(A) Every applicant for a license to maintain, operate, or conduct a pawnbroker business shall file a complete application under oath with the city upon a form provided by the city and shall pay a non-refundable application fee in an amount set by resolution. The application, once accepted for filing, shall be referred to the City Police Department for investigation. Copies of this application shall be forwarded to those other city departments as the Council shall deem necessary for verification and investigation of the facts set forth in the application. The Chief of Police and other department heads shall make written recommendation to the Council as to the issuance or non-issuance of the license within 30 days. The applicant will also pay an investigation fee in an amount to be set from time to time by resolution of the City Council.
(B) The annual fee for the license shall be set by Council resolution from time to time. All licenses shall expire at the end of each calendar year. A new application fee shall be required whenever there is a change in the facts presented by the application other than the date, applicant(s)’ home address, or building owner(s)’ home address. A new application fee shall be required for any license not renewed prior to its expiration. A new application fee will set from time to time by resolution of the City Council.
(C) All applicants requesting a license pursuant to this chapter may be required to submit to a background investigation, including but not limited to a criminal history check.
(D) The completed application form shall contain all information indicated, including:
(1) Full name, date of birth, and street residence of the applicant;
(2) The business address and the full name, date of birth, and street residence of the applicant;
(3) A statement as to whether, within the preceding five years, the applicant has been convicted of any law relating to theft, damage, or trespass to property, sale of controlled substance, or the operation of business; the nature of any such offense, and the penalty assessed. This statement must include this information for all directors and officers of a corporate applicant and all partners of a partnership applicant;
(4) Whether the applicant is a natural person, corporation, or partnership; and
(a) If the applicant is a corporation, the state of the incorporation and the full names and addressed of all officers and directors; or
(b) If the applicant is a partnership, the full names and addresses of all partners.
(5) The full name of the manager or proprietor of the business.
(E) (1) Each application shall be accompanied by a bond in the amount of $5,000 for a pawnbroker license, executed by a corporation authorized to do business in this state and conditioned that in conducting the business the licensee will observe all laws in relation to pawnbrokers, and will conduct business in conformity thereto, and that the licensee will account for and deliver to any person legally entitled any goods which have come into the licensee’s hand through the licensee’s business as a pawnbroker, or in lieu thereof, will pay the reasonable value in money to the person.
(2) This bond shall be maintained so long as the pawnbroker does business in the city or so long as any person shall suffer any damage through the act of that pawnbroker and shall not be terminable without the bond company giving written notice 30 days in advance of termination to the Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer.
(F) If the applicant is a natural person, the application shall be signed and sworn to by the person; if a corporation, by an agent authorized to sign; if a partnership, by a partner.
(G) No person shall make any material false statement in the application. In addition to other penalties, the licensee’s license may be revoked by the Council for giving false information on the application.
(1997 Code, § 32.12) (Am. Ord. 2011-2, passed 3-28-2011; Am. Ord. 2015-5, passed 12-14-2015) Penalty, see § 10.99