[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Bridgeport 10-6-1970 by Ord. No. 334, approved 10-6-1970 (Ch. 106 of
the 1975 Code); amended in its entirety 5-26-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-002, approved 5-26-2015. Subsequent amendments noted
where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The Borough of Bridgeport, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day,
Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas.
Any person with no fixed place of business, who goes from
house to house, from place to place, or from street to street, by
any means, carrying or transporting goods, wares, or merchandise and
offering or exposing the same for sale, or making sales and deliveries
for purchase.
Any natural person, partnership, association, corporation,
or other legal entity.
Any person who goes from house to house, from place to place,
or from street to street, soliciting or taking or attempting to take
orders for any goods, wares, or merchandise, including but not limited
to books, periodicals, magazines, or personal property of any nature
whatsoever for future delivery, or services, including but not limited
to lawn care, alarm system service, or cleaning services. A solicitor
is not a peddler.
Any business conducted in the Borough for the sale of goods,
wares or merchandise whatsoever for a period of less than 90 calendar
days. Transient retail business includes peddlers and solicitors,
and any person engaged in transient retail business from a fixed location
on private property.
A.
No person shall engage in any transient retail business within the
Borough without first having obtained from the Borough a license,
for which a fee, which shall be for the use of the Borough, shall
be charged and paid to the Borough in an amount to be established
from time to time by resolution of the Borough Council. At the expiration
of any license, if the person holding the license shall desire to
continue the transient retail business, he or she shall be required
to file a new application for a license and pay the license fee.
B.
No permit or fee is required as it applies under this section:
(1)
To religious proselytizing, political speech, and the distribution
of handbills.
(2)
To farmers selling their own produce.
(3)
For the sale of goods, wares, and merchandise, donated by the owners
thereof, the proceeds whereof are to be applied to any charitable
or philanthropic purpose.
(4)
To any manufacturer or producer in the sale of bread and bakery products,
meat and meat products, or milk and milk products.
(5)
To children under the age of 18 years who take orders for and deliver
newspapers, greeting cards, candy, bakery products and the like, or
who represent the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts or similar organizations.
(6)
To a person who has registered with the Department of State for the
Commonwealth under the provisions of the Solicitation of Funds for
Charitable Purposes Act, 10 P.S. § 162.1, et seq., as hereafter
amended, supplemented, modified or reenacted by the General Assembly
of Pennsylvania, or who is expressly exempted from such registration
under such Act.
(7)
For taking orders for merchandise, by sample, from dealers or merchants
for individuals or companies who pay a license and business privilege
tax to the Borough at their chief place of business.
C.
Any person claiming any exemption outlined above shall provide the
Borough with documentation demonstrating that person qualifies for
said exemption.
D.
No person, licensed under this chapter, shall park any vehicle upon
any of the streets or alleys of the Borough in order to sort, rearrange
or clean any of his goods, wares or merchandise; nor may any such
person place or deposit any refuse upon any of such streets or alleys;
nor may such person maintain or keep a street or curbstone market
by parking any vehicle upon any street or alley in the Borough for
longer than necessary in order to sell or distribute therefrom to
persons residing in the immediate vicinity.
E.
No person licensed under this chapter shall occupy any fixed location
upon any of the streets, alleys, sidewalks or public grounds, with
or without any stand or counter.
Each individual or group intending to engage in peddling or
soliciting must first obtain a license at least five business days
in advance of the beginning of the time period for which the intended
peddling or soliciting will occur from the Borough Police Department.
A person desiring a license shall first make application to the Borough
for such license. If such person shall also be required to obtain
a license from any state or county officer, he shall, when making
such application, exhibit a valid license from such state or county
officer. A license shall be denied for any applicant being convicted
of a felony or misdemeanor or crime of any kind involving moral turpitude.
The applicant shall state:
A.
His permanent address, telephone number and cell phone number;
B.
Submit his Pennsylvania criminal history check, which must be completed
no more than five days prior to submission of his/her application.
C.
The name and address of the person by whom he is employed, together
with his supervisor's or contact person's name and telephone
number;
D.
The type of goods, wares, and merchandise he wishes to deal with
in such transient retail business;
E.
The location on private property where sales will be conducted, if
a fixed location is to be used. Compliance with all applicable zoning
and building code regulations is required.
F.
The length of time for which the license is to be issued;
G.
The type and license number of the vehicle to be used, if any; and
H.
Applicant shall produce a state driver's license or other state-
or government-issued picture identification card.
Upon receipt of such application and the prescribed fee, the
Borough shall issue the license required herein if such license application
is in order. Such license shall contain the information required to
be given on the application. Every license holder shall display such
license upon his person if engaged in transient retail business from
house to house or upon any of streets, alleys, sidewalks or public
grounds. The license holder shall only be entitled to carry said license
for the length of time for which the license is issued. When the time
period for the license has expired, the license holder shall apply
for a new license and pay a new license fee.
No person in any transient retail business shall:
A.
Sell any product or type of product not mentioned in his license.
B.
Hawk or cry his wares upon any of the streets, alleys, sidewalks
or other public grounds in the Borough.
C.
When operating from a vehicle, stop or park such vehicle upon any
of the streets or alleys in the Borough for longer than necessary
in order to sell therefrom to persons residing or working in the immediate
vicinity.
D.
Park any vehicle upon any of the streets or alleys in the Borough
for the purpose of cleaning any of his goods, wares, or merchandise
or of disposing of any carton, wrapping material or of any stock or
wares or food stuffs which have become unsaleable through handling,
age or otherwise.
E.
Enter or attempt to enter any dwelling without the invitation or
permission of the occupant and shall immediately leave any premises
upon request of the occupant.
F.
Permit any person to have possession of his or her license and shall
immediately report its loss to the Borough.
Transient retail businesses may not engage in any business activity,
except by prior appointment, at any time on a Sunday or legal holiday;
from October 1 through April 30, at any time before 9:00 a.m. or after
5:00 p.m. on any day; and from May 1 through September 30, at any
time before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on any day.
The Chief of Police, Mayor or Borough Manager are hereby authorized
to suspend or revoke any license issued when he or she deems such
suspension or revocation to be beneficial to the public health, safety,
or morals, for violation of any provision, or for giving false information
upon any application for a license hereunder. No part of a license
fee shall be refunded to any person whose license shall have been
suspended or revoked. Any person whose license is suspended or revoked
shall immediately surrender his or her license to the Borough.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
herein, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a magisterial
district judge in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary
offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall
be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $100 and not more than
$1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs,
to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation
continues or each section which shall be found to have been violated
shall constitute a separate offense.
All peddlers and solicitors, including nonprofit corporations
and agencies, shall hold harmless the Borough from any liability,
damage or injury which is causally related to an act of ordinary negligence
on the part of such peddler or solicitor.
Nothing contained herein is intended to permit or authorize
the canvassing or soliciting or sales or services upon private property,
that is, residences, apartments, or business establishments, in the
Borough without first obtaining the permission or actual or tacit
invitation of the owners or occupiers of the property to enter upon
the property for the purpose of canvassing or soliciting the sale
of goods or merchandise or services. Such activities without such
permission or invitation are declared to be a violation of this chapter.
The owner or lawful occupant of any premises within the Borough not desiring to have persons enter onto his or her premises may register with the Borough of Bridgeport Police Department to have his or her address placed on a registry to be distributed to those door-to-door solicitors required to obtain a license under § 387-2. The Borough Police Department shall provide that individual with a "NO SOLICITATION" sticker, which that party may display in the upper left-hand side of his or her front door. Such registry list shall be made available to the residents of the Borough and shall be held by the Police Department, and a copy shall be given to each person obtaining a license under the provisions of this chapter. Door-to-door solicitors who enter onto premises appearing on the registry shall be subject to the penalty provided in § 387-8 as well as immediate revocation of solicitation license.
