Terms Used In Oregon Statutes > Chapter 98 - Lost, Unclaimed or Abandoned Property; Vehicle Towing

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Adjudicated youth: means a person who has been found to be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under ORS § 419C. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• 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.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Any other state: includes any state and the District of Columbia. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Applicant: means any person or group that develops and submits a written proposal for a public charter school to a sponsor. See Oregon Statutes 338.005
• 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.
• Articles of incorporation: means the articles described in ORS § 60. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
• Authorized shares: means the shares of all classes that a domestic or foreign corporation is authorized to issue. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• 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.
• 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}
• Board: means the Oregon Health and Science University Board of Directors established under ORS § 353. See Oregon Statutes 353.010
• Certificate of limited partnership: means the certificate referred to in ORS § 70. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Child: means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the individual's parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Child support order: means a support order for a child, including a child who has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state or foreign country. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• 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.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contribution: means any cash, property, services rendered, or a promissory note or other binding obligation to contribute cash or property or to perform services, that a partner contributes to a limited partnership in the capacity as a partner. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Convention: means the Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, concluded at The Hague on November 23, 2007. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• County court: includes board of county commissioners. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Court: means the juvenile court. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Delivery: means any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including by hand, mail, commercial delivery and, in accordance with ORS § 60. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Department: means the Department of Human Services. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• district attorney: shall include county counsel appointed pursuant to ORS § 203. See Oregon Statutes 312.005
• domestic corporation: means a corporation for profit that is incorporated under or subject to the provisions of this chapter and that is not a foreign corporation. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Domestic limited liability company: means an entity that is an unincorporated association having one or more members and that is organized under ORS Chapter 63. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Domestic nonprofit corporation: means a corporation not for profit incorporated under ORS Chapter 65. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Domestic professional corporation: means a corporation organized under ORS Chapter 58 for the purpose of rendering professional services and for the purposes provided under ORS Chapter 58. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Duty of support: means an obligation imposed or imposable by law to provide support for a child, spouse or former spouse, including an unsatisfied obligation to provide support. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• En banc: In the bench or "full bench." Refers to court sessions with the entire membership of a court participating rather than the usual quorum. U.S. courts of appeals usually sit in panels of three judges, but may expand to a larger number in certain cases. They are then said to be sitting en banc.
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• 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}
• Event of withdrawal of a general partner: means an event that causes a person to cease to be a general partner as provided in ORS § 70. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• 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.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and state banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. ^{Source: OCC}
• Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• 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.
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation for profit incorporated under laws other than the laws of this state. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Foreign country: means a country, or a political subdivision of a country, other than the United States, that authorizes the issuance of support orders and:

  (a) That has been declared under the law of the United States to be a foreign reciprocating country;

  (b) That has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with this state as provided in ORS § 110. See Oregon Statutes 110.503

• Foreign limited liability company: means an entity that is an unincorporated association organized under laws other than the laws of this state and that is organized under a statute under which an association may be formed that affords to each of the entity's members limited liability with respect to liabilities of the entity. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Foreign limited partnership: means a partnership formed under laws other than the laws of this state and having as partners one or more general partners and one or more limited partners. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Foreign nonprofit corporation: means a corporation not for profit organized under laws other than the laws of this state. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Foreign professional corporation: means a professional corporation organized under laws other than the laws of this state. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Foreign support order: means a support order of a foreign tribunal. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Foreign tribunal: includes a competent authority under the Convention. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gender identity: means an individual's gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior, regardless of whether the identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that associated with the gender assigned to the individual at birth. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• General partner: means a person who has been admitted to a limited partnership as a general partner in accordance with the partnership agreement and named in the certificate of limited partnership as a general partner. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Home state: means the state or foreign country in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as parent for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the time of filing of a petition or comparable pleading for support and, if a child is less than six months old, the state or foreign country in which the child lived from birth with the parent or person acting as parent. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Income: includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to money from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support under the law of this state. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Income withholding order: means an order or other legal process directed to an obligor's employer or other debtor issued pursuant to ORS § 25. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Individual: means a natural person or the estate of an incompetent individual or a deceased individual. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Initiating tribunal: means the tribunal of a state or foreign country from which a petition or comparable pleading is forwarded or in which a petition or comparable pleading is filed for forwarding to another state or foreign country. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Intangible property: Property that has no intrinsic value, but is merely the evidence of value such as stock certificates, bonds, and promissory notes.
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Issuing state: means the state in which a tribunal issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Issuing tribunal: means the tribunal of a state or foreign country that issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• judicial department: means the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Oregon Tax Court, the circuit courts and all administrative divisions of those courts, whether denominated as boards, commissions, committees or departments or by any other designation. See Oregon Statutes 174.113
• Juvenile court: means the court having jurisdiction of juvenile matters in the several counties of this state. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Law: includes decisional and statutory law and rules and regulations having the force of law. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• 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}
• Legal tender: coins, dollar bills, or other currency issued by a government as official money. ^{Source: U.S. Mint}
• Limited partner: means a person who has been admitted to a limited partnership as a limited partner in accordance with the partnership agreement. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Obligor: means an individual, or the estate of a decedent, that:

  (a) Owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support;

  (b) Is alleged but has not been adjudicated to be a parent of a child;

  (c) Is liable under a support order; or

  (d) Is a debtor in a proceeding under ORS § 110. See Oregon Statutes 110.503

• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• Oregon Health and Science University: means the Oregon Health and Science University public corporation created under ORS § 353. See Oregon Statutes 353.010
• Outside this state: means a location in another state or a country other than the United States, whether or not the country is a foreign country. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Parent: means the biological or adoptive mother and the legal parent of the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Partner: means a limited or general partner. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Partnership agreement: means any valid agreement, written or oral, of the partners as to the affairs of a limited partnership and the conduct of the business of the limited partnership. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Partnership interest: means a partner's share of the profits and losses of a limited partnership and the right to receive distributions of partnership assets. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Person: means an individual, partnership, limited partnership (domestic or foreign), association or corporation. See Oregon Statutes 70.005
• Person: means an individual or entity. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government, governmental subdivision, agency, instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• 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}
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Proceeding: means a civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory action. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public charter school: means an elementary or secondary school offering a comprehensive instructional program operating under a written agreement entered into between a sponsor and an applicant and operating pursuant to this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 338.005
• Public corporation: means an entity that is created by the state to carry out public missions and services. See Oregon Statutes 353.010
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• public notice: means any legal publication which requires an affidavit of publication as required in ORS § 193. See Oregon Statutes 174.104
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Records: means any information in written form, pictures, photographs, charts, graphs, recordings or documents pertaining to a case. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Registering tribunal: means a tribunal in which a support order or judgment determining parentage of a child is registered. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• 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.
• 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.
• Responding state: means a state in which a petition or comparable pleading for support or to determine parentage of a child is filed or to which a petition or comparable pleading is forwarded for filing from another state or a foreign country. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Responding tribunal: means the authorized tribunal in a responding state or foreign country. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Sexual orientation: means an individual's actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Shareholder: means a person in whose name a share is registered in the records of a corporation or the beneficial owner of a share to the extent of the rights granted by a nominee certificate on file with a corporation. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Single voting group: means a voting group, the shares of which are entitled by the articles of incorporation or this chapter to vote generally on a matter. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• special government body: means any of the following:

  (a) A public corporation created under a statute of this state and specifically designated as a public corporation. See Oregon Statutes 174.117

• Spousal support order: means a support order for a spouse or former spouse of the obligor. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, any territory or insular possession under the jurisdiction of the United States or an Indian nation or tribe. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• state government: means the executive department, the judicial department and the legislative department. See Oregon Statutes 174.111
• State Treasury: includes those financial assets the lawful custody of which are vested in the State Treasurer and the office of the State Treasurer relating to the custody of those financial assets. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• 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.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subscriber: means a person who subscribes for shares in a corporation, whether before or after incorporation. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Support enforcement agency: means a public official, governmental entity or private agency authorized to:

  (a) Seek enforcement of support orders or laws relating to the duty of support;

  (b) Seek establishment or modification of child support;

  (c) Request determination of parentage of a child;

  (d) Attempt to locate obligors or their assets; or

  (e) Request determination of the controlling child support order. See Oregon Statutes 110.503

• Support order: means a judgment, decree, order, decision or directive, whether temporary, final or subject to modification, issued in a state or foreign country for the benefit of a child, a spouse or a former spouse, that provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, retroactive support or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• 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.
• Tribunal: means a court, administrative agency or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child. See Oregon Statutes 110.503
• 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}
• victim: includes the legal guardian of the minor. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Voting group: means all shares of one or more classes or series that under the articles of incorporation or this chapter are entitled to vote and be counted together collectively on a matter at a meeting of shareholders. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Ward: means a person within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under ORS § 419B. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Youth: means a person under 18 years of age who is alleged to have committed an act that is a violation, or, if done by an adult would constitute a violation, of a law or ordinance of the United States or a state, county or city. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004