[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of
the Village of Pleasant Prairie 2-15-1999 (§ 12.05 of the 1988 Code).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
It shall be unlawful for any peddler, canvasser,
solicitor or transient merchant to engage in business within the Village
of Pleasant Prairie without being registered for that purpose as provided
herein.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A person who goes from place to place within the Village
soliciting orders for the future delivery of property or for services
to be performed in the future, including any person who occupies any
place within the Village for the purpose of exhibiting samples and
taking orders for future delivery.
Includes any benevolent, philanthropic, patriotic or eleemosynary
person, partnership, association or corporation, or one purporting
to be such.
The Village Clerk.
Includes personal property of any kind, and shall include
merchandise, goods, or materials provided incidental to services offered
or sold. The sale of merchandise includes donations required by the
seller for the retention of goods by a donor or prospective customers.
A person who goes from place to place within the Village
offering for sale property which he carries with him, including a
vendor who distributes his products to regular customers on an established
route.
Any person 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 the local trade area
among the communities bordering the place of sale; or has continuously
resided in the local trade area among the communities bordering the
place of sale and now does business from his/her residence.
Any individual who engages in the retail sale of merchandise
at any place in this state temporarily, and who does not intend to
become and does not become a permanent merchant of such place. For
purposes of this definition, sale of merchandise includes a sale in
which the personal services rendered upon or in connection with the
merchandise constitutes the greatest part of value for the price received,
but does not include a farm auction sale conducted by or for a resident
farmer of personal property used on the farm, or the sale of produce
or other perishable products at retail or wholesale by a resident
of this state.
A.Â
The following shall be exempt from all provisions
of this chapter:
(1)Â
Any person delivering newspapers, fuel, dairy products
or bakery goods to regular customers on established routes;
(2)Â
Any person selling merchandise at wholesale to dealers
in such merchandise;
(3)Â
Any person selling agricultural products which the
person has grown;
(4)Â
Any permanent merchant or employee thereof who takes
orders at the home of the buyer for merchandise regularly offered
for sale by such merchant within this county and who delivers such
merchandise in the regular course of business;
(5)Â
Any person who has an established place of business
where the merchandise being sold is 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;
(6)Â
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;
(7)Â
Any person selling or offering for sale a service
unconnected with the sale or offering for sale of merchandise;
(8)Â
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;
(9)Â
Any employee, officer or agent of a charitable organization
who engages in direct sales for or on behalf of said organization,
provided that there is submitted to the Clerk proof that such charitable
organization is registered under § 202.12, Wis. Stats. Any
charitable organization engaging in the sale of merchandise and not
registered under § 202.12, Wis. Stats., or which is exempt
from that statute's registration requirements, shall be required to
register under this chapter;
(10)Â
Any person who claims to be a permanent merchant,
but against whom complaint has been made to the Clerk that such person
is a transient merchant, provided that there is submitted to the Clerk
for proof that such person has leased for at least one year, or purchased,
the premises from which he/she has conducted business in the market
area for at least one year prior to the date the complaint was made;
(11)Â
Any individual licensed by an examining board as defined
in § 15.01(7), Wis. Stats.;
B.Â
This chapter does not apply to transient merchants
while doing business at special events authorized by the Village Board.
A.Â
Applicants for registration must complete and return
to the Clerk a registration form furnished by the Clerk which shall
require the following information:
(1)Â
Name, permanent address and telephone number, and
temporary address, if any;
(2)Â
Age, height, weight, color of hair and eyes;
(3)Â
Name, address and telephone number of the person,
firm, association or corporation that the transient merchant represents
or is employed by, or whose merchandise is being sold;
(4)Â
Temporary address and telephone number from which
business will be conducted, if any;
(5)Â
Nature of business to be conducted and a brief description
of the merchandise, and any services offered;
(6)Â
Proposed methods of delivery of merchandise, if applicable;
(7)Â
Make, model and license number of any vehicle to be
used by the applicant in the conduct of his/her business;
(8)Â
Most recent cities, villages, towns, not to exceed
three, where the applicant conducted his/her business;
(9)Â
Place where the applicant can be contacted for at
least seven days after leaving this Village;
(10)Â
Statement as to whether the applicant has been convicted
of any crime or ordinance violation related to applicant's transient
merchant business within the last five years, and the nature of the
offense and the place of conviction.
B.Â
Applicants shall present to the Clerk for examination:
(1)Â
A driver's license or some other proof of identity
as may be reasonably required;
(2)Â
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)Â
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 license
is made.
C.Â
At the time the registration is returned, an application
fee as established in the Village Fee Schedule, which includes fee
for police check, shall be paid to the Clerk to cover the cost of
processing said registration.
[Amended 6-5-2006 by Ord. No. 06-25; 7-20-2009 by Ord. No.
09-42; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
(1)Â
The applicant shall sign a statement appointing the
Clerk 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 activities of
the applicant, in the event the applicant cannot, after reasonable
effort, be served personally.
(2)Â
Upon payment of said fee and the signing of said statement, the Clerk shall register the applicant as a peddler, canvasser, solicitor or transient merchant and date the entry. Said registration shall be valid for a period of three months from the date of entry, subject to subsequent refusal as provided in § 254-5B below.
A.Â
Upon receipt of each application, the Clerk may refer
it immediately to the Chief of Police who may make and complete an
investigation of the statements made in such registration.
B.Â
The Clerk shall refuse to register the applicant if it is determined, pursuant to the investigation above, that the application contains any material omission or materially inaccurate statement; complaints of a material nature have been received against the applicant by authorities in the most recent cities, villages and towns, not exceeding three, in which the applicant conducted similar business; 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 the applicant failed to comply with any applicable provision of § 254-4B above.
Any person refused or 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.Â
Prohibited practices.
(1)Â
A peddler, canvasser, solicitor or transient merchant
shall be prohibited from calling at any dwelling or other place between
the hours of 9:00 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)Â
A transient merchant shall not misrepresent or make
false, deceptive or misleading statements concerning the quality,
quantity, or characteristics of any visit, his/her identity or the
identity of the organization he/she represents. A charitable organization
transient merchant shall specifically disclose what portion of the
sale price of the merchandise being offered will actually be used
for the charitable purpose for which the organization is soliciting.
Said portion shall be expressed as a percentage of the sale price
of the merchandise.
(3)Â
No transient merchant 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)Â
No transient merchant 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)Â
No transient merchant shall allow rubbish or litter
to accumulate in or around the area which he/she is conducting business.
B.Â
Disclosure requirements.
(1)Â
After the initial greeting and before any other statement
is made to a prospective customer, a transient merchant shall display
the license issued by the Village, expressly disclose his/her name,
the name of the company or organization he/she is affiliated with,
if any, and the identity of merchandise or services he/she offers
to sell.
[Amended 6-5-2006 by Ord. No. 06-25]
(2)Â
If any sale of merchandise is made by a transient
merchant, or any offer for the later delivery of merchandise 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)Â
If the transient merchant takes a sales order for
the later delivery of merchandise, 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 Chief of Police shall report to the Clerk
all convictions for violations of this chapter, and the Clerk shall
note any such violation on the record of the registrant convicted.
A.Â
When required. Every applicant who is not a resident
of Kenosha County or who represents a firm whose principal place of
business is located outside of the state shall file with the Clerk
a surety bond in the amount of $500, approved by the Village Administrator,
conditioned that the applicant will comply with all provisions of
the Village ordinances and the state laws regulating peddlers, canvassers,
solicitors and transient merchants, and guaranteeing to any person
doing business with the licensee that all money paid as a down payment
will be accounted for and applied according to the representations
of the licensee, and further guaranteeing that property purchased
for future delivery will be delivered according to the representations
of the licensee.
B.Â
Action on bond. Action on such bond may be brought
by any person aggrieved.
A.Â
Registration may be revoked by the Village Board after
notice and hearing if the registrant made any material omission or
materially inaccurate statements in the application for registration,
made any fraudulent, false, deceptive or misleading statement or representation
in the course of engaging in transient sales, violated any provision
of this chapter or was convicted of any crime or ordinance or statutory
violation which is directly related to the registrant's fitness to
engage in selling.
