Second Hand Dealer Law Posted: Oct 18, 2011 1:58 AM AKDT Second Hand Dealer Law Cold hard cash. It's good everywhere you go, right? You can use it to pay for anything. But that's not the case here in Louisiana now. It's a law that was passed during this year's busy legislative session. House bill 195 basically says those who buy and sell second hand goods cannot use cash to make those transactions, and it flew so far under the radar most businesses don't even know about it. "We're gonna lose a lot of business," says Danny Guidry, who owns the Pioneer Trading Post in Lafayette. He deals in buying and selling unique second hand items. "We don't want this cash transaction to be taken away from us. It's an everyday transaction," Guidry explains. Guidry says, "I think everyone in this business once they find out about it. They're will definitely be a lot of uproar." The law states those who buy or sell second hand goods are prohibited from using cash. State representative Rickey Hardy co-authored the bill. Hardy says, "they give a check or a cashiers money order, or electronic one of those three mechanisms is used." Hardy says the bill is targeted at criminals who steal anything from copper to televisions, and sell them for a quick buck. Having a paper trail will make it easier for law enforcement. "It's a mechanism to be used so the police department has something to go on and have a lead," explains Hardy. Guidry feels his store shouldn't have to change it's ways of doing business, because he may possibly buy or sell stolen goods. Something he says has happened once in his eight years. "We are being targeted for something we shouldn't be." Besides non-profit resellers like Goodwill, and garage sales, the language of the bill encompasses stores like the Pioneer Trading Post and flea markets. Lawyer Thad Ackel Jr. feels the passage of this bill begins a slippery slope for economic freedom in the state. "The government is placing a significant restriction on individuals transacting in their own private property," says Ackel. Pawn shops have been forced to keep records of their clients for years. However under this bill they are still allowed to deal in cash.
That's insane! Now will we have to be "issued" some form of "script" in lieu of currency? The gov't gets crazier every day!
LOL ..... THIS IS SO FUNNY ...... USA FIAT MONEY not legal tender for Used Merchandise. So ....... homeless folks who hardly have 2 dimes to rub together, can't legally use one dollars worth of panhandled change to buy a shirt at goodwill. WAY TO GO CONGRESS !!! Talk about unintended consequences. Way too stupid for words, and they wonder why their approval rating is about 9%.
It's also about taxe's...The state like's to double dip when they can... It's being challenged already....
How can they tell me I can't use cash to purchase something? I use cash for 90% of my purchases to keep from anyone who has access to see what I purchase. Second of all when I do business I want my payment in cash I'm not taking a check from joe the possible crackhead. Do they have any idea how many bad checks are passed or false credit card transaction's there are in this Country every day. A failing American econemy and now a ristriction to prevent a man from making money. Most of the little second hand shop's I know do cash only because of the charges that banks and credit card companies put on the use of the card reader cost them more than trans action's are worth. Now in business you have to keep your profits tokeep the door's open so the cost of these transaction's will be transfered over to the customer. So people are going to start looking at it like well for just a few more dollars I can buy new. Another small business man shut down.
Can't use cash? Legal tender for all debts public and private? If this holds up, we are going down sooner than I was worried about.
BINGO!! It is ALL about taxes - more money for the local Goobermint. They'll fleece us any way they can. Time to get ready to VOTE and 'take the trash out!" ANY politician who signed onto this crap should be FIRED!!
