Article 13

Miscellaneous Provisions.

§ 66-65.  Indemnity bonds required of agents, etc., to state maximum liability and period of liability.

Wherever any person, firm, or corporation, engaged in the business of merchandising any articles whatsoever, shall require of its agents, solicitors, salesmen, representatives, consignees, or peddlers, or other persons selling or handling its merchandise, as a condition precedent to selling or handling any of the merchandise of said person, firm, or corporation, that such agents, solicitors, salesmen, representatives, consignees, or peddlers should furnish and provide a bond or guaranty or indemnity contract guaranteeing the full and faithful accounting of moneys collected from such merchandise, such bond or indemnity contract shall state specifically therein the maximum amount of money or other liability which the principal and the sureties or guarantors thereof undertake thereby to pay in event of default of said bond or indemnity or guaranty contract; and said bond or indemnity or guaranty contract shall also state specifically the period of time during which liability may be incurred on account of any default in said bond or indemnity or guaranty contract.

Any bond or indemnity or guaranty contract which does not comply with the provisions of this section shall be null and void and no action may be maintained against the surety or guarantor to recover any sum due thereon in any court of this State. (1943, c. 604, ss. 1,  2.)

§ 66-66.  Manufacture or sale of antifreeze solutions compounded with inorganic salts or petroleum distillates prohibited.

The manufacture or sale of antifreeze solutions which are designated, intended, advertised, or recommended by the manufacturer or seller for use in the cooling systems of motor vehicles or gasoline combustion engines, and which are compounded with calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, or other inorganic salts or with petroleum distillates is hereby prohibited.

Any person, firm, or corporation violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (1943, c. 625, ss. 1, 2; 1993, c. 539, s. 515; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)

§ 66-67.  Disposition by laundries and dry cleaning establishments of certain unclaimed clothing.

(a) If any person fails to claim any garment, clothing, household article or other article delivered for laundering, cleaning or pressing to any laundry or dry cleaning establishment as defined in G.S. 105-85, or any dry cleaning establishment as defined in G.S. 105-74, for a period of 90 days after the surrender of such articles for processing, the laundry or dry cleaning establishment may dispose of such garments, clothing, household articles or other articles by whatever means it may choose, without liability or responsibility to the owner, 30 days after a notice has been mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the owner of the garment, clothing, or other article, stating that the article will be disposed of unless it is redeemed within 30 days of the mailing of the notice.  Provided, however, that before such laundry or dry cleaning establishment may claim the benefit of this section it shall at the time of receiving such garments, clothing, household articles or other articles, have a notice of dimensions of not less than eight and one-half by 11 inches, prominently displayed in a conspicuous place in the office, branch office or retail outlet where said clothes, garments or articles are received, if the same be received at an office, on which notice shall appear the words "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR GOODS LEFT ON HAND FOR MORE THAN 90 DAYS".

(b) If any person fails to claim any garment, clothing, household article or other article delivered to any laundry or dry cleaning establishment described in subsection (a) of this section and displaying the notice described in that subsection, for a period of 180 days, the laundry or dry cleaning establishment may, without giving notice to the owner, dispose of such garment, clothing, household article, or other article by whatever means it may choose, without liability or responsibility to the owner.

(c)  The provisions of this section shall also be applicable with respect to the storage of garments, furs, rugs, clothing or other articles after the completion of the period for which storage was agreed to be provided.  (1947, c. 975; 1953, c. 1054; 1967, c. 931; 1987, c. 158; 1991, c. 531, s. 1.)

§ 66-67.1.  Disposal by repair businesses of certain unclaimed property.

(a) Disposal Authorized. - Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 44A of the General Statutes, a person who repairs, alters, treats, or improves personal property in the ordinary course of his business pursuant to an express or implied contract with an owner or legal possessor of the personal property may, upon compliance with the notice requirement of subsection (b), dispose of any personal property of a value of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or less, other than a motor vehicle, that has not been claimed by the owner or legal possessor for a period of sixty days or more after his receipt of written notice that the property is ready to be claimed.

(b) Notice Requirement. - The repair business shall, at the time the property is surrendered, have a written notice of dimensions of not less than eight and one-half by eleven inches prominently displayed in a conspicuous place in the office or shop where the property was surrendered containing the following message:  "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR GOODS LEFT ON HAND FOR MORE THAN 60 DAYS".  When the property has been repaired or otherwise processed, the repair business shall notify the owner or legal possessor of the property, by certified mail with return receipt requested, that the property is ready to be claimed.

(c) Liability. - A person who disposes of property in accordance with this section is not liable for damages to the owner of the property disposed of.

(d) Definitions. - As used in this section, the terms "legal possessor" and "owner" have the meanings provided in G.S. 44A-1. (1987, c. 386.)

§ 66-67.2.  Persons who sell used goods on consignment must keep certain records.

(a) A person who is engaged in the business of selling used tangible personal property on consignment must keep a record of each piece of property consigned to that person for sale.  The record must contain all of the following information:

(1) A description of the property, including any model or serial number of the property.

(2) The name, residence address, telephone number, and drivers license number or other identifying number of the owner of the property.

(3) The date the property was consigned.

(4) The owner's stated value of the property.

(b) The consignee shall provide the owner with a copy of the record required by subsection (a) of this section.

(c) A person who fails to keep the records required by this section is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.  A law enforcement agency may examine the records required to be kept under this section during business hours.

(d) This section does not apply to a motor vehicle.

(e) This section does not apply to any nonprofit organization exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)).  (1991, c. 536; 1993, c. 539, s. 516; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)

§ 66-67.3.  Disposal of dies, molds, forms, and patterns.

(a) Definitions. - The following definitions apply in this section:

(1) Customer. - Either of the following:

a. A person who causes or caused a molder to fabricate, cast, or otherwise make a die, mold, form, or pattern.

b. A person who causes or caused a molder to use a die, mold, form, or pattern to manufacture, assemble, or otherwise make a product.

(2) Molder. - A tool or die maker or any other person who does either of the following:

a. Fabricates, casts, or otherwise makes a die, mold, form, or pattern.

b. Uses a die, mold, form, or pattern to manufacture, assemble, or otherwise make a product.

(b) Ownership and Transfer. - A customer has all rights, title, and interest to a die, mold, form, or pattern made or used by a molder on behalf of the customer unless an agreement provides otherwise.  If the customer does not claim possession of the die, mold, form, or pattern from the molder within three years after the last time it is used, the molder may choose to obtain all rights, title, and interest to the die, mold, form, or pattern by operation of law unless a written agreement provides otherwise.

(c) Procedure. - If a molder chooses to have all rights, title, and interest to a die, mold, form, or pattern transferred to the molder by operation of law, the molder must send a written notice, by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the customer and to any known secured creditor.  The notice must state that the molder intends to terminate the customer's rights, title, and interest in a mold, die, form, or pattern by having those rights, title, and interest transferred to the molder by operation of law pursuant to this section.  The notice to the customer must be sent to the customer's last known address or, if the customer has designated in writing a different address for receipt of the notice, to the designated address.  If a return receipt cannot be obtained for a notice that is mailed, the molder may give notice by publication in accordance with G.S. 1A-1, Rule 4(j1).  The rights, title, and interest in a die, mold, form, or pattern are transferred by operation of law to a molder who gives notice as required by this section unless, within 30 days after the date the molder receives acknowledgement of the return receipt of a notice that is mailed or 45 days after the date of first publication of a notice made by publication, the customer takes possession of the die, mold, form, or pattern, or makes other contractual arrangements with the molder for taking possession of or for storing the die, mold, form, or pattern.

(d) Use Upon Transfer. - A molder to whom the rights, title, and interest in a die, mold, form, or pattern is transferred by operation of law under this section may destroy or otherwise dispose of the die, mold, form, or pattern as the molder's own property without any risk of liability to the customer.  The molder may not use the die, mold, form, or pattern for any other purpose.

(e) Scope. - This section does not affect a right of a customer under federal patent or copyright law or any state or federal law pertaining to unfair competition. (1993, c. 541, s. 9.)

§ 66-67.4.  Film and photographic print processor or computer technician to report film or computer images containing pictures of a minor engaging in sexual activity.

(a) As used in this section:

(1) "Computer technician" means any person who repairs, installs, or otherwise services any computer or computer network or system for compensation.

(2) "Minor" has the same meaning as in G.S. 14-190.13.

(3) "Processor of photographic images" means any person who, for compensation: (i) develops exposed photographic film into negatives, slides, or prints; (ii) makes prints from negatives, slides, digital images, or video; or (iii) develops, processes, transfers, edits, or enhances video or digital images.

(4) "Sexual activity" has the same meaning as in G.S. 14-190.13.

(b) Any processor of photographic images or any computer technician who, within the person's scope of employment, observes an image of a minor or a person who reasonably appears to be a minor engaging in sexual activity shall report the name and address of the person requesting the processing of the film or photographs or the owner or person in possession of the computer or computer network or system to the Cyber Tip Line at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or to the appropriate law enforcement official in the county or municipality in which the image or film was submitted.

(c) An employee of a processor of photographic images or computer technician may satisfy the requirements of this section by reporting the required information to a person designated by the employer. The person designated by the employer shall then report as required by subsection (b) of this section.

(d) Any person, their employer, or a third party complying with this section in good faith shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred as a result of the report. In any proceeding involving liability, good faith is presumed. (2007-263, s. 1.)

§ 66-67.5.  Requirements for maintenance fees for gift cards.

(a) Disclosure. - The seller or issuer of a gift card must conspicuously disclose any maintenance fee charges at the time of purchase. The disclosure must be visible on the gift card itself. No person, firm, or corporation engaged in commerce shall charge any maintenance fee on a gift card for one calendar year following the date of the purchase of the gift card.

(b) Penalty. - A seller or issuer of a gift card who violates this section commits an unfair trade practice under G.S. 75-1.1 and is subject to a civil penalty in accordance with G.S. 75-15.2.

(c) Definitions. - As used in this section, the following terms mean:

(1) Gift card. - A record evidencing a promise, made for monetary consideration, by a seller or issuer that goods or services will be provided to the owner of the record to the value shown in the record. A gift card includes a record that contains a microprocessor chip, magnetic strip, or other storage medium that is prefunded and for which the value is adjusted upon each use, a gift certificate, a stored-value card or certificate, a store card, or a prepaid long-distance telephone service that is activated by a prepaid card that required dialing an access number or an access code in addition to dialing the phone number to which the user of the prepaid card seeks to connect.

(2) Maintenance fee. - Any fee that the owner of the gift card is subject to when the gift card is redeemed, including a service or inactivity fee.

(d) Limitation. - The provisions of this section shall not apply to gift cards that are issued by a financial institution or its operating subsidiary and that are usable at multiple unaffiliated sellers of goods or services. (2007-363, s. 1.)