GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1985 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 522

SENATE BILL 635

 

AN ACT TO CREATE A NEW CHAPTER OF THE GENERAL STATUTES CONCERNING MILITARY AFFAIRS AND TO REGULATE MILITARY PROPERTY SALES FACILITIES AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MILITARY MEMBERS.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  The General Statutes are amended by adding a new Chapter to read:

 "Chapter 127B.

 "Military Affairs.

 "Article 1.

 "Military Property Sales Facilities.

"§ 127B-1. Military property sales facility defined.-Any person, partnership, association or corporation who engages in the business of selling, consigning, purchasing, transferring or in any way acquiring military property for resale, is a 'military property sales facility'. Specifically excluded are facilities operated by the United States Government, the State of North Carolina or any of its agencies and persons, partnerships, associations or corporations selling or purchasing military property pursuant to a contract with the United States Government, the State of North Carolina or any of its agencies.

"§ 127B-2. Military property defined.-'Military property' means property originally manufactured for the United States or State of North Carolina which is a type and kind issued for use in, or furnished and intended for, the military service of the United States or the militia of the State of North Carolina.

"§ 127B-3. License.-No person, partnership, association or corporation shall engage in the business of selling military property or purchasing military property for resale without first having obtained a license to do so from the local governing body of the city, town, or county in which it is located and by paying the county, State, and municipal tax required by law, and otherwise complying with the requirements made in this and succeeding sections. The license shall be posted in a prominent place, easily visible to the public, on the designated premises.

"§ 127B-4. Local governing authorities to grant and control license; bond.-(a) The governing body of any city, town, or county in this State may grant to such person, partnership, association or corporation as who shall produce satisfactory evidence of good character, a license authorizing such person, partnership, association or corporation to carry on the business of a military property sales facility. The license shall designate the building in which the person, partnership, association or corporation shall carry on the business, and no person, partnership, association or corporation shall carry on the business of a military property sales facility without being duly licensed, nor in any other building than the one designated in the license.

(b)       Any person or the principal officers of any association or corporation or all the partners of any partnership applying for a license shall furnish the governing body the following information:

(1)       Full name, and any other names used by the applicant during the preceding five years, or in the case of a partnership, association or corporation, the applicant shall list any partnership, association, or corporate names used during the preceding five years;

(2)       Current address, and all addresses used by the applicant during the preceding five years;

(3)       Physical description; (4)            Age; (5)          Driver's license number, if any, and state of issuance;

(6)       Recent color photograph; (7)     Record of felony convictions; and (8)        Record of other convictions during the preceding five years.

(c)       Every person, partnership, association or corporation so licensed to carry on the business of a military property sales facility shall, at the time of receiving a license, file with the governing body of the city, town, or county granting the license, a bond payable to the city, town, or county in the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000), to be executed by the person licensed and by two responsible sureties, or a surety company licensed to do business in the State of North Carolina, to be approved of by the governing body. The bond shall be for the faithful performance of the requirements and obligations pertaining to the business licensed. The governing body, may revoke the license and sue for forfeiture of the bond upon a breach of the licensee's duties under the bond. Any person who may obtain a judgment against a military property sales facility and upon which judgment execution is returned unsatisfied may maintain an action in his own name upon the bond of the military property sales facility, in any court having jurisdiction of the amount demanded to satisfy the judgment.

"§ 127B-5. Perjury; punishment.-Any person who shall willfully commit perjury in any application for a permit pursuant to this Article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

"§ 127B-6. Records to be kept.-(a)          Every military property sales facility owner shall keep a book in which shall be legibly written, at the time of each transaction involving the acquisition by any means of used or new military property by the military property sales facility owner, his employee or agent, from any person, partnership, association or corporation, the following information:

(1)       An account and description of the used or new military property including if applicable, the manufacturer's name, the model, the model number, the serial number of the property, and any engraved numbers or initials found on the property. Property lacking any identifying mark or

characteristic shall be marked by the military property sales facility owner in such a way as to allow clear identification of the property.

(2)       The amount of money paid; (3)  The date of the transaction; and (4) The name and residence of the person selling, consigning or transferring the used or new military property.

(b)       The military property sales facility owner, or his employee or agent shall require that the person selling the new or used military property, to present two forms of positive identification to him before the military property sales facility personnel may complete any transaction regarding the buying, consigning or acquiring of new or used military property. The presentation of any one state or federal government issued identification containing a photographic representation imprinted on it shall constitute compliance with the identification requirements of this paragraph. The military property sales facility owner or his employee or agent shall legibly record this identification information next to the person's name and residence in the book required to be kept. Both the military property sales facility owner, his employee or agent and the seller, consignor or transferor of the military property shall sign the record entry.

(c)       The book shall be a permanent record to be kept at all times on the premises of the place of business of the military property sales facility and shall be made available, during regular business hours, to any law enforcement officer who requests to inspect the book. A copy of the records required to be kept by this section shall be filed within 48 hours of the transaction in the office of the local law enforcement agency serving the city, town, or county which issued the license to the military. Mailing the required copy to the local law enforcement agency within 48 hours shall constitute compliance with this section.

"§ 127B-7. Penalties.-Any dealer who violates the provisions of this Article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. In addition, any dealer convicted of violating this Article shall be ineligible for a dealer's permit for a period of three years from the date of conviction. Each violation shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.

§ 127B-8 and § 127B-9. Reserved for future codification.

 "Article 2.

 "Discrimination Against Military Personnel.

"§ 127B-10. Purpose.-The General Assembly finds and declares that military personnel in North Carolina vitally affect the general economy of this State and that it is in the public interest and public welfare to ensure that no discrimination against military personnel is practiced by any business.

"§ 127B-11. Private discrimination prohibited.-No person shall discriminate against any officer, warrant officer or enlisted person of the military or naval forces of the State or of the United States because of their membership therein. No member of these military forces shall be prejudiced or injured by any person, employer, officer or agent of any corporation, company or firm with respect to their employment, position or status or denied or disqualified for employment by virtue of their membership or service in the military forces of this State or of the United States.

"§ 127B-12. Public discrimination prohibited.-No officer or employee of the State, or of any county, city and county, municipal corporation, school district, water district, or other district shall discriminate against any officer, warrant officer or enlisted person of the military or naval forces of the State or of the United States because of their membership therein. No member of the military forces shall be prejudiced or injured by any officer or employee of the State, or of any county, city and county, municipal corporation, school district, water district, or other district with respect to their employment, appointment, position or status or denied or disqualified for or discharged from their employment or position by virtue of their membership or service in the military forces of this State or of the United States.

"§ 127B-13. Refusing entrance prohibited.-No person shall prohibit or refuse entrance to any officer, warrant officer or enlisted person of the military or naval forces of this State or of the United States into any public place of entertainment, of amusement, or accommodation because the officer or enlisted person is wearing the uniform of the organization to which they belong or because of their membership or service in the military forces of this State or of the United States.

"§ 127B-14. Employer discrimination prohibited.-No employer or officer or agent of any corporation, company, or firm, or other person shall discharge any person from employment because of the performance of any emergency military duty by reason of being an officer, warrant officer or enlisted person of the military or naval forces of this State or the United States.

"§ 127B-15. Penalties.-Any person who violates the provisions of this Article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. Each violation shall constitute a separate and distinct offense."

Sec. 2.  All local laws governing military property businesses in counties or towns which are inconsistent with this act are repealed.

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective October 1, 1985.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 1st day of July, 1985.