Terms Used In California Codes > Revenue and Taxation Code > Division 2 > Part 10.5 > Chapter 2 > Article 1 - General Provisions and Definitions

• 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}
• City: includes incorporated city, city and county, municipal corporation, municipality, town, and incorporated town. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 14
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Controller: means the State Controller. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 21
• County: includes "city and county. See California Public Resources Code 14
• County: includes city and county. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 15
• 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.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
• Manufactured home: includes both of the following:

  California Revenue and Taxation Code 20639.2

• owned: includes (1) the interest of a vendee in possession under a land sale contract provided that the contract or memorandum thereof is recorded and only from the date of recordation of the contract or memorandum thereof in the office of the county recorder where the residential dwelling is located, (2) the interest of the holder of a life estate provided that the instrument creating the life estate is recorded and only from the date of recordation of the instrument creating the life estate in the office of the county recorder where the residential dwelling is located, but "owned" does not include the interest of the holder of any remainder interest or the holder of a reversionary interest in the residential dwelling, (3) the interest of a joint tenant or a tenant in common in the residential dwelling or the interest of a tenant where title is held in tenancy by the entirety or a community property interest where title is held as community property, and (4) the interest, including the interest of a beneficiary of a special needs trust, in the residential dwelling in which the title is held in trust, as described in subdivision (d) of Section 62, provided that the Controller determines that the state's interest is adequately protected. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 20583
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• 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.
• Residential dwelling: means a dwelling occupied as the principal place of residence of the claimant and so much of the land surrounding it as is reasonably necessary for use of the dwelling as a home, owned by the claimant, the claimant and spouse, or by the claimant and either another individual eligible for postponement under this chapter or an individual described in subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 20511 and located in this state. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 20583
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 12.2
• Tenancy by the entirety: A type of joint tenancy between husband and wife that is recognized in some States. Neither party can sever the joint tenancy relationship; when a spouse dies, the survivor acquires full title to the property.
• User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.