Terms Used In Michigan Laws > Chapter 451 > Act 148 of 1975 - Debt Management Act

• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Business of debt management: means providing or offering to provide debt management to 1 or more residents of this state. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Certified counselor: means an individual who is certified by a training program or certifying organization, approved by the director, that authenticates the competence of individuals who provide education and assistance to other individuals in connection with debt counseling and financial counseling functions. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Counselor: means a certified counselor who is an employee or agent of a licensee who engages in financial counseling and debt counseling functions. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Creditor: means a person for whose benefit a licensee collects and disperses money. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Debt management: means the planning and management of the financial affairs of a debtor and the receipt of money from the debtor for distribution to 1 or more of the debtor's creditors in payment or partial payment of the debtor's obligations. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Debtor: means a person from which money is collected for the benefit of a creditor of the debtor. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Department: means the department of insurance and financial services. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Director: means the director of the department or his or her authorized representative. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fair share program: means a program in which voluntary contributions are made by some creditors to a licensee based on a percentage of the amount disbursed by the licensee on behalf of a debtor. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Fees and charges of the licensee: means the total amount of money charged a debtor by a licensee, including the $50. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• felony: when used in this act, shall be construed to mean an offense for which the offender, on conviction may be punished by death, or by imprisonment in state prison. See Michigan Laws 750.7
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• in writing: shall be construed to include printing, engraving, and lithographing; except that if the written signature of a person is required by law, the signature shall be the proper handwriting of the person or, if the person is unable to write, the person's proper mark, which may be, unless otherwise expressly prohibited by law, a clear and classifiable fingerprint of the person made with ink or another substance. See Michigan Laws 8.3q
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• License: means a written certificate or exemption order issued by the director under this act. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Licensee: means a person that is licensed, or is required to be licensed, under this act to perform debt management services and is located inside or outside the boundaries of this state. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Locator service: means a telephone service that automatically connects callers to a network of member service providers, based on geographic location or another parameter. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• month: means a calendar month; the word "year" a calendar year; and the word "year" alone shall be equivalent to the words "year of our Lord". See Michigan Laws 8.3j
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: shall be construed to include the word "affirmation" in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath; and in like cases the word "sworn" shall be construed to include the word "affirmed". See Michigan Laws 8.3k
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Office: means each location, described by street name, building number, city, and state, where a person engages in the business of debt management. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, joint stock company, trust if the interests of the beneficiaries are evidenced by a security, limited liability company, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• shall not apply: means that the pertinent provision is not operative as to certain persons or things or in conjunction with a particular date or dates. See Michigan Laws 8.4c
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Sweep arrangement: means an arrangement that provides for a temporary or permanent transfer of funds from 1 trust account to another trust account when a predetermined time, account balance, or other condition occurs or is fulfilled. See Michigan Laws 451.412
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• United States: shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o