Monroe County pawnshop law OK’d, but concerns remain

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Several people in the antiques business remain opposed to the idea of government regulating their dealings and the costs associated with it, but a new county law could end up a better option for those in the business than first proposed.

Lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously OK’d legislation drafted to help law enforcement curb the sale of and recover stolen secondhand goods. The law, which takes effect June 14, 2014, has been revised from an original proposal introduced by Legislator Carmen Gumina, R-Webster.

The law requires businesses to photograph items that are sold for more than $15 and upload transactions to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office website. The current threshold is a change — and there are others — that came about after legislators sought the input of business owners, who earlier this year criticized a version of the law that required every item to be photographed and uploaded.

The revised law approved earlier this year also exempts antiques dealers from the legislation, although many remain critical of the law. An annual license fee for second-hand stores and jewelry and coin dealers was reduced from $250, as first proposed, to $150.

Stores that count on clothing sales as at least half of their business also will be excluded from the legislation.

A person who violates the law could be found guilty of a misdemeanor and pay a fine of up to $200 for the first offense. Repeat offenders could a fine of up to $3,000 for each charge.

“This law is a huge step forward for Monroe County and is a good law for the community and our businesses,” Gumina said.

Speakers, including victims of burglaries, at a recent public hearing were split on the law.

Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering related a story of how his department received a call from officers in Las Vegas, which has a similar law in place, after someone from Webster tried to sell goods there. As a result, he was able to check records to determine if the items were stolen.

“It’s a tool law enforcement needs,” Pickering said.

Others said the law is overkill and that thieves should be punished, said Matt Gucci, who owns Ontario Mall Antiques in Farmington, Ontario County.

“The bill includes honest businesses in the punishment,” Gucci said.

Others questioned the cost of implementing the law over the benefits it would provide, citing personnel and labor costs for the sheriff’s office.

Mike Deming, a small antiques dealer from Brighton, said the law is another example of the “hoops to jump through” that business owners face in New York and why so many are choosing to leave.

“The bill is unnecessary and onerous,” Deming said. “I object to it.”

Brian Joseph, who owns Once Upon a Child in Henrietta, had worried the cost of complying with the law as it was first proposed was too much of a burden.

The opportunity to state his case to legislators and provide input made for a “more meaningful and effective law,” Joseph said.