By Paul Goldfinger,MD,m Editor @Blogfinger
Are you considering buying a yard sale (aka “garage sale, basement sale, lawn sale”) permit for the 14th Annual Blogfinger Town-wide Yard Sale on Saturday, June 7, 2025? If so, this article is for you.
Let’s begin with parking at the Municipal Building. Drive west on Corlies Ave (Rt. 33) and turn right past Walgreens onto Davis Avenue. The hospital’s Hope Tower is to your left. Then enter the parking lot to your right and park where it says “visitors.”
When you enter the Mother Ship, turn right into the Code and Construction Department where you go to the counter.
Code and Construction Dept.at the Mother Ship. Blogfinger photo
On the counter are the garage sale license blanks which you must fill out before they will talk to you. On the front page is where your information goes. You are applying for a “garage sale” license (ie permit) and you will receive a paper license for you to post at the sale. The source for “garage sale” regulations is Neptune Ordinance 4-20
Don’t you think it is cruel for the Township to call our event a “garage sale” given the dearth of garages in the Grove? I would have preferred a “grassy strip” sale license.
The hardest question on the form is the first:
“What are your block and lot numbers?” You should look that up before you go there, but if you forget, there is a book on the counter where you can research the question, but the print is tiny. Bring someone with you who has good vision.
You are asked to list three consecutive dates because the permit is only good for 3 consecutive days. On the other side of the page are a full page of single spaced “regulations.” They begin by defining a garage sale as including a yard sale, but also restricting the event to only used items (why?) owned by the resident of the premises. I suggest you put June 7 first followed by June 8 (our rain date; and my birthday.) And lastly June 9.
If the sale requires moving it to June 8 due to drenching rain, you will not have to get another permit. We verified that today at the licensing office.
The license is valid only for the licensed premises, and it used to say that “participants in a multiple yard sale must each obtain a license.” I did not see that when I went for a license, and the ordinance says no such thing. It helps sales if the homeowner can round up some friends to bring over their own stuff. Let us know if you have multiple sellers at your address. We will say that in your listing.
At the bottom of page two you must sign and date. You cannot sign for another person, so if you are thinking of picking up a permit for your neighbor, you cannot, unless you get some blank forms in advance for advance signing.
On the third page are rules about placing yard sale notices around town. It says “Signs shall comply with Section 416 of the Land Development ordinance of the Township of Neptune.”
The license from Neptune says, “No signs permitted off the premises.” Later it says you can only stick signs on private property provided you get the owner’s permission, and the signs should be attached to stakes. (Why?). We assume that private property means the land under your house that you lease from the CMA which the Zoning officer says “is a business!” Go tell that to the CMA President and to Neptune United who has been perusing possible illegal tax breaks for the CMA. Why would they do that?
They also give you a piece of paper that says, ‘”Poles and posters don’t mix.” It says, “State law prohibits the posting of signs or outdoor advertising on any utility poles. ”
In case you want to know the actual wording about signs as stated on the garage sale papers—here it is:
Display of Garage Sale Signs: Signs shall comply with Section 416 of the Land Development Ordinance of the Township of Neptune.
Section PM-304.19 entitled Graffiti:
No person shall place upon or in any manner deface, post hand bills or mark with chalk, ink, paint, or any other substance upon any structure, fence, pole, rock, tree or other object maintaining thereon any words, devices, trademarks, advertisement, graffiti, pictures or notices not required by law to be posted. The person violating this section or the owner of the property, if the violator is unknown shall be responsible to restore the surface defaced to an approved state of repair as may be required by the Code Official
My interpretation of all this is that you can put one of our fliers onto your porch . So please pick up a flier on our porch box. (113 Mt. Hermon Way at Delaware) As far as I am concerned, such a flier represents freedom of speech. And if anyone gives you trouble, we will organize a group to go visit the ACLU. We used to put yard sale fliers on the telephone polls, and it was a fun way to advertise for shindigs in town. But now the township will send its paramilitary crew to tear them down.
Tell the woman at the counter that you are involved in the Town-Wide Yard Sale, and you will be charged $5.00 instead of $10.00. They will issue you a piece of paper called, “Neptune Township Garage Sale License.” It says, “This permit must be posted in public view in a conspicuous location.” So we can post this permit for a yard sale, but we cannot post our flier announcing our yard sales. Really??
Another rule says that yard sales must occur between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Why is that? Besides it sounds like you “must” stay open between 8 and 5. Our yard sales are officially between 9 am-3 pm. But you should stay open for as long as you wish. What the hey? I have a copy of the US Constitution which protects us from pogroms by the Neptuners.
You can only have two yard sale licenses within 12 months. So if you can stand the idea of doing it again in less than 12 months, you can, but you will need another permit.
You cannot impede pedestrian traffic or create a nuisance. (Did you hear that Eileen?)
And finally: Why does Neptune want to charge money for a homeowner or renter to have a yard sale? Other towns around here do not. (Wall, Ocean). What other event around here charges for permits?
Today there are a bunch of interlopers who have shut down our streets downtown for a “Spring Fling”. Do those people who are selling things have to get a permit? After all, why should they have a fling without a permit? They probably need to pay a fee to the Chamber of Commercials, but how about a Neptune permit like we require for a yard sale.
And how about the farmers who will sell veggies once each week in beautiful downtown OG? I hope they don’t need a permit, but if not, how about ending the yard sailors’ permit requirement?
Someone like the Home Groaners should follow the money trail when outsiders clog our town to sell crap to other outsiders and spoil the spirit and beauty and character of our historic Ocean Grove on the most valuable Saturdays in season. Leave something for We-The-People.
DUKE ELLINGTON AND LOUIS ARMSTRONG. “Just Squeeze Me, But Please Don’t Tease Me.” (It’s a Neptune Township ordinance)
