Chapter 5.20
PAWNBROKERS
Sections:
5.20.050 Report to chief of police.
5.20.060 Prohibited practices.
5.20.070 Information required.
5.20.080 Redemption of pawned goods.
5.20.010 Defined.
Any person, or firm of persons, or corporation, who loans money on deposit or pledge of any kind of personal property, other than pledges evidenced by mortgages or conditional sales contracts, or who deals in the purchase of any kind of personal property on condition of selling the same back again at a stipulated price, or who makes a public display at his or her place of business of the sign generally used by pawnbrokers to denote their business: i.e., one or more gilt or yellow balls, or who publicly exhibits a sign of “Money to Loan on Personal Property or Deposit or Pledge,” or who keeps any secondhand store or any other place where money is loaned and any kind of personal property is received, held or kept in the city is a pawnbroker. (Ord. 601 § 1, 1997)
5.20.020 License—Required.
Any pawnbroker, as defined in Section 5.20.010, shall before engaging in the business of pawnbroker within the city, apply for and secure a license, as provided in this chapter, to engage in, conduct and transact such a business, the fee for which license shall be set by the city council. (Ord. 601 § 2, 1997)
5.20.030 License—Application.
The application for such license shall be accompanied by the form of agreement to be signed by the persons seeking loans, and also a copy of the certificate or ticket issued by the pawnbroker to persons accepting loans, and by any state or federal license required, showing the name of such person applying for license. (Ord. 601 § 3, 1997)
5.20.040 Register required.
Every person who engages in, operates or conducts a business as a pawnbroker within the city shall keep a register in which shall be entered in legible writing in ink, in the English language, at the time each loan or purchase is made, an accurate account of each and every article, thing or goods pawned, pledged, deposited or bought in the course of business during that day with the amount paid for, advanced or loaned upon the same, the year, month, day and hour of receiving or pledging the same, the name of the person or employee conducting the transaction, the name, age, mailing and street address, and a general description of the dress, complexion, color of hair and facial appearance of the person with whom the transaction is made; the name and street address of the owner of the property bought or received in pledge, the street address of the place from which the property or goods bought or received in the pledge was last removed, and the number of any pawn ticket or tickets issued therefor; a description of the property bought or received in pledge, which in the case of watches, shall contain a description of all letters and marks inscribed thereon; provided, that when the article bought or received is furniture or the contents of any house or room actually inspected on the premises, the general record of the transaction shall be sufficient; and no entry in the book shall be erased, obliterated or defaced, and the book, as well as every article or thing pawned, pledged, deposited or sold, shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of the mayor, clerk-treasurer, chief of police or any member of the police force of the city. (Ord. 601 § 4, 1997)
5.20.050 Report to chief of police.
It shall be the duty of every person, firm or corporation mentioned in Section 5.20.020, to make out and deliver to the chief of police, every day before the hour of twelve noon, a legible and correct copy from the book required to be kept in Section 5.20.040, containing an accurate description of all personal property, goods, articles or things received on deposit, pawn or pledge, or purchased during the preceding day, together with the hour the same were received, pawned, pledged, deposited or purchased, and the same were pawned, deposited, pledged or sold, if such be the case. (Ord. 601 § 5, 1997)
5.20.060 Prohibited practices.
A. No person, firm or corporation licensed as a pawnbroker as set out in this chapter shall take or receive in pawn, pledge or deposit for money loaned, or purchase on condition of selling the same back again at a stipulated price, any personal property, bonds, notes, securities, articles or other valuable thing from any minor, or the ownership of which in whole or in part is in, or which is claimed by any minor, or from any person or persons appearing to be intoxicated, or from any person or persons known to be a notorious thief or receiver of stolen property, or to have been indicted or charged with larceny or burglary.
B. Every such pawnbroker having good cause to believe that any property in his or her possession has been previously lost or stolen shall forthwith report such fact to the chief of police together with the name of the owner, if known, and the date when and the name of the person from whom the same was received. (Ord. 601 § 6, 1997)
5.20.070 Information required.
It is unlawful for any of the persons, firms or corporations, mentioned in Section 5.20.010 to receive, or purchase in any manner any goods or articles or make any advance or loan whatever on the same if the person or persons pawning, pledging, depositing or selling the same shall refuse to make known his, her or their names, to submit to a general description, or shall refuse to make known the name or names of the person or persons for whom the same were pawned, pledged, deposited or sold, as provided in Section 5.20.040, or knowingly make any false entry of any matter or thing required to be made in the book or cause or permit the same to be made. (Ord. 601 § 7, 1997)
5.20.080 Redemption of pawned goods.
No property bought or received in pledge by any pawnbroker shall be removed from his or her place of business, except when redeemed by the owner thereof, within thirty (30) days after receipt thereof shall have been reported to the chief of police as provided by RCW 19.60.050. (Ord. 618 § 3 (part), 1998: Ord. 601 § 8, 1997)
5.20.090 Violation—Penalty.
Any holder of a pawnbroker license, under this chapter, who is convicted in municipal court of a violation of this chapter may have his or her license revoked. Violations of this chapter are an infraction. Each violation will be punished by a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per violation nor to exceed a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per day that violations occur. All proceedings for the civil violation will be in accordance with Section 1.20.020 of this code. (Ord. 718 (part), 2006: Ord. 601 § 9, 1997)