The Mantua Township Committee has approved updates to its door-to-door soliciting regulations that will mean stricter penalties for violators.
The new policy aims to protect the privacy of residents from unwanted soliciting. The community was hit with illegal soliciting over the summer, forcing the committee to take the action it had considered for months.
“Anyone attempting to make a sale, attempting to earn a profit or attempting to get you to sign some sort of service agreement are required to apply to obtain a solicitation permit here at the municipal building,” said Mayor Robert Zimmerman in a video to residents.
Besides completing an application, solicitors who want a permit must go through a police background check and pay permit fees.
“Once a permit has been issued,” explained Zimmerman, “those folks canvassing for business purposes are required to have these permits in their possession and displayed visibly on their person.”
Violations could result in fines of up to $2,000 per offense and/or suspension or permanent revocation of a permit. The new policy is meant to increase those permits; as of this month, the township has not issued any.
“Police will now be able to go after the corporations and hold them accountable for putting solicitors on our streets without acquiring permits and for violating our ‘no-knock’ parameters of the law,” said Zimmerman. “The department will have a zero-tolerance approach to enforcement.”
Residents can report illegal soliciting to the non-emergency police line at (856) 589-0911. No-knock stickers for a home can be obtained at either the Mantua Township website or the township clerk’s office.
