacted for at least
seven days after leaving this Village.
(10)
For direct sellers, a statement as to whether the applicant
has been convicted of any crime or ordinance violation related to applicant's
business within the last five years, the nature of the offense and the place
of conviction.
B.
Applicants shall present to the Police Department for
examination:
(1)
A driver's license or some other proof of identity as
may be reasonably required.
(2)
A state certificate of examination and approval from
the Sealer of Weights and Measures where the applicant's business requires
use of weighing and measuring devices approved by state authorities.
(3)
A state health officer's certificate where the applicant's
business involves the handling of food or clothing and is required to be certified
under state law, such certificate to state that the applicant is apparently
free from any contagious or infectious disease, dated not more than 90 days
prior to the date the application for registration is made.
C.
At the time the registration is returned, a fee as set
by the Village Board shall be paid to the Police Department to cover the cost
of processing said registration.
D.
The applicant shall sign a statement appointing the Police
Chief his/her agent to accept service of process in any civil action brought
against the applicant arising out of any sale or service performed by the
applicant in connection with the direct sales or soliciting activities of
the applicant, in the event the applicant cannot, after reasonable effort,
be served personally.
E.
Upon payment of said fee and the signing of said statement,
the Police Department shall register the applicant as a direct seller or solicitor
and date the entry. Said registration shall be valid for a period of one calendar
year from the date of entry, subject to subsequent refusal as provided in
§ 180-5B below.
A.
Upon receipt of each application, the Police Department
shall make and complete an investigation of the statements made in such registration.
B.
The Police Chief shall refuse to register the applicant
if it is determined, pursuant to the investigation above, that:
(1)
The application contains any material omission or materially
inaccurate statement;
(2)
Complaints of a material nature have been received against the
applicant by authorities in the last cities, villages and towns, not exceeding
three, in which the applicant conducted similar business;
(3)
In the case of application for registration as a direct seller,
the applicant was convicted of a crime, statutory violation or ordinance violation
within the last five years, the nature of which is directly related to the
applicant's fitness to engage in direct selling; or
(4)
The applicant failed to comply with any applicable provision
of § 180-4B above.
Any person denied registration may appeal the denial through the appeal
procedure provided by ordinance or resolution of the Village Board or, if
none has been adopted, under the provisions of §§ 68.07 through
68.16, Wis. Stats.
A.
Prohibited practices.
(1)
Direct sellers and solicitors shall be prohibited from
calling at any dwelling or other place between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and
9:00 a.m., except by appointment; calling at any dwelling or other place where
a sign is displayed bearing the words "No Peddlers," "No Solicitors" or words
of similar meaning; calling at the rear door of any dwelling place; or remaining
on any premises after being asked to leave by the owner, occupant or other
person having authority over such premises.
(2)
A direct seller shall not misrepresent or make false,
deceptive or misleading statements concerning the quality, quantity or character
of any goods offered for sale, the purpose of his/her visit, his/her identity
or the identity of the organization he/she represents. A charitable organization
direct seller shall specifically disclose what portion of the sale price of
goods being offered will actually be used for the charitable purpose for which
the organization is soliciting. Said portion shall be expressed as percentage
of the sale price of the goods.
(3)
No direct seller shall impede the free use of sidewalks
and streets by pedestrians and vehicles. Where sales are made from vehicles,
all traffic and parking regulations shall be observed.
(4)
No direct seller shall make any loud noises or use any
sound-amplifying device to attract customers if the noise produced is capable
of being plainly heard outside a one-hundred-foot radius of the source.
(5)
No direct seller shall allow rubbish or litter to accumulate
in or around the area in which he/she is conducting business.
B.
Disclosure requirements.
(1)
After the initial greeting and before any other statement
is made to a prospective customer, a direct seller shall expressly disclose
his/her name, the name of the company or organization he/she is affiliated
with, if any, and the identity of goods or services he/she offers to sell.
(2)
If any sale of goods is made by a direct seller, or any
sales order for the later delivery of goods is taken by the seller, the buyer
shall have the right to cancel said transaction if it involves the extension
of credit or is a cash transaction of more than $25, in accordance with the
procedure as set forth in § 423.203, Wis. Stats. The seller shall
give the buyer two copies of a typed or printed notice of that fact. Such
notice shall conform to the requirements of § 423.203(1)(a), (b)
and (c), (2) and (3), Wis. Stats.
(3)
If the direct seller takes a sales order for the later
delivery of goods, he/she shall, at the time the order is taken, provide the
buyer with a written statement containing the terms of the agreement, the
amount paid in advance, whether full, partial or no advance payment is made,
the name, address and telephone number of the seller, the delivery or performance
date and whether a guarantee or warranty is provided and, if so, the terms
thereof.
The Police Department shall keep records of all convictions for violation
of this chapter and note any such violation on the record of the registrant
convicted.
A.
Registration may be revoked by the Village Board after
notice and hearing if the registrant made any material omission or materially
inaccurate statement in the application for registration, made any fraudulent,
false, deceptive or misleading statement or representation in the course of
engaging in direct sales or solicitations, violated any provision of this
chapter or, in the case of direct sellers, was convicted of any crime or ordinance
or statutory violation which is directly related to the registrant's fitness
to engage in direct selling.
B.
Written notice of the hearing shall be served personally
on the registrant at least 72 hours prior to the time set for the hearing.
Such notice shall contain the time and place of hearing and a statement of
the acts upon which the hearing will be based.
Any person convicted of violating any provisions of this chapter shall subject to the penalties set forth in § 1-4 for each violation plus costs of prosecution. Each violation shall constitute a separate offense.
