Cathedral City Municipal Code Ch. 5.44 Secondhand Dealers, Pawnbrokers and Loan Brokers

Every secondhand dealer, pawnbroker, loan broker, and every proprietor, keeper or owner of any office or other place of business where money is loaned on personal property for compensation, shall daily make out and deliver to the chief of police every day before the hour of twelve midnight, on a blank form approved by or prescribed by the Chief of the State of California Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, and provided by the person rendering the report, a full, true and complete report of all property and other valuable goods, wares, merchandise or things received on deposit or purchased during the preceding twenty-four consecutive hours (subject to the exception or exceptions set forth in Financial Code Section 21208), further setting forth the hour of the day when each item was received on deposit, in pawn or purchase, and a description of the person or persons by whom left in pledge, or deposited or from whom purchased, and also their true names and residence addresses as nearly as they are known to the person rendering the report. The report shall be written in the English language in a clear and legible manner. In addition to the operator of businesses mentioned in this section who are generally required to file daily reports, any other business operator who is engaged primarily in retail selling of new merchandise, who occasionally receives in trade valuable goods, wares, merchandise or other property not regularly registered with the state (such as are motor vehicles), shall pursuant to this section be required to make reports as prescribed in this section, of all secondhand items so received; provided, that daily reports from such business operator will not be required where the receipt or purchase of the secondhand items is not a daily occurrence.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

All the property and other valuable goods, wares, merchandise and things received on deposit or purchase as prescribed in Section 5.44.010 shall be kept intact in its original state by every person receiving the same as stated, for a period of thirty calendar days from the purchase, receipt or acquisition of them (unless sooner expressly released by the chief of police or his authorized representative), and any such item shall be exhibited to the chief of police or his representative, or to any other peace officer, upon demand.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

The chief of police upon receipt of any report required pursuant to Section 5.44.010 shall file it in the police department records, and the report shall not be open for inspection by the general public, but only to police department personnel of the city, to authorized law enforcement agents from the area where the selling or pledging person resides, to any other duly authorized peace officers examining them in the course of official duty, and to such other persons as a court of competent jurisdiction may order. One copy of the report will be forwarded by the chief of police to the Chief of the State of California Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

Every buyer of secondhand goods, pawnbroker, loan broker, or proprietor, keeper or owner of any office or other place of business where money is loaned on personal property for compensation, his agents and employees, shall require the person or persons by whom the property is left in pledge, stored, deposited, or from whom purchased, to display identification, and to the best of his ability to require him to sign his true name and give his correct address for purposes of the report required by Section 5.44.010.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

No person shall sign a fictitious name or fictitious address in connection with any information obtained pursuant to the requirements of this chapter, nor shall any person in any manner enter or cause to be entered any other fictitious information, values or identification in such respect.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

A violation of Section 5.44.010, 5.44.020, 5.44.040 or 5.44.050 of this chapter by any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining such violation shall constitute a public nuisance which shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 13.80.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

A violation of Section 5.44.010, 5.44.020, 5.44.040 or 5.44.050 of this chapter by any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining such violation shall constitute an infraction violation which shall be subject to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.65, including, but not limited to, the imposition of any and all criminal penalties set forth therein.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

Any person convicted of an infraction shall, for each separate violation of this chapter, be subject to: (a) a fine in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars for a first conviction of an offense; (b) a fine in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars for a second conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense; and (c) a fine in an amount not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars for the third conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense. The fine for a fourth and subsequent convictions of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense shall be one thousand dollars.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

In lieu of issuing an infraction citation, the city may issue an administrative citation, pursuant to Chapter 13.58, to any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining a violation of Section 5.44.010, 5.44.020, 5.44.040 or 5.44.050 of this chapter. Nothing in this section shall preclude the city from also issuing an infraction citation upon the occurrence of the same offense on a separate day.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

Note: Former § 5.44.090, Administrative fine, adopted by Ord. 506 was repealed by Ord. 892, 10/22/2025.

A violation of Section 5.44.010, 5.44.020, 5.44.040 or 5.44.050 of this chapter by the holder of any city permit and/or city license validly issued pursuant to this or any other chapter shall constitute grounds for modification, suspension and/or revocation of said permit and/or license pursuant to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.150.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the city from pursuing the remedies provided by Chapter 13.140, including, but not limited to, as applicable, denial or revocation of certificates of occupancy, issuance of stop work orders and injunctive relief

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)