Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 1 > Division 4.5 - Mediation and Conciliation Service

• 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.
• Agency: means the Resources Agency. See California Public Resources Code 5812
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• 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.
• automobile dismantler: includes a person not otherwise expressly excluded by Section 221 who keeps or maintains on real property owned by the person, or under their possession or control, either of the following vehicles or catalytic converters, whether for the purpose of resale of used parts, for the purpose of reclaiming for use some or all of the materials, whether metal, glass, fabric, or otherwise, or to dispose of them, or for any other purpose:

  California Vehicle Code 220

• Board: means the State Public Works Board. See California Government Code 15802
• Board: means the State Allocation Board. See California Education Code 17087
• Bonds: as used in this chapter , means revenue bonds authorized by this chapter. See California Health and Safety Code 4956
• business: includes a proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and any other form of commercial enterprise. See California Vehicle Code 234
• candidate: includes any officeholder who is subject to a recall election. See California Elections Code 305
• chop shop: is a ny building, lot, or other premises where any person has been engaged in altering, destroying, disassembling, dismantling, reassembling, or storing any motor vehicle or motor vehicle part known to be illegally obtained by theft, fraud, or conspiracy to defraud, in order to do either of the following:

  California Vehicle Code 250

• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• Clerk: means the county elections official, registrar of voters, city clerk, or other officer or board charged with the duty of conducting any election. See California Elections Code 307
• Commissioner: means any county agricultural commissioner. See California Food and Agricultural Code 26
• compensation: means the remuneration paid out of funds controlled by the employer in payment for the member's services performed during normal working hours or for time during which the member is excused from work because of any of the following:

  California Government Code 20630

• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Construction: includes the extension, enlargement, repair, renovation, restoration, improvement, furnishing, and equipping of any public building. See California Government Code 15802
• Contamination: means an impairment of the quality of the waters of the state by waste to a degree which creates a hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease. See California Health and Safety Code 5410
• converter: is a person, other than a vehicle manufacturer, who, prior to the retail sale of a new vehicle, does any of the following to the vehicle:

  California Vehicle Code 267

• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes city and county. See California Health and Safety Code 14
• County: includes every county and city and county within this State. See California Vehicle Code 270
• County: includes "city and county. See California Public Resources Code 14
• County: includes city and county. See California Food and Agricultural Code 29
• Dealer: is a person not otherwise expressly excluded by Section 286 who:

  California Vehicle Code 285

• 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 Parks and Recreation and "director" means the Director of Parks and Recreation. See California Public Resources Code 5001.1
• department: means State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
• Department: means the Department of Motor Vehicles except, when used in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 2100) of Division 2 and in Divisions 11 (commencing with Section 21000), 12 (commencing with Section 24000), 13 (commencing with Section 29000), 14 (commencing with Section 31600), 14. See California Vehicle Code 290
• Department: means the Department of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 32
• Departments: means the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Fish and Game, and the California Coastal Conservancy. See California Public Resources Code 5812
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Director: means "State Director of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 21
• disabled person: is a ny of the following:

  California Vehicle Code 295.5

• disabled veteran: is a ny person who, as a result of injury or disease suffered while on active service with the armed forces of the United States, suffers any of the following:

  California Vehicle Code 295.7

• District: as used in this chapter , includes city, county, city and county, or any municipal or public corporation or district which is authorized to acquire, construct, own, or operate a sewer system. See California Health and Safety Code 4951
• Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
• Elections official: means any of the following:

  California Elections Code 320

• Elector: means a person who is a United States citizen 18 years of age or older and, except as specified in subdivision (b), is a resident of an election precinct in this state on or before the day of an election. See California Elections Code 321
• 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.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• General election: means either of the following:

  California Elections Code 324

• Green Party: means the Green Party of California. See California Elections Code 7900
• Highway: is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See California Vehicle Code 360
• 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.
• 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}
• 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}
• lessor-retailer: is a lessor or renter who, except under the circumstances described in subdivision (a) of Section 286, makes a retail sale or sales of a previously leased or rented vehicle or vehicles to other than any of the following:

  California Vehicle Code 373

• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Local agency: means any city, county, special district, or other public entity in the state. See California Government Code 3610
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• motor vehicle: includes a recreational vehicle as that term is defined in subdivision (a) of §. See California Vehicle Code 415
• 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.
• Nominate: means the selection, at a state-conducted primary election, of candidates who are entitled by law to participate in the general election for that office, but does not mean any other lawful mechanism that a political party may adopt for the purposes of choosing the candidate who is preferred by the party for a nonpartisan or voter-nominated office. See California Elections Code 332.5
• Nomination documents: means declaration of candidacy and nomination papers. See California Elections Code 333
• Nonpartisan office: means an office, except for a voter-nominated office, for which no party may nominate a candidate. See California Elections Code 334
• Nuisance: means anything which: (1) is injurious to health, or is indecent or offensive to the senses, or an obstruction to the free use of property, so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property, and (2) affects at the same time an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, although the extent of the annoyance or damage inflicted upon individuals may be unequal, and (3) occurs during, or as a result of, the treatment or disposal of wastes. See California Health and Safety Code 5410
• 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.
• owner: is a person having all the incidents of ownership, including the legal title of a vehicle whether or not such person lends, rents, or creates a security interest in the vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 460
• Party: means a political party or organization that has qualified for participation in any primary or presidential general election. See California Elections Code 338
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Person: as used in this article also includes any city, county, district, the state or any department or agency thereof. See California Health and Safety Code 5410
• Person: includes a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Vehicle Code 470
• Person: means any individual, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, or any organized group of persons whether incorporated or not. See California Food and Agricultural Code 38
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• 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.
• Polling place: means a location where a voter casts a ballot and includes the following terms, as applicable: poll, polling location, and vote center. See California Elections Code 338.5
• Pollution: means an alteration of the quality of the waters of the state by waste to a degree which unreasonably affects: (1) such waters for beneficial uses, or (2) facilities which serve such beneficial uses. See California Health and Safety Code 5410
• Primary election: includes all primary nominating elections provided for by this code. See California Elections Code 341
• 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
• Property: includes all property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of this part. See California Government Code 15802
• Public building: includes any structure, building, facility, or work that a state agency has jurisdiction of, or is authorized to design or construct, including, but not limited to, infrastructure, parking lots, landscaping, and other ancillary facilities, including furnishings and equipment, incidental to the use of any building, and also includes the site thereof, and any easements or rights of way appurtenant thereto or necessary for its full use. See California Government Code 15802
• public entity: means any county, city, or public district. See California Public Resources Code 5800
• Rates: as used in this chapter , includes rates and charges. See California Health and Safety Code 4955
• Regional board: means any California regional water quality control board created pursuant to §. See California Health and Safety Code 5410
• registered owner: is a person registered by the department as the owner of a vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 505
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 35
• Signature: includes either of the following:

  California Elections Code 354.5

• Special election: is a n election, the specific time for the holding of which is not prescribed by law. See California Elections Code 356
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Health and Safety Code 23
• State agency: includes any state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission, organization, or agency including, without limitation, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, and the Judicial Council. See California Government Code 15802
• State School Building Aid Fund: means that fund established pursuant to Section 16096. See California Education Code 17087
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• vehicle: is a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See California Vehicle Code 670
• Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
• Voter-nominated office: means a congressional or state elective office for which a candidate may choose to have his or her party preference or lack of party preference indicated upon the ballot. See California Elections Code 359.5
• Waste: includes sewage and any and all other waste substances, liquid, solid, gaseous, or radioactive, associated with human habitation, or of human or animal origin, or from any producing, manufacturing, or processing operation of whatever nature. See California Health and Safety Code 5410
• Waters of the state: means any water, surface or underground, including saline waters, within the boundaries of the state. See California Health and Safety Code 5410
• Works: as used in this chapter , includes any or all of the following facilities, including, but not limited to, necessary lands, rights-of-way, or other property:

  California Health and Safety Code 4950

• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.