[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Medford Lakes 7-25-1968 by Ord. No. 84. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Littering — See Ch. 150.
Noise — See Ch. 163.
A. 
When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
PEDDLER or HAWKER
Includes any person, whether a resident of the Borough of Medford Lakes or not, who goes from house to house, from place to place, or from street to street, conveying or transporting goods, wares or merchandise and offering or exposing the same for sale, or making sales and delivering articles to purchasers.
SOLICITOR or CANVASSER
Includes any person, whether a resident of the Borough of Medford Lakes or not, who goes from house to house, from place to place or from street to street soliciting or taking or attempting to take orders for sale of services, goods, wares or merchandise, including magazines, books, periodicals, photographs or personal property of any nature whatsoever for future delivery or for services to be performed in the future, whether or not such individual has, carries, or exposes for sale a sample of the subject for such order, or whether or not he is collecting advance payments on such orders.
ITINERANT MERCHANTS or TRANSIENT VENDORS
Defined in the category of hawker, peddler, solicitor or canvasser as set forth above.
PERSON
Includes any partnerships, partner, corporation or corporations, or persons.
B. 
This chapter shall also include any person who distributes circulars or any other matter from house to house in the Borough of Medford Lakes.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any hawkers, peddlers, canvassers or solicitors, as defined in this chapter, to engage in any such business or operations in the Borough of Medford Lakes without having first obtained a license therefor, in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, and, in any event, only in accordance with the terms and provisions of this chapter and only in parts or locations of the Borough of Medford Lakes as permitted herein.
B. 
Prior to the issuance of any license or permit to any licensee, said prospective licensee shall file with the Borough Clerk of the Borough of Medford Lakes a bond to the said Borough of Medford Lakes in the amount of $1,000, which said bond shall be executed by the proposed licensee, as principal, and a surety company licensed to do business in the State of New Jersey, which said bond shall be in accordance with and for the purposes provided in N.J.S.A. 45:24-5, and which said bond shall remain in force for the term of the license to be issued and shall be conditioned as follows:
(1) 
To indemnify and pay the Borough of Medford Lakes any penalties or costs incurred in the enforcement of any of the provisions of this chapter and to indemnify or reimburse any purchaser of personal property from the licensee in a sum equal to at least the amount of any payment such purchaser may have been induced to make through the misrepresentation as to the kind, quality or value of the personal property, whether the misrepresentations were made by the licensee or said licensee's agents, servants, or employees, either at the time of making the sale or through any advertisement printed or circulated with reference to such personal property or any part thereof.
(2) 
The aforesaid bond shall be declared forfeited, upon proof of falsification in the application for a license.
(3) 
Said bond shall be deemed forfeited upon proof of the violation of any of the provisions of this chapter by the licensee or said licensee's agents, servants or employees.
C. 
Prior to the issuance of any license or permit to any licensee, said prospective licensee shall file with the Borough Clerk of the Borough of Medford Lakes an instrument in writing nominating and appointing the Borough Clerk his true and lawful agent with full power and authority to acknowledge service or notice of process for and on behalf of the prospective licensee in respect to any matters connected with or arising out of the license and the bond given as required by the provisions of this chapter, or for the performance of the conditions of the bond or for any breach thereof. Such instrument shall contain recitals to the effect that the prospective licensee consents and agrees that service of any notice or process may be made upon such event, and when so made shall be as valid as if personally served upon the prospective licensee according to the laws of this or any other state and waiving all claim or right of error by reason of such acknowledgment of service or manner of service.
D. 
All licensees who shall offer to sell edible foods of any nature shall do so in a sanitary manner, including refrigeration of perishable products as may be necessary, and all such licensees shall be subject to such further regulations regarding the sale of such products as may be promulgated from time to time by the Borough of Medford Lakes, which regulations may specify the manner and type of storage and display facilities, refrigeration requirements, handling of waste materials and any other regulation as may be necessary to protect to the fullest and reasonable extent the public safety, health and welfare.
E. 
No licensee shall canvass or solicit orders for any articles from pedestrian or vehicular traffic if such canvassing or soliciting shall in any way interfere with or impair the movement of vehicular traffic on any public street or trail within the Borough of Medford Lakes. Because of the preponderance of narrow width paved roads or trails in the Borough of Medford Lakes, and the absence of improved road shoulders, curbs and sidewalks, and the existence of a real danger to children from vehicular traffic engaged in the sale or distribution of goods or commodities having particular appeal to children, no licensee shall sell, offer to sell or distribute edible foods of any nature or any other goods or commodities from a motor vehicle on the roads or trails of the Borough of Medford Lakes having an average paved roadway of less than 25 feet.
F. 
Before a licensee shall use a vehicle of any type, or other mode of transportation in furtherance of the licensee's permitted business, such vehicle or other mode of transportation shall be submitted to the Borough of Medford Lakes Police Department for inspection and approval as to fitness for intended use by said Police Department and by a representative of the Health Department, and upon receipt of written approval for use, the same shall remain with the vehicle or other mode of transportation at all times, subject to inspection upon request by any member of the Police Department of the Borough of Medford Lakes, or any member of the public. Such vehicle or other mode of transportation shall be subject to reasonable reinspections, if requested by the Police Department or a representative of the Health Department, to insure compliance with any statute, ordinance or health regulation.
G. 
Prior to the use of any motor vehicle in furtherance of licensee's permitted business within the limits of the Borough of Medford Lakes, the licensee shall file with the Borough Clerk a certificate of insurance evidencing public liability insurance with limits of liability of not less than $100,000 personal injury and $25,000 property damage.
The terms of this chapter shall not be held to include the acts of persons selling personal property, or the delivery of personal property in the regular course of business to the premises of persons ordering or entitled to receive the same, and nothing contained herein shall be held to prohibit any sale required by statute or by order of any court of competent jurisdiction.
Applicants for a license under this chapter must file with the Borough Clerk a sworn application in writing, which shall give the following information:
A. 
Name and physical description of applicant.
B. 
Complete permanent home and local address of the applicant.
C. 
A description of the nature of the business and the goods, services or wares to be sold.
D. 
If employed, the name and address of the employer, together with credentials therefrom establishing the exact relationship.
E. 
The length of time for which the right to do business is desired, and the days of the week and the hours of the day within which the said business will be conducted.
F. 
The source of supply of the goods or property or services proposed to be sold, where such goods, services or products are located and the method of delivery.
G. 
Three recent photographs of the applicant, which shall be approximately two inches by two inches, showing the head and shoulders of the applicant in a clear and distinguishing manner.
H. 
Appropriate evidence as to the good character and business responsibility of the applicant as will enable an investigator to properly evaluate such character and business responsibility.
I. 
A statement as to whether or not the applicant has been convicted of any crime, misdemeanor or violation of any municipal ordinance, other than traffic violations, the nature of the offense and the punishment or penalty assessed therefor.
J. 
The applicant shall be fingerprinted, if requested by the Chief of Police, who shall determine whether said fingerprints are necessary for proper identification, which fingerprint records shall be immediately processed for classification and identification.
K. 
At the time of filing the application, a fee of $5 shall be paid to the Borough Clerk to cover the cost of investigation of the facts stated therein.
L. 
No license shall be issued until the application shall have been approved by the Police Department, allowing adequate time for investigation of the facts set forth in the application.
M. 
Applications for partners shall be signed by all partners with foregoing provisions of this section answered in detail as to each said partner, and applications of corporations shall have attached thereto individual statements, in accordance with all of the provisions of this section relating to each and every employee, agent or servant, who shall engage in any of the functions authorized by this chapter and signed by each such agent, servant or employee, and full compliance herewith by each such individual.
A. 
Any person, organization, society or association desiring to solicit or have solicited in its name, money, donations of money or property, or financial assistance of any kind, or desiring to sell or distribute any item of literature or merchandise for which a fee is charged or solicited from persons other than members of such organizations at any place or places within the Borough of Medford Lakes for a charitable, religious, patriotic or philanthropic purpose shall be exempt from provisions of §§  171-4 and 171-7 of this chapter, provided that there is filed a sworn application in writing with the Borough Clerk which shall give the following information:
(1) 
Name and purpose of the cause for which the permit is sought.
(2) 
Names and addresses of the officers and directors of the organization.
(3) 
Period during which solicitation is to be carried on.
(4) 
Whether or not any commission, fees, wages or emoluments are to be expended in connection with such solicitation and the amount thereof.
(5) 
Name and address of each agent or representative who will conduct solicitations and the length of time that said agent or representative has been employed or affiliated with such organization, society, association or corporation.
B. 
Upon being satisfied that such person, organization, society or association is a religious, charitable, patriotic or philanthropic organization, and that the agents or representatives who shall conduct the solicitations are of good moral character and reputation, the Borough Clerk shall issue a permit without charge to such organization, association or corporation to solicit in the Borough. Such organization, association or corporation shall furnish all its members, agents or representatives conducting solicitation, credentials in writing, stating the name of the organization, name of the agent and purpose of solicitation.
A. 
Each application for a license, § 171-5 permit, or special veteran's permit shall be referred to the Chief of Police or officer in charge of the Police Department, who shall immediately institute such investigation of the applicant's business and moral character as he deems necessary for the protection of the public good and shall endorse the application in the manner prescribed in this section, within a reasonable period of time after it has been filed by the applicant, but in no event before 72 hours has elapsed from the time of filing.
B. 
If, as a result of such investigation, the applicant's character or business responsibility is found to be unsatisfactory or the product or services are not free from fraud, the Chief of Police shall endorse on such application his disapproval and his reasons for the same and return the said application to the Borough Clerk, who shall notify the applicant that his application is disapproved and that no license will be issued.
A. 
Every applicant for a license under this chapter shall pay a license fee in accordance with the Borough's Fees Schedule.[1]
[Amended 4-14-2010 by Ord. No. 576]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 112, Art. II, Fees Schedule.
B. 
Any veteran who holds a special state license issued under the laws of the State of New Jersey shall be exempt from securing a license as provided herein for hawking and peddling, but shall be required to comply with all other sections of this chapter applicable and shall be required to procure from the Borough Clerk a special veteran's permit which shall be issued by the Borough Clerk upon proper identification.
C. 
Any person to whom a valid mercantile license shall have been issued under provisions of laws other than this chapter shall be exempt from securing a license as provided in this section, but said person or said person's employees, agents or servants shall be required to comply with all other sections of this chapter and shall be required to procure from the Borough Clerk a permit, upon proper identification, and said compliance herewith.
Every person, society, association or organization to whom a license is issued under the terms of this chapter shall be governed by the following rules and regulations:
A. 
All circulars, samples or other matter shall be handed to an occupant of the property and not left on or about the same.
B. 
No person subject to the provisions of this chapter shall canvass, solicit or distribute circulars or other matter or call from house to house except between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays.
C. 
No person subject to the terms of this chapter shall enter or attempt to enter the lands or house of any resident in the Borough of Medford Lakes without an express invitation from the occupant of the house.
D. 
No person subject to this chapter shall conduct themselves in such a manner as to become objectionable to or annoy an occupant of any house, and shall immediately depart from any private premises upon the request of the owner or the occupant thereof to do so.
No licensee shall violate the provisions of Chapter 163, Noise, of the Code of the Borough of Medford Lakes prohibiting loud, unnecessary or unusual noises as more fully defined therein.
No licensee shall have any exclusive right to any location in the public streets, nor shall any be permitted a stationary location thereon, nor shall any be permitted to operate in a congested area where such operation might impede, endanger or inconvenience the public use of such streets. For the purpose of this chapter, the judgment of the police officer, exercised in good faith, shall be deemed conclusive as to whether the area is congested and the public impeded, endangered or inconvenienced.
Licensees are required to exhibit their certificate of license at the request of any citizen or member of the Police Department.
The Chief of Police shall report to the Borough Clerk all convictions for violation of this chapter, and the Borough Clerk shall maintain a record for each license issued and record the reports of violation therein.
A. 
Licenses issued under the provisions of this chapter may be revoked by the Borough Council of the Borough of Medford Lakes after notice and hearing for any of the following causes:
(1) 
Fraud, misrepresentation, or a materially incorrect statement contained in the application for license.
(2) 
Fraud, misrepresentation or a materially incorrect statement made in the course of carrying on his business as solicitor, canvasser or peddler.
(3) 
Any violation of any provision of this chapter.
(4) 
Conviction of any crime or misdemeanor.
(5) 
Conducting the business of peddler, canvasser or solicitor, as the case may be, in an unlawful manner or in such a manner as to constitute a breach of the peace or to constitute a menace to the health, safety or general welfare of the public.
B. 
Notice of the hearing for revocation of a license shall be given by the Borough Clerk in writing, setting forth specifically the grounds of complaint and the time and place of hearing. Such notice shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the licensee at his last known address at least five days prior to the date set for hearing, or shall be delivered by a police officer in the same manner as a summons at least three days prior to the date set for hearing.
All licenses issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be valid for 180 days from the date of issuance, which expiration date shall be specified in the license.
[Amended 4-23-2014 by Ord. No. 615]
Any person, firm, corporation, association or legal party whatsoever who or which shall violate, or authorize or procure a violation, or cause to be violated, any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable as provided under the general penalty provisions found at § 1-15 of this Code. This, however, shall not apply against any municipal employee or officer that authorizes action by permit or otherwise in the ordinary course of their duties.