Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 7 > Division 1 > Chapter 3 - Local Planning

• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• 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
• 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.
• 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
• 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
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• 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.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• 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.
• 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: as used in this article , means the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System. See California Government Code 31882
• board: means the board of supervisors of a county. See California Government Code 77002
• Case law: The law as laid down in cases that have been decided in the decisions of the courts.
• 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

• 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
• 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.
• Controller: as used in this chapter , or any other provision of law relating to the chapter, shall be construed to refer to and mean the "Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System". See California Government Code 75005
• Controller: means the State Controller. See California Government Code 77013
• 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
• 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.
• 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 Health and Safety Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Corporations Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Public Resources Code 14
• county: includes a city and county. See California Government Code 77012
• court operations: means all of the following:

  California Government Code 77003

• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• 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 State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
• 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.
• Director: means "State Director of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 21
• 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
• 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.
• 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}
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• filing fees: means any and all fees and charges, liberally construed, collected or collectible for filing, processing, including service of process, copying, endorsing, or for any other service related to court operations as defined in Section 77003. See California Government Code 77008
• 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
• fiscal year: means a year commencing on July 1 and ending on the next June 30. See California Health and Safety Code 33492.28
• 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.
• 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
• 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
• 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,
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• 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}
• 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
• 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.
• Jury instructions: A judge's directions to the jury before it begins deliberations regarding the factual questions it must answer and the legal rules that it must apply. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• Pension board: as used in this article , means the board of retirement. See California Government Code 31884
• Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Health and Safety Code 19
• 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
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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.
• 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
• 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
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• 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
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• 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 Health and Safety Code 23
• 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: 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.
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• subordinate judicial officers: includes all commissioner or referee positions created prior to July 1, 1997, including positions created in the municipal court prior to July 1, 1997, which thereafter became positions in the superior court as a result of unification of the municipal and superior courts in a county, and including those commissioner positions created pursuant to former Sections 69904, 70141, 70141. See California Government Code 77003
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• 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.
• 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.
• trial court: means a superior court. See California Government Code 77007
• trial court funding: means the amount of state funds provided for the operation of the trial courts, as defined in Section 77003, appropriated in the Budget Act, and allocated or reallocated by the Judicial Council. See California Government Code 77006.5
• 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
• 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.