Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes > Chapter 805 > Nonprofit Corporations
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.
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.
Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
Appraisal: A determination of property value.
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.
Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
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.
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
Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
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.
Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
County board: means the board of county commissioners in counties not under township organization, and the board of supervisors in counties under township organization, and the board of commissioners of Cook County. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.07
Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
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.
Devise: To gift property by will.
Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
Donor: The person who makes a gift.
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.
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.
Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
Felony: A crime carrying a penalty of more than a year in prison.
Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
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
Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC
Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
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
Germane: On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
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,
Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. Source: OCC
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.
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
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
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.
Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
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
Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
Interstate carrier: means any person engaged in the for-hire transportation of persons or property in interstate or foreign commerce in this State, whether or not such transportation is pursuant to authority issued to it by the Interstate Commerce Commission. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
Interstate commerce: means commerce between a point in the State of Illinois and a point outside the State of Illinois, or between points outside the State of Illinois when such commerce moves through Illinois, or between points in Illinois moving through another state in a bona fide operation that is either exempt from federal regulation or moves under a certificate or permit issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission authorizing interstate transportation, whether such commerce moves wholly by motor vehicle or partly by motor vehicle and partly by any other regulated means of transportation where the commodity does not come to rest or change its identity during the movement, and includes commerce originating or terminating in a foreign country moving through the State of Illinois. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
Intrastate commerce: means commerce moving wholly between points within the State of Illinois, whether such commerce moves wholly by one transportation mode or partly by one mode and partly by any other mode of transportation. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
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.
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.
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
Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
Legal tender: coins, dollar bills, or other currency issued by a government as official money. Source: U.S. Mint
Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
Misdemeanor: Usually a petty offense, a less serious crime than a felony, punishable by less than a year of confinement.
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.
Motor carrier: means any person engaged in the transportation of property or passengers, or both, for hire, over the public roads of this State, by motor vehicle. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
Motor vehicle: means any vehicle, truck, trucktractor, trailer or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used upon the highways of the State in the transportation of property or passengers. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
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
National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) Source: OCC
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: means with regard to all proceedings except enforcement proceedings instituted on the motion of the Commission, and except for interstate motor carrier registrations, public notice by publication in the official state newspaper, unless otherwise provided in this Chapter. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
oath: shall be deemed to include an affirmation, and the word "sworn" shall be construed to include the word "affirmed. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.12
Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
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.
Official state newspaper: means the newspaper designated and certified to the Commission annually by the Director of Central Management Services of the State of Illinois, or, if said Director fails to certify to the Commission the name and address of the official newspaper selected by the Director prior to expiration of the previous certification, the newspaper designated in the most recent certification. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
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.
Party: means any person admitted as a party to a Commission proceeding or seeking and entitled as a matter of right to admission as a party to a Commission proceeding. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
Person: means any natural person or legal entity, whether such entity is a proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, or other entity, and, where a provision concerns the acts or omissions of a person, includes the partners, officers, employees, and agents of the person, as well as any trustees, assignees, receivers, or personal representatives of the person. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
Personal property: All property that is not real property.
Petty offense: A federal misdemeanor punishable by six months or less in prison. Source: U.S. Courts
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.
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.
Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
Rate: means every individual or joint rate, fare, toll, or charge of any carrier or carriers, any provisions relating to application thereof, and any tariff or schedule containing rates and provisions. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
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.
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.
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.
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.
Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
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.
Transportation: means the actual movement of property or passengers by motor vehicle (without regard to ownership of vehicles or equipment used in providing transportation service) or rail together with loading, unloading, and any other accessorial or ancillary service provided by the carrier in connection with movement by motor vehicle or rail, which is performed by or on behalf of the carriers, its employees or agents, or under the authority or direction of the carrier or under the apparent authority or direction and with the knowledge of the carrier. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/18c-1104
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.
Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC
Usury: Charging an illegally high interest rate on a loan. Source: OCC
Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
