Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes > 65 ILCS 5 > Article 11 > Art 11 prec Div 117 - Municipal Utilities

• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• deception: means knowingly to:
       (a) Create or confirm another's impression which is false and which the offender does not believe to be true; or
       (b) Fail to correct a false impression which the offender previously has created or confirmed; or
       (c) Prevent another from acquiring information pertinent to the disposition of the property involved; or
       (d) Sell or otherwise transfer or encumber property, failing to disclose a lien, adverse claim, or other legal impediment to the enjoyment of the property, whether such impediment is or is not valid, or is or is not a matter of official record; or
       (e) Promise performance which the offender does not intend to perform or knows will not be performed. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/15-4
• decree: is synonymous with the word "judgment". See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.24
• 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.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• 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.
• Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• 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.
• 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}
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Heretofore: means any time previous to the day on which the statute takes effect; and the word "hereafter" at any time after such day. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.17
• 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.
• individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.36
• 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.
• 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}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Month: means a calendar month, and the word "year" a calendar year unless otherwise expressed; and the word "year" alone, is equivalent to the expression "year of our Lord. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.10
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Municipalities: has the meaning established in Section 1 of Article VII of the Constitution of the State of Illinois of 1970. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.27
• 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: means a person, other than the offender, who has possession of or any other interest in the property involved, even though such interest or possession is unlawful, and without whose consent the offender has no authority to exert control over the property. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/15-2
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• property: means anything of value. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/15-1
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• public utility: when used in this Division 117, means and includes any plant, equipment, or property, and any franchise, license, or permit, used or to be used (1) for or in connection with the transportation of persons or property, or the conveyance of telegraph or telephone messages; or (2) for the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of cold, heat, light, power, water, or for the conveyance of oil or gas by pipe lines; or (3) for the storage or warehousing of goods; or (4) for the conduct of the business of a wharfinger. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 65 ILCS 5/11-117-2
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• sworn: shall be construed to include the word "affirmed. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.12
• threat: means a menace, however communicated, to:
       (a) Inflict physical harm on the person threatened or any other person or on property; or
       (b) Subject any person to physical confinement or restraint; or
       (c) Commit any criminal offense; or
       (d) Accuse any person of a criminal offense; or
       (e) Expose any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule; or
       (f) Harm the credit or business repute of any person; or
       (g) Reveal any information sought to be concealed by the person threatened; or
       (h) Take action as an official against anyone or anything, or withhold official action, or cause such action or withholding; or
       (i) Bring about or continue a strike, boycott or other similar collective action if the property is not demanded or received for the benefit of the group which he purports to represent; or
       (j) Testify or provide information or withhold testimony or information with respect to another's legal claim or defense; or
       (k) Inflict any other harm which would not benefit the offender. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/15-5
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• 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.
• 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.
• United States: may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.