[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Maplewood 12-3-1974 by Ord. No. 1438 as Section 4-8 of the 1974 Revised General Ordinances. Section 133-2 amended At time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III. Other amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fees — See Ch. 123.
Licensing — See Ch. 161.
Noise — See Ch. 181.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
GARAGE SALES
All sales entitled "Garage sale," "lawn sale," "attic sale," "rummage sale" or flea market sale or any similar casual sale of tangible personal property which is advertised by any means whereby the public at large is or can be made aware of the sale.
GOODS
Includes any goods, warehouse merchandise or other property capable of being the object of a sale regulated hereunder and which is owned by the licensee or consigned to him.
OCCUPANT
Owner or lessee of the premises.
[Amended 3-2-1982 by Ord. No. 1599[1]]
It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct a garage sale in the Township of Maplewood without first filing with the Township Clerk the information hereinafter specified and obtaining from such Clerk a license so to do, to be known as a "garage sales license." The fee for such license shall be and the same is hereby as provided in Chapter 123, Fees.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III.
A. 
Such license shall be issued to cover any location not more than twice within a twelve-month period, and no such license shall be issued for more than four (4) consecutive calendar days.
B. 
Each license issued under this chapter must be prominently displayed on the premises and visible from the street upon which the garage sale is conducted throughout the entire period of the licensed sale.
In addition to the information required by Chapter 161, Licensing, § 161-2, the following shall be required:
A. 
The name of the owner or lessee of the property on which the sale is to be conducted.
B. 
The number of days of the sale.
C. 
The date and nature of any past sale.
D. 
A sworn statement or affirmation by the person signing that the information given is full and true and known to him to be so.
[Amended 10-3-1993 by Ord. No. 1925]
The person to whom the license is issued and the owner or tenant of the premises on which the sale or activity is conducted shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of good order and decorum on the premises during all hours of the sale or activity. No such persons shall permit any loud or boisterous conduct on the premises or permit vehicles to impede the passage of traffic on any roads or streets in the area of the premises. All such persons shall obey the reasonable orders of any member of the Police or Fire Department of the township in order to maintain the public health, safety and welfare. All licensed premises shall at all times be subject to any reasonable rules made by the Township Committee and shall be subject to inspection at all times by the Building Inspector, Chief of Police and Fire Chief or any of their agents or any other duly authorized representative of the township. No licensee, owner or tenant of the licensed premises shall charge or receive a fee (whether a specific amount or percentage of sales) in return for making space available to a vendor for the sale by that vendor of goods at the licensed premises.
No signs for advertising or directing customers are to be posted on any place other than the premises of the applicant. The sign is not to exceed two by two (2 x 2) feet in size and cannot be placed on the premises earlier than one (1) week prior to the sale and must be removed within twenty-four (24) hours after the sale has terminated.
It shall be unlawful for any person to offer for sale mattresses, bedsprings, cots, lounges and sofas in any garage sale authorized under this chapter without first complying with the appropriate section of N.J.S.A. 26:10-1 through 26:10-18 with respect to the labeling, sterilizing and disinfecting of such mattresses, bedsprings, cots, lounges and sofas.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to or affect the following persons or sales:
A. 
Persons selling goods pursuant to an order or process of a court of competent jurisdiction.
B. 
Persons acting in accordance with their powers and duties as public officials.
C. 
Any person selling or advertising for sale an item of personal property which is specifically named or described in the advertisement, and which separate items do not exceed five (5) in number.
D. 
Any sale conducted by any merchant or mercantile or other business establishment from or at a place of business where such sale would be permitted by the zoning regulations of the township[1] or under the protection of the nonconforming use section thereof, or any other sale conducted by a manufacturer, dealer or vendor and which sale would be conducted from properly zoned premises and not otherwise prohibited in this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 271, Zoning and Land Development.
E. 
Any bona fide charitable, eleemosynary, educational, cultural or governmental institution or organization. However, the burden of establishing the exemption under this subsection shall be on the organization or institution claiming such exemption.
[Amended 12-19-1978 by Ord. No. 1522]
This chapter shall be enforced by the Building Inspector or the Police Department. It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector or the Police Department to investigate any violations of this chapter coming to his or its attention, whether by complaint or arising from his or its own personal knowledge. If a violation is found to exist, the Building Inspector or the Police Department shall prosecute the complaint before the Municipal Court.
Any person, association or corporation conducting any such sale or similar activity without being properly licensed therefor or who shall violate any of the other terms and regulations of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.) or be imprisoned for a period not to exceed ten (10) days for each violation. Each day that such sale shall continue without being duly licensed shall be considered a separate violation.