Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 481 - Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture

• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Architecture: means the rendering or offering to render services in connection with the design and construction of a structure or group of structures which have as their principal purpose human habitation or use, and the utilization of space within and surrounding such structures. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Articles of incorporation: includes original, amended, and restated articles of incorporation, articles of share exchange, and articles of merger, and all amendments thereto. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• Authorized shares: means the shares of all classes a domestic or foreign corporation is authorized to issue. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• Board: means the Board of Landscape Architecture. See Florida Statutes 481.303
• Board: means the Board of Architecture and Interior Design. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Business organization: means a partnership, a limited liability company, a corporation, or an individual operating under a fictitious name. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Certificate of registration: means a license issued by the department to a natural person to engage in the practice of landscape architecture. See Florida Statutes 481.303
• Certificate of registration: means a license or registration issued by the department to a natural person to engage in the practice of architecture or interior design. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• 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.
• Department: means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 481.303
• Department: means the Department of Health. See Florida Statutes 382.002
• Department: means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Department: means the Florida Department of State. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• Effective date: means , when referring to a document accepted for filing by the department, the date and time determined in accordance with…. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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.
• Interest: means :
  (a) A share in a corporation for profit;
  (b) A membership in a nonprofit corporation;
  (c) A partnership interest in a general partnership, including a limited liability partnership;
  (d) A partnership interest in a limited partnership, including a limited liability limited partnership;
  (e) A membership interest in a limited liability company;
  (f) A share or beneficial interest in a real estate investment trust;
  (g) A member's interest in a limited cooperative association;
  (h) A beneficial interest in a statutory trust, business trust, or common law business trust; or
  (i) A governance interest or distributional interest in another entity. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• Interior decorator services: includes the selection or assistance in selection of surface materials, window treatments, wallcoverings, paint, floor coverings, surface-mounted lighting, surface-mounted fixtures, and loose furnishings not subject to regulation under applicable building codes. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Interior design: includes , but is not limited to, reflected ceiling plans, space planning, furnishings, and the fabrication of nonstructural elements within and surrounding interior spaces of buildings. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• 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.
• Landscape architecture: means professional services, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (a) Consultation, investigation, research, planning, design, preparation of drawings, specifications, contract documents and reports, responsible construction supervision, or landscape management in connection with the planning and development of land and incidental water areas, including the use of Florida-friendly landscaping as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 481.303
• Landscape design: means consultation for and preparation of planting plans drawn for compensation, including specifications and installation details for plant materials, soil amendments, mulches, edging, gravel, and other similar materials. See Florida Statutes 481.303
• Markup: The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.
• minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• 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.
• 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• registered architect: means a natural person who is licensed under this part to engage in the practice of architecture. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Registered interior designer: means a natural person who holds a valid certificate of registration to practice interior design. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Registered landscape architect: means a person who holds a license to practice landscape architecture in this state under the authority of this act. See Florida Statutes 481.303
• 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.
• Responsible supervising control: means the exercise of direct personal supervision and control throughout the preparation of documents, instruments of service, or any other work requiring the seal and signature of a licensee under this part. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• 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.
• Shareholder: means a record shareholder. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• Shares: means the units into which the proprietary interests in a corporation are divided. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• Space planning: means the analysis, programming, or design of spatial requirements, including preliminary space layouts and final planning. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Townhouse: means a single-family dwelling unit not exceeding three stories in height which is constructed in a series or group of attached units with property lines separating such units. See Florida Statutes 481.203
• Treasury shares: means shares of a corporation that belong to the issuing corporation, which shares are authorized and issued shares that are not outstanding, are not canceled, and have not been restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares. See Florida Statutes 607.01401
• 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