Amsterdam residents could have to register their garage sales with City Hall under an ordinance introduced by Alderman Ed Russo on Tuesday. Although there would be no fee for registration, the requirement would allow the city to track garage sales and enforce several rules that are also specified in the ordinance. City Clerk Susan Alibozek said she helped to draft the ordinance and used similar laws in Gloversville, Schenectady and Hudson as references.
The ordinance states it’s intent is to prevent frequent garage sales that might disturb residents, cause congestion in the streets, or affect the quality of life or property values of residential areas.
In addition to the registration requirement, the rules in the ordinance include:
- Only personal property items owned by a resident are allowed to be sold. No merchandise that was purchased for resale or consignment items are allowed .
- No more than three sales per year are allowed
- There must be at least 30 days between each sale
- Each sale must not last longer than three consecutive days
- The sale may only take place between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
In additional, the ordinance sets parameters for the size and number of signs advertising the sale. It includes an exemption for sales that benefit non-profit charity organizations, or city-sanctioned events such as a city-wide garage sale.
There will be a public hearing on the ordinance at 5:50pm on October 18 at City Hall before the regular council meeting at which the council will vote on the ordinance.
Click here to view the full text of the proposed ordinance (pdf)
