Terms Used In California Codes > Business and Professions Code > Division 7 > Part 2 > Chapter 4 > Article 4 - Civil Liability

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• 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.
• Agent: means a person who was an officer or director of a corporation, as defined in subdivision (e), at the time the fraudulent acts occurred, was named in a final criminal restitution order in connection with the fraudulent acts, and was acting in the person's capacity as the corporation's officer or director when committing the fraudulent acts. See California Corporations Code 2281
• 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.
• 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.
• Application: means a request for payment from the fund submitted to the Secretary of State pursuant to this chapter. See California Corporations Code 2281
• 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
• 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.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Board: as used in this article , means the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System. See California Government Code 31882
• Board: means the State Mining and Geology Board. See California Public Resources Code 2693
• child: means a member's child who is dependent upon such member at the time of his death and while such child is unmarried and:

  California Government Code 31843

• child: means a member's child who, when the member dies, is both dependent on the member and unmarried, as well as any of the following:

  California Government Code 31855.3

• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• Claimant: means an aggrieved person who resides in the state at the time of the fraud and who submits an application pursuant to this chapter. See California Corporations Code 2281
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Commission: means the Seismic Safety Commission. See California Public Resources Code 2811
• Commission: means the Seismic Safety Commission. See California Public Resources Code 2693
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: means a domestic corporation as defined by Section 162 or 2509 or a foreign corporation that is qualified to transact business in California pursuant to Section 2105. See California Corporations Code 2281
• Council of governments: means a single or multicounty council created by a joint powers agreement pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 1 of Title 1. See California Government Code 65582
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes "city and county. See California Corporations Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Public Resources Code 14
• county: includes the City and County of San Francisco. See California Public Resources Code 2693
• 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: whenever used in this code , unless the context otherwise requires, means the State Department of Education. See California Education Code 89
• Department: means the Department of Housing and Community Development. See California Government Code 65582
• 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.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• effective date: means January 1, 1977. See California Corporations Code 2300
• Electronic transmission by the corporation: means a communication (a) delivered by (1) facsimile telecommunication or electronic mail when directed to the facsimile number or electronic mail address, respectively, for that recipient on record with the corporation, (2) posting on an electronic message board or network which the corporation has designated for those communications, together with a separate notice to the recipient of the posting, which transmission shall be validly delivered upon the later of the posting or delivery of the separate notice thereof, or (3) other means of electronic communication, (b) to a recipient who has provided an unrevoked consent to the use of those means of transmission for communications under or pursuant to this code, and (c) that creates a record that is capable of retention, retrieval, and review, and that may thereafter be rendered into clearly legible tangible form. See California Corporations Code 20
• Electronic transmission to the corporation: means a communication (a) delivered by (1) facsimile telecommunication or electronic mail when directed to the facsimile number or electronic mail address, respectively, which the corporation has provided from time to time to shareholders or members and directors for sending communications to the corporation, (2) posting on an electronic message board or network which the corporation has designated for those communications, and which transmission shall be validly delivered upon the posting, or (3) other means of electronic communication, (b) as to which the corporation has placed in effect reasonable measures to verify that the sender is the shareholder or member (in person or by proxy) or director purporting to send the transmission, and (c) that creates a record that is capable of retention, retrieval, and review, and that may thereafter be rendered into clearly legible tangible form. See California Corporations Code 21
• element: means the housing element of the community's general plan, as required pursuant to this article and subdivision (c) of Section 65302. See California Government Code 65582
• eligible spouse: means an individual who is caring for one or more of the children (as defined in Section 31843) of a deceased member and who is:

  California Government Code 31842

• 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.
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• executed: when used with respect to the documents filed pursuant to this code or pursuant to regulations adopted under this code, and presented to the Secretary of State, include a document bearing a signature under subdivision (a). See California Corporations Code 17.1
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Final judgment: means a judgment, arbitration award, or criminal restitution order for which appeals have been exhausted or for which the period for appeal has expired, enforcement of which is not barred by the order of any court or by any statutory provision, which has not been nullified or rendered void by any court order or statutory provision, and for which the claimant has not otherwise been fully reimbursed. See California Corporations Code 2281
• Fireman: as used in this article , means any employee in a position designated as a fireman's position by the board. See California Government Code 31887
• Flood hazard zone: means an area subject to flooding that is delineated as either a special hazard area or an area of moderate hazard on an official flood insurance rate map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. See California Government Code 65007
• 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.
• Frequent user coordinated care housing services: means housing combined with other supportive services for homeless persons identified by a city or county as the most costly, frequent users of publicly funded emergency services. See California Government Code 65582
• Fund: means the Victims of Corporate Fraud Compensation Fund created by Section 2280. See California Corporations Code 2281
• Geotechnical report: means a report prepared by a certified engineering geologist or a civil engineer practicing within the area of his or her competence, which identifies seismic hazards and recommends mitigation measures to reduce the risk of seismic hazard to acceptable levels. See California Public Resources Code 2693
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• 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}
• 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.
• Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
• 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}
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
• Judgment debtor: means a corporation or agent against which a judgment, arbitration award, or criminal restitution order has been entered for conduct constituting intentional fraud. See California Corporations Code 2281
• jurisdiction: means a city, city and county, or county. See California Government Code 65582
• 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.
• Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Mitigation: means those measures that are consistent with established practice and that will reduce seismic risk to acceptable levels. See California Public Resources Code 2693
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. ^{Source: OCC}
• new law: means this division of the Corporations Code as amended by act of the California Legislature, 1975-76 Regular Session, effective January 1, 1977, and as in effect on that date. See California Corporations Code 2300
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Notice: includes all papers and orders required to be served in any proceedings before any court, board, or officer, or when required by law to be served independently of such proceeding. See California Government Code 26660
• office: means the Office of Emergency Services. See California Public Resources Code 2811
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• parent: means :

  California Government Code 31844

• parent: means the father or mother of the deceased member who at the time of the death of such member was not less than 62 years of age and was receiving not less than one-half of his or her support from the member, and who has not remarried since the member's death. See California Government Code 31855.4
• Parkfield characteristic earthquake: means an earthquake that has, among other qualities, a magnitude between 5. See California Public Resources Code 2801
• Parkfield prototype earthquake prediction system: means a dense cluster of instruments along the Parkfield section of the San Andreas fault which monitors earthquake activity, local distortion of the Earth's crust, strain levels, creep adjustments along the fault, and other phenomena which may be useful in making a short-term earthquake prediction. See California Public Resources Code 2801
• Pension board: as used in this article , means the board of retirement. See California Government Code 31884
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Corporations Code 18
• Petition: includes any form of pleading brought pursuant to Section 65751, whether it is a petition, complaint, cross-complaint, complaint in intervention, or any other form. See California Government Code 65750
• Petitioner: includes a petitioner, plaintiff, cross-complainant, or intervenor who files an action of any kind pursuant to Section 65751. See California Government Code 65750
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• 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.
• Policeman: as used in this article includes sheriffs, undersheriffs, deputy sheriffs and any other employee of a county in a position designated as a policeman's position by the board. See California Government Code 31886
• 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}
• 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.
• Preparedness: means long-term preearthquake hazard mitigation, reconstruction, and recovery planning and preparation for emergency response. See California Public Resources Code 2811
• prior law: means the applicable law as in effect prior to January 1, 1977. See California Corporations Code 2300
• Probate: Proving a will
• Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
• Process: includes all writs, warrants, summons, and orders of courts of justice, or judicial officers. See California Government Code 26660
• project: means either of the following:

  California Public Resources Code 2621.6

• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Proxy voting: The practice of allowing a legislator to cast a vote in committee for an absent legislator.
• public agency: includes the federal government or any federal department or agency, this state, any other state or any state department or agency, a county, city, public corporation, or public district of this state or any other state. See California Government Code 31895
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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}
• 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.
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• 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.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley: means lands in the bed or along or near the banks of the Sacramento River or San Joaquin River, or their tributaries or connected therewith, or upon any land adjacent thereto, or within the overflow basins thereof, or upon land susceptible to overflow therefrom. See California Government Code 65007
• School building: as used in this article means and includes any building used, or designed to be used, for elementary or secondary school purposes and constructed, reconstructed, altered, or added to, by the state or by any city or city and county, or by any political subdivision, or by any school district of any kind within the state, or by any regional occupational center or program created by or authorized to act by an agreement under joint exercise of power, or by the United States government, or any agency thereof. See California Education Code 17283
• 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.
• Short-term prediction: means a prediction of an earthquake that is expected to occur within a few hours to a few weeks. See California Public Resources Code 2801
• Signature: includes mark when the signer cannot write, such signer's name being written near the mark by a witness who writes his own name near the signer's name. See California Corporations Code 17
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Corporations Code 12.2
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Government Code 12.2
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Education Code 77
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• Supportive housing: means housing with no limit on length of stay, that is occupied by the target population, and that is linked to an onsite or offsite service that assists the supportive housing resident in retaining the housing, improving his or her health status, and maximizing his or her ability to live and, when possible, work in the community. See California Government Code 65582
• Supportive services: include , but are not limited to, a combination of subsidized, permanent housing, intensive case management, medical and mental health care, substance abuse treatment, employment services, and benefits advocacy. See California Government Code 65582
• Target population: means persons with low incomes who have one or more disabilities, including mental illness, HIV or AIDS, substance abuse, or other chronic health condition, or individuals eligible for services provided pursuant to the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Division 4. See California Government Code 65582
• 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.
• Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• total benefits: means the retirement allowance or other benefit payable to any beneficiary pursuant to the provisions of this chapter plus any other monetary payments due to the same beneficiary from any public agency. See California Government Code 31895.5
• 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.
• Transitional housing: means buildings configured as rental housing developments, but operated under program requirements that require the termination of assistance and recirculating of the assisted unit to another eligible program recipient at a predetermined future point in time that shall be no less than six months from the beginning of the assistance. See California Government Code 65582
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Undetermined risk area: means an urban or urbanizing area within a moderate flood hazard zone, as delineated on an official flood insurance rate map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has not been determined to have an urban level of protection. See California Government Code 65007
• Urban area: means a developed area in which there are 10,000 residents or more. See California Government Code 65007
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.