Town of Greenburgh – Shopping Carts
§ 420-1. Legislative intent.
The Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh finds and declares that the unlawful taking, the misuse and abandonment of shopping carts and similar conveyances constitute a threat to the protection and preservation of the property of the town and its inhabitants; constitute a hazard to the health, safety and general welfare of the populace of the town; adversely affect the legitimate conduct of business in the Town of Greenburgh; and constitute a nuisance detrimental to individual neighborhoods and the community at large. The purpose of this chapter is to reduce the incidences of unlawful taking, misuse and abandonment of these devices through reasonable safeguards, by discouraging and preventing their removal from the property of the owner and by the establishment of penalties for violations of this chapter. Furthermore, it is the intention of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh to make available to qualifying senior citizens and the disabled, who generally rely on shopping carts for the transportation of groceries to their homes, a suitable conveyance for this purpose.
§ 420-3. Removal of shopping carts from property of owner prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, for any purpose, a shopping cart, with markings as set forth in § 420-5, from the interior of any establishment that does not contain a parking area or from the parking area of any establishment where a shopping cart was obtained. The possession of a shopping cart so marked by a person, other than the owner or agent of the owner, in a place other than that from which the shopping cart was legally made available to the public shall constitute a rebuttable presumption that such person did unlawfully remove such shopping cart from the premises of the owner.
§ 420-4. Abandoning shopping carts prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person who obtains possession of a shopping cart from an establishment to leave or abandon the shopping cart in any public place or on private property other than property of the establishment.
§ 420-5. Identification markings required.
Every establishment shall mark or cause to be marked any shopping cart in a conspicuous and permanent manner with the name of and/or company logo, the address and telephone number of the establishment from which it was made available or permitted to be utilized. The markings required by this section shall be affixed within 90 days of the adoption of this chapter. Such identification shall be in the form of a metal or plastic tag securely affixed to the frame of the shopping cart or in some other equally noticeable and permanent manner. Upon expiration of this ninety-day period, any establishment with shopping carts not affixed with the identifying markings required by this section shall be in violation of this chapter.
§ 420-6. Posting of signs required.
Any person owning, making available or having control of a place where shopping carts are utilized shall conspicuously post signs at said establishment, said signs to be posted in the interior of the establishments and in the parking lots of such establishments. The signs shall be in conformance with state standards and shall notify the public that the unauthorized removal of a shopping cart from the premises or parking area and/or the abandonment of a shopping cart is a violation of town law. Such signs shall also list an address and telephone number for returning the shopping cart to the establishment. The signs required by this section shall be erected within 90 days of the adoption of this chapter. The Town Police Department shall, within 15 days of the adoption of this chapter, provide the owner of each establishment with the wording and form for the required signs, as well as indicate the number of signs that must be posted on each owner’s property. Upon the expiration of this ninety-day period, it shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to own, make available or permit shopping carts to be utilized in an establishment without first posting the signs required by this section.
§ 420-7. Disposition of abandoned shopping carts; fees.
A. Abandoned shopping carts are declared to be a nuisance and a hazard.
B. The Commissioner of Public Works of the town, or such other person whom the Town Board may by resolution appoint, may, without notice, remove, from time to time, any shopping cart found in any public place. Confiscated shopping carts shall be impounded at Police Headquarters where they will be held until redeemed, sold or otherwise disposed of as hereinafter provided.
C. Whenever the town shall have impounded three or more carts bearing identification of ownership from any one establishment, the Chief of Police, or such other person whom the Town Board may by resolution appoint, shall mail a notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the establishment at the address shown on the shopping cart’s identification tag. Such notice shall advise that the impounded shopping carts may be redeemed at Police Headquarters upon payment of the administrative fee of $35 for each shopping cart so redeemed. The notice shall also contain the hours and days during which shopping carts may be redeemed.
D. If, after 15 days following the mailing of the notice described in § 420-7C, no person representing the establishment has presented themselves to the Police Department, or such person as may be designated by resolution of the Town Board, to redeem this property, the town shall have the right to dispose of the shopping carts through public auction or in whatever other manner it deems appropriate.
E. Shopping carts that are impounded that do not contain the identifying information required by this chapter shall be held for a reasonable time at Police Headquarters, such time not to be less than 30 calendar days. During this period, these shopping carts may be reclaimed by the establishment, provided that proof of ownership of the shopping carts is produced, and, further, provided that the administrative fee is paid for each shopping cart redeemed.
F. If, after the minimum thirty-calendar-day period described in § 420-7E has elapsed and no person representing the establishment has presented themselves to the Police Department or such person as may be designated by resolution of the Town Board to redeem this property, the town shall have the right to dispose of the shopping carts that do not contain identifying information through public auction or in whatever other manner it deems appropriate.
§ 420-8. Disposition of proceeds.
The proceeds realized from the redemption or sale of shopping carts shall be deposited in the general funds of the town.
§ 420-9. Additional mitigation requirements.
Beginning 90 days after the adoption of this chapter, any new application submitted to any town department or board for the construction or conversion of an establishment shall require, as a condition of approval of the application, that each shopping cart of the establishment be equipped with a security device as follows:
A. Establishments planning to own, make available or have utilized more than 150 shopping carts shall be required to install a system that causes a wheel of the shopping cart to lock when the conveyance is moved across an antenna located at the perimeter of the establishment’s parking area.
B. Establishments planning to own, make available or have utilized 150 or fewer shopping carts shall have the option of installing the system described in § 420-9A or a shopping cart handle lock system deactivated through the introduction of a coin or coins that may be redeemed by the user upon return of the shopping cart.
C. Except for establishments utilizing five or fewer shopping carts in their operations, beginning 36 months after adoption of this chapter, all establishments shall be required to have installed the appropriate shopping cart security system mandated for new applicants under § 420-9A and B. At the expiration of this thirty-six month period, it shall be unlawful for any establishment shopping cart not to be equipped with the appropriate security device as described in § 420-9A and B.
§ 420-10. Exceptions.
A. This chapter shall not apply to any cart or personal property which may come into the possession or custody of any department of the town pursuant to any other ordinance, law or regulation.
B. Any person owning, making available or permitting shopping carts to be utilized and actually conducting business in the town at the time this chapter takes effect may apply to the Town Board for an exemption or modification of the requirements of § 420-9. Any such request shall set forth the grounds upon which the exemption or modification is justified, and specifically address concerns of the health, safety and general welfare of the populace; any impacts to the legitimate conduct of business within the town; and the impacts to individual neighborhoods and the community at large. The Board shall not grant any request for an exemption or modification unless the Chief of Police first evaluates the request and makes a favorable recommendation to the Board.
C. The Town Board shall have the authority to rescind any exemption or modification granted under this section upon recommendation from the Chief of Police that shopping carts utilized by an establishment granted the exemption or modification have become either a hazard to the health, safety and general welfare of the populace of the town; adversely affect the legitimate conduct of business within the town; and/or constitute a nuisance detrimental to individual neighborhoods and the community at large. Prior to such rescission, the Town Board shall notify the establishment of the recommendation by the Chief of Police, said notice to be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the person identified in the exception or modification request at the address provided in that request. The establishment shall have 20 days from the date of mailing of the rescission notice to request an opportunity to be heard by the Town Board. The establishment’s request shall be made by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall be deemed timely made if the official postmark of the United States Postal Service is dated within 20 days of the official United States Postal Service postmark on the rescission notice. In the event that an exemption or modification is rescinded, the establishment shall be required to install the additional mitigation measures mandated under § 420-9 within one year of the date notice of the decision was forwarded.
D. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any establishment commencing operations after adoption of this chapter.
E. The provisions of § 420-9 of this chapter shall not apply to establishments with a total of five or fewer shopping carts on their premises.
§ 420-11. Penalties for offenses.
Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a violation punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $100. In reference to §§ 420-5, 420-6 and 420-9, each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
§ 420-12. Appropriation of funds.
Commensurate with the adoption of this chapter, the town shall appropriate a sum of money not to exceed $1,000 for the purchase of collapsible shopping carts or some other suitable conveyance for distribution to qualifying senior citizens and the disabled, who have a need for and generally rely on shopping carts for the transportation of groceries and other merchandise to their homes. The criteria and application process employed to decide which persons are entitled to receive such collapsible shopping cart or similar conveyance shall be proposed by the Town’s Police Advisory Commission and approved by the Town Board. Carts shall be purchased by the Police Department and stored at Police Headquarters for distribution to qualifying applicants.
§ 420-13. Severability.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of this chapter or the application to any person or circumstance shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such order or judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of this chapter, or its application to the person or circumstance directly involved in the controversy in which such order or judgment shall be rendered.
