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1. No person shall engage in the pawn business without first obtaining a pawnbroker license. Applicants for such licenses shall apply, in writing, to the City Clerk. All license applications shall contain the following information: (1) full name, residential address, business address, and date of birth, of the applicant, and whether the applicant is a corporation or partnership, of the officers or partners; (2) the name and address of the owner of the business premises; (3) the business, occupation, or employment of the applicant, including location thereof, for the two years immediately preceding the date of application; and (4) the arrest record of the applicant and whether the applicant has ever been convicted of any crime, except simple misdemeanor traffic violations.
2. If any person mentioned in this section has been so convicted, a statement must be made giving the place and court in which such conviction was had, the specific charge under which the conviction was obtained, and the sentence imposed as the result of such conviction.
1. Pawnbroker licenses are available at a rate of one license per 25,000 in population as certified by the most recent United States census.
2. Upon receipt of a pawnbroker license application, the City Clerk shall forward a copy of the application to the Chief of Police, or his or her designee, who shall review the application. The applicant shall furnish such evidence as may be reasonably required in support of the statement set forth in the application.
3. The Chief of Police, or his or her designee, shall report to the City Clerk within thirty days of receipt of the application considering, but not limited to, the following criteria: (1) where the applicant or his or her agents or employees charged with receiving or distributing property have been convicted of a felony. However, if the conviction of a felony occurred more than five years before the application for a pawnbroker license, and if such person's rights of citizenship have been restored by the Governor, such conviction shall not be a bar to obtaining a pawnbroker license; (2) whether the applicant has truthfully reported all relevant facts within the pawnbroker application; and (3) applicant has such financial standing and good reputation to indicate that he or she will comply with all laws of the State of Iowa, and the City.
1. Upon receipt of a positive police report, and the appropriate fees, the City Clerk shall approve the application, if the applicant has fully complied with all of the requirements of this chapter, and the City Clerk shall thereupon issue a pawnbroker license to the applicant and forward a copy of such to the Chief of Police. The license shall expire on the last day of December next after the date of issuance. The license shall state the name and place of residence of the person licensed, the business to be transacted, the place where it is to be carried on, and the date of issuance and expiration of the license.
2. In the event that the City Clerk determines that the applicant for a new or renewal license has not fully complied with all of the requirements of this chapter, or that the police department returns a negative report, or that the applicant has falsified his/her application, then the City Clerk shall, after consultation with the legal department, advise the City Council of the basis for questioning the applicant's qualifications, and the procedures for notice and hearing, as set forth in this code shall apply.
1. Grounds for Denial, Suspension, or Revocation. A pawnbroker license may be denied, suspended, or revoked for any violation of this chapter, including, but not limited to, the failure to comply with new or renewal application procedures, a negative police report, falsification of new or renewal applications, or for the failure to maintain records in conformity with the requirements enumerated under this chapter.
2. Denial, Suspension, or Revocation Proceedings. The City Clerk shall, upon receipt of information alleging that grounds exist to deny, suspend, or revoke the pawnbroker license of any applicant or licensee under this chapter, and after consultation with the legal department, report the circumstances to the City Council, which, in such case, shall cause a notice to be sent by ordinary mail to the applicant or licensee, which notice shall state that a denial, suspension, or revocation hearing has been set before the City Council, grounds for the proposed denial, suspension, or revocation, the date and time of the hearing and the place where the hearing will be conducted. Upon such hearing, if the City Council shall determine that one or more of such grounds do exist, it may deny an application or suspend or revoke an existing license. A suspension shall constitute a minimum period of fourteen calendar days to a maximum period of thirty calendar days, during which period the licensee may not conduct any business except for redemptions and shall conspicuously post a sign stating the terms of the suspension at the entrance of the licensed premises. Such sign shall be supplied by and posted by the Chief of Police, or his or her designee. In the event such license is revoked, no pawnbroker license shall be issued to that licensee for the period of one year.
No pawnbroker license shall be sold or transferred. The purchaser or purchasers of a pawnbroker business, or of the majority of the stock of a corporation operating a pawnbroker business, shall make application for, and obtain, a new license before operating such business at the location for which the license has been issued.
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