Geneva to require permits for Garage Sales

Beginning on June 1st, all garage sales within Geneva town limits must fill out an application and receive a permit to operate. The new ordinance was recently passed through the Geneva Town Council and will give the town a better idea of how many sales are ongoing, and how long those sales are lasting.

The adopted ordinance 2023-6 explains that “the intrusion of non-regulated garage sales is causing annoyance to citizens in residential areas,” and that “if garage sales are left unregulated, the result may be regular commercial enterprises in residential neighborhoods.”

The hope for the Town Council is that the new ordinance will regulate the terms and frequency of garage sales and will end the disruption of residential areas.

The applications are available at the Town Hall located at 411 East Line Street, and they are also available at the town of Geneva website, under the ordinance section. The application requires the individual who intends to hold a garage sale to list their name, address, the start and end time of the sale, their phone number, and who officially approved the sale.

Additional restrictions that have risen from the ordinance include it being unlawful to have a garage sale lasting more than three consecutive days and unlawful to participate in more than two garage sales in a calendar year as an individual or at a premise. This however does not apply to the “Town-Wide Garage Sale.”

It is also now required that all for-sale property and advertising displays must be cleaned up and removed within twelve hours of the completion of the sale.

There is no fee required to receive a garage sale permit nor are there any fees or collections placed on income from sales,{/ span}{/span} however holding a garage sale without a permit can result in receiving a citation of $75 and a fouryear ban from receiving a permit in the future.

For more information regarding the new ordinance, the Town of Geneva can be contacted at 260-368-7251.