Collector Richard Hopp of Van Nuys, California, is battling the city of Los Angeles and its police department over their definitions of "dealers." In November 2008 Hopp filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city and sought "Declaratory Relief to Determine Validity of Ordinances and Injunction."
Richard Hopp is a bail bondsman by profession and "an avid collector of books, documents, and ephemera as a hobby," to quote from his suit. Hopp stated that he sets up at "exhibitions, festivals, meetings, flea markets, swap meets, trade shows, garage sales, and collector meetings" and wishes to have an "exhibitor table" or "buying booth" at the events listed above. He claims that he's just a collector, though, and not a dealer or seller.
The city of Los Angeles has two ordinances relating to the regulation of secondhand book dealers and secondhand dealers in general. Those ordinances are enforced by the police department. That department has decided that Richard Hopp is "a secondhand book dealer" and must comply with the city's rules regulating those individuals.
Read the rest of the story at Maine Antique Digest.
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