Michigan Laws > Chapter 48 > R.S. of 1846 – Revised Statutes of 1846


Chapter 14	Of County Officers

Terms Used In Michigan Laws > Chapter 48 > R.S. of 1846 - Revised Statutes of 1846

Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
Air contaminant: means a dust, fume, gas, mist, odor, smoke, vapor, or any combination thereof. See Michigan Laws 324.5501
Air pollution: means the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of air contaminants in quantities, of characteristics, under conditions and circumstances, and of a duration that are or can become injurious to human health or welfare, to animal life, to plant life, or to property, or that interfere with the enjoyment of life and property in this state. See Michigan Laws 324.5501
Air pollution control equipment: means any method, process, or equipment that removes, reduces, or renders less noxious air contaminants discharged into the atmosphere. See Michigan Laws 324.5501
Allegation: something that someone says happened.
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.
Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
annual meeting: when applied to townships, mean the annual meeting required by law to be held on the Saturday immediately preceding the first Monday in April. See Michigan Laws 8.3d
Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
Appraisal: A determination of property value.
Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
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.
Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
Bequest: Property gifted by will.
Board: means a county board of commissioners. See Michigan Laws 3.252
Boat livery: means a place of business or any location where a person rents or offers for rent any vessel other than a nonmotorized raft to the general public for noncommercial use on the waters of this state. See Michigan Laws 324.44501
Charter boat: means a vessel other than a nonmotorized raft that is rented or offered for rent to carry passengers for hire if the owner or the owner's agent retains possession, command, and control of the vessel. See Michigan Laws 324.44501
Clean air act: means chapter 360, 69 Stat 322, 42 USC 7401 to 7671q, and regulations promulgated under the clean air act. See Michigan Laws 324.5501
Cleaning agent: means a laundry detergent, dishwashing compound, household cleaner, metal cleaner, degreasing compound, commercial cleaner, industrial cleaner, phosphate compound, or other substance intended to be used for cleaning purposes. See Michigan Laws 324.3901
Clerk: means the clerk of a township elected under chapter XVI of Act No. See Michigan Laws 41.1b
Commercial purposes: means offering for sale, selling, giving, or furnishing to others. See Michigan Laws 324.48728
Commission: means the commission on law enforcement standards created under the commission on law enforcement standards act, 1965 PA 203, MCL 28. See Michigan Laws 28.632
Commission: means the commission of natural resources. See Michigan Laws 324.301
Commissioner: means the commissioner of insurance. See Michigan Laws 550.521
Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
contract: means a written agreement entered into between a provider and a viator in which the provider will pay consideration that is less than the expected death benefit of the viator's policy in return for the viator's assignment, transfer, sale, devise, or bequest of the death benefit or ownership of the policy to the provider. See Michigan Laws 550.521
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Conventional gravity sewer extension: means the installation of a new gravity sewer and connection to an existing collection system to provide sewer service to new areas previously not served by the public sewer system. See Michigan Laws 324.4101
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.
Crayfish: means any arthropod of the decapoda family. See Michigan Laws 324.48728
Crustacea: means any freshwater crayfish, shrimp, or prawn of the order decapoda. See Michigan Laws 324.48701
Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
Department: means the department of environmental quality. See Michigan Laws 324.30301
Department: means the director of the department of natural resources or his or her designee to whom the director delegates a power or duty by written instrument. See Michigan Laws 324.301
Department of natural resources: means the principal state department created in section 501. See Michigan Laws 324.301
Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
Devise: To gift property by will.
Director: means the director of the department. See Michigan Laws 324.30301
Director: means the director of the department of natural resources. See Michigan Laws 324.301
Election: means an election or primary election at which the electors of this state or of a subdivision of this state choose or nominate by ballot an individual for public office or decide a ballot question lawfully submitted to them. See Michigan Laws 168.2
election precinct: as used in this act shall mean a political subdivision, the area of which is embraced in its entirety within the confines of a city, ward, township or village, and for which not more than 1 polling place is provided for all qualified and registered electors residing therein. See Michigan Laws 168.654
Emission: means the emission of an air contaminant. See Michigan Laws 324.5501
Equipment: means a system, part, or component of a vessel as originally manufactured, or a system, part, or component manufactured or sold for replacement, repair, or improvement of a system, part, or component of a vessel; an accessory or equipment for, or appurtenance to, a vessel; or a marine safety article, accessory, or equipment intended for use by an individual on board a vessel; but does not include radio equipment. See Michigan Laws 324.44501
Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{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.
Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
Expedited review: means an expedited review of an application for a construction permit under section 4112. See Michigan Laws 324.4101
Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
Facility: means any disposal system, including disposal wells, or any treatment works, appliance, equipment, machinery, or installation constructed, used, or placed in operation primarily for the purpose of reducing, controlling, or eliminating water pollution caused by industrial waste. See Michigan Laws 324.3701
Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
Fee-subject air pollutant: means particulates, expressed as PM-10 pursuant to R 336. See Michigan Laws 324.5501
Fee-subject emissions: means emissions of fee-subject air pollutants. See Michigan Laws 324.5501
Fee-subject facility: means the following sources:

(i) Any major source as defined in 40 C. See Michigan Laws 324.5501

Fill material: means soil, rocks, sand, waste of any kind, or any other material that displaces soil or water or reduces water retention potential. See Michigan Laws 324.30301

firearm: except as otherwise specifically defined in statute, includes any weapon which will, is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by action of an explosive. See Michigan Laws 8.3t

Firefighter: means a regularly employed member of a fire department of a city, county, township, village, state university, or community college or any authority, district, board, or other entity created in whole or in part by 1 or more cities, counties, villages, or townships, or a member of the department of natural resources who is employed to fight fires. See Michigan Laws 28.632

Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.

Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}

Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.

Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}

Fund: means the infrastructure construction fund created in section 4113. See Michigan Laws 324.4101

Fund: means the emissions control fund created in section 5521. See Michigan Laws 324.5501

Game fish: includes all of the following:

(i) Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). See Michigan Laws 324.48701

Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.

Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,

grantee: may be construed as including every person to whom any such interest or estate passes in like manner. See Michigan Laws 8.3e

Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.

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

Industrial waste: means any liquid, gaseous, or solid waste substance resulting from any process of industry, manufacture, trade, or business, or from the development, processing, or recovery of any paper or wood, which is capable of polluting the waters of the state. See Michigan Laws 324.3701

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.

Law enforcement officer: means an individual involved in crime and juvenile delinquency control or reduction or enforcement of the criminal law. See Michigan Laws 28.632

Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.

Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}

Legacy: A gift of property made by will.

Licensed professional engineer: means a professional engineer licensed under article 20 of the occupational code, 1980 PA 299, MCL 339. See Michigan Laws 324.4101

Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.

Life insurance: means that term as defined in section 602 of the insurance code of 1956, Act No. See Michigan Laws 550.521

Line of duty: means either of the following:

(i) Any action which an officer whose primary function is crime control or reduction, enforcement of the criminal law, or suppression of fires is obligated or authorized by rule, regulations, condition of employment or service, or law to perform, including those social, ceremonial, or athletic functions to which the officer is assigned, or for which the officer is compensated, by the public agency he or she serves. See Michigan Laws 28.632

Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.

Livery boat: means a vessel, other than a nonmotorized raft, that is rented or offered for rent by a boat livery or a boat owner or his or her agent if the boat livery or boat owner or his or her agent relinquishes or offers to relinquish complete physical control of the vessel to the renter while retaining legal title to the vessel. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

local unit: means a municipality or county. See Michigan Laws 324.301

major political party: means each of the 2 political parties whose candidate for the office of secretary of state received the highest and second highest number of votes at the immediately preceding general election in which a secretary of state was elected. See Michigan Laws 168.16

Member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew: means an emergency medical technician, a medical first responder, or a paramedic, as those terms are defined in sections 20904, 20906, and 20908 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333. See Michigan Laws 28.632

Michigan conservation and recreation legacy fund: means the Michigan conservation and recreation legacy fund established in section 40 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963 and provided for in section 2002. See Michigan Laws 324.301

Minnows: means chubs, shiners, suckers, when of a size ordinarily used for bait in hook and line fishing, dace, stonerollers, muddlers, and mudminnows. See Michigan Laws 324.48728

Mollusks: means any mollusk of the classes bivalvia and gastropoda. See Michigan Laws 324.48701

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.

Motor oil: means oil used as a lubricant in a motor vehicle. See Michigan Laws 324.16701

municipalities: as used in this part means and includes a county, city, village, township, school district, metropolitan district, port district, drainage district, authority, or other governmental authority, agency, or department within or of the state with power to acquire, construct, improve, or operate facilities for the prevention or abatement of water pollution, or any combination of such governmental agencies. See Michigan Laws 324.4501

Municipality: means a city, village, or township. See Michigan Laws 324.301

Navigable waters: means those waters of the state over which this state and the United States Coast Guard exercise concurrent jurisdiction, including the Great Lakes and waters connected to the Great Lakes, to the upstream limit of navigation as determined by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

Nongame fish: includes all kinds of fish except game fish. See Michigan Laws 324.48701

Nonresident: means a person who is not a resident. See Michigan Laws 324.48701

Nutrient: means a substance or combination of substances that, when added to the waters of this state in a sufficient quantity, provide nourishment that promotes the growth of aquatic vegetation in the waters to such a density as to interfere with or be detrimental to use of the waters by human beings or by an animal, fish, or plant useful to human beings. See Michigan Laws 324.3901

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.

officer: means any individual serving a public agency or any authority, district, board, or other entity created in whole or in part by 1 or more cities, counties, villages, or townships, in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew. See Michigan Laws 28.632

Officer: means a supervisor, treasurer, clerk, or trustee. See Michigan Laws 41.1b

Oil: means petroleum based oil. See Michigan Laws 324.16701

Operate: when used with reference to a vessel, means to start any propulsion engine or to physically control the motion, direction, or speed of the vessel. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.

Owner: when used in reference to a vessel, means a person who claims lawful possession of the vessel by virtue of legal title or an equitable interest in a vessel that entitles that person to possession of the vessel. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

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.

Peace officer: means a sheriff or sheriff's deputy; village or township marshal; officer of the police department of any city, village, or township; officer of the Michigan state police; or other police officer or law enforcement officer who is trained and licensed or certified under the Michigan commission on law enforcement standards act, 1965 PA 203, MCL 28. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 324.301

Person: means an individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, municipality, this state, an instrumentality or agency of this state, the federal government, an instrumentality or agency of the federal government, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 324.30301

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.

Personal watercraft: means a vessel that meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Uses a motor-driven propeller or an internal combustion engine powering a water jet pump as its primary source of propulsion. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

Physician: means a person licensed in this or another state to practice medicine or osteopathic medicine. See Michigan Laws 550.521

Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.

Plans and specifications: means a true description or representation of the entire sewerage system and parts of a system as the sewerage system exists or is to be constructed, and also a full and fair statement of how the system is to be operated. See Michigan Laws 324.4101

Policy: means an individual life insurance policy or a certificate under a group life insurance policy. See Michigan Laws 550.521

Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.

President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.

Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.

Project: means a proposal to install within 1 general area a new wastewater collection system. See Michigan Laws 324.4101

Property rights: means the ownership of an easement over, or any other interest in, real property or water located in this state. See Michigan Laws 3.252

Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.

Provider: means a person who enters into a viatical settlement contract with a viator. See Michigan Laws 550.521

Public debt: Cumulative amounts borrowed by the Treasury Department or the Federal Financing Bank from the public or from another fund or account. The public debt does not include agency debt (amounts borrowed by other agencies of the Federal Government). The total public debt is subject to a statutory limit.

Public domain: means all land owned by this state or land deeded to this state under state law. See Michigan Laws 324.301

Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.

Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.

Recombinant nucleic acid techniques: means laboratory techniques through which genetic material is isolated and manipulated in vitro and then inserted into an organism. See Michigan Laws 324.48701

Recycle: means to prepare used oil for reuse as a petroleum product by refining, rerefining, reclaiming, reprocessing, or other means to utilize used oil in a manner that substitutes for a petroleum product made from new oil, if the preparation or use is operationally safe, environmentally sound, and complies with the law, rules, and regulations of this state and the United States. See Michigan Laws 324.16701

Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.

Reptiles: means any turtle, snake, or lizard of the class reptilia. See Michigan Laws 324.48701

Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.

Resident: means either of the following:

(i) A person who resides in a settled or permanent home or domicile with the intention of remaining in this state. See Michigan Laws 324.48701

Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.

Rule: means a rule promulgated pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24. See Michigan Laws 324.301

Schedule of compliance: means , for a source not in compliance with all applicable requirements of this part, rules promulgated under this part, and the clean air act at the time of issuance of an operating permit, a schedule of remedial measures including an enforceable sequence of actions or operations leading to compliance with an applicable requirement and a schedule for submission of certified progress reports at least every 6 months. See Michigan Laws 324.5501

seal: shall be construed to include any of the following:

(a) The impression of the seal on the paper alone. See Michigan Laws 8.3n

Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.

Sewerage system: means a system of pipes and structures including pipes, channels, conduits, manholes, pumping stations, sewage or waste treatment works, diversion and regulatory devices, outfall structures, and appurtenances, collectively or severally, actually used or intended for use by the public for the purpose of collecting, conveying, transporting, treating, or otherwise handling sanitary sewage or other industrial liquid wastes that are capable of adversely affecting the public health. See Michigan Laws 324.4101

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

Simple pumping station and force main: means the installation of a duplex pumping station and a force main with only 1 high point and of length of no more than 2,000 feet that is to be connected to an existing gravity collection system to provide sewer service to new areas previously not served by the public sewer system. See Michigan Laws 324.4101

Small diameter pressure sewer and grinder pumping station: means a single project that includes the installation of new pressure sewers totaling not more than 5,000 feet and not more than 25 grinder pumping stations with each grinder pumping station serving not more than 5 separate owners and that is to be connected to an existing gravity collection system to provide sewer service to new areas previously not served by the public sewer system. See Michigan Laws 324.4101

Source: means a stationary source as defined in 42 USC 7602, and has the same meaning as stationary source when used in comparable or applicable circumstances under the clean air act. See Michigan Laws 324.5501

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.

Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.

Statutes at large: A chronological listing of the laws enacted each Congress. They are published in volumes numbered by Congress.

Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.

Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

Supervisor: means the supervisor of a township elected under chapter XVI of the Michigan election law, Act No. See Michigan Laws 41.1b

Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.

Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.

Township board: means the township board of a township constituted as provided in section 70. See Michigan Laws 41.1b

Training or instructional purposes: means the teaching of any individual in the handling and navigation of a vessel or the techniques of waterskiing. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.

Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

Trout stream: means any stream or portion of a stream that contains a significant population of any species of trout or salmon as determined by the department. See Michigan Laws 324.48701

Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}

Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.

Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. ^{Source: OCC}

United States: means the federal government, or any agency or instrumentality of the federal government. See Michigan Laws 3.252

United States: shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o

Used oil: means oil which through use, storage, or handling has become unsuitable for its original purpose due to the presence of impurities or loss of original properties. See Michigan Laws 324.16701

Vessel: means every description of watercraft, other than a seaplane, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water irrespective of the method of operation or propulsion. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

Viator: means the owner or holder of a policy who has a terminal illness or condition and who enters into a viatical settlement contract. See Michigan Laws 550.521

Water conditioner: means a water softening chemical, antiscale chemical, corrosion inhibitor, or other substance intended to be used to treat water. See Michigan Laws 324.3901

Waters of the state: means any waters within the territorial limits of this state and includes those waters of the Great Lakes which are under the jurisdiction of this state. See Michigan Laws 324.44501

Wetland: means a land or water feature, commonly referred to as a bog, swamp, or marsh, inundated or saturated by water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support, hydric soils and a predominance of wetland vegetation or aquatic life. See Michigan Laws 324.30301

Wigglers: means Mayfly nymphs or any other aquatic insect nymphs or larvae. See Michigan Laws 324.48728