Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 189 > Part VII - Merger and Dissolution

• 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.
• 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.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Component independent special district: means an independent special district that proposes to be merged into a merged independent district, or an independent special district as it existed before its merger into the merged independent district of which it is now a part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dependent special district: means a special district that meets at least one of the following criteria:
  (a) The membership of its governing body is identical to that of the governing body of a single county or a single municipality. See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Elector-initiated merger plan: means the merger plan of two or more independent special districts, a majority of whose qualified electors have elected to merge, which outlines the terms and agreements for the official merger of the districts and is finalized and approved by the governing bodies of the districts pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Governing body: means the governing body of the independent special district in which the general legislative, governmental, or public powers of the district are vested and by authority of which the official business of the district is conducted. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Independent special district: means a special district that is not a dependent special district as defined in subsection (2). See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Initiative: means the filing of a petition containing a proposal for a referendum to be placed on the ballot for election. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Joint merger plan: means the merger plan that is adopted by resolution of the governing bodies of two or more independent special districts that outlines the terms and agreements for the official merger of the districts and that is finalized and approved by the governing bodies pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• judicial office: includes the office of:
  (a) Justice of the Supreme Court. See Florida Statutes 105.011
• 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.
• Merged independent district: means a single independent special district that results from a successful merger of two or more independent special districts pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Merger: means the combination of two or more contiguous independent special districts resulting in a newly created merged independent district that assumes jurisdiction over all of the component independent special districts. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Merger plan: means a written document that contains the terms, agreements, and information regarding the merger of two or more independent special districts. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• oath: includes affirmations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Proposed elector-initiated merger plan: means a written document that contains the terms and information regarding the merger of two or more independent special districts and that accompanies the petition initiated by the qualified electors of the districts but that is not yet finalized and approved by the governing bodies of each component independent special district pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Proposed joint merger plan: means a written document that contains the terms and information regarding the merger of two or more independent special districts and that has been prepared pursuant to a resolution of the governing bodies of the districts but that is not yet finalized and approved by the governing bodies of each component independent special district pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Qualified elector: means an individual at least 18 years of age who is a citizen of the United States, a permanent resident of this state, and a resident of the district who registers with the supervisor of elections of a county within which the district lands are located when the registration books are open. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Special district: means a unit of local government created for a special purpose, as opposed to a general purpose, which has jurisdiction to operate within a limited geographic boundary and is created by general law, special act, local ordinance, or by rule of the Governor and Cabinet. See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01