Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes > Title 10 > Chapter 9 > Part 3 > Subpart 1 - Law Governing Perfection and Priority

• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• 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.
• Airline: means a company engaged in the business of transporting passengers and/or property for hire on regularly scheduled flights within, into, or from this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Assessed benefits: means the increased value accruing to lands and other property by reason of the improvements set out in the plan for reclamation. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:1601
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• 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.
• Commercial fishing boat: shall mean any water craft used in the occupation of fishing for profit. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1690
• Company: means a person, firm, association, organization, partnership, or corporation. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Credit: includes every claim and demand for money, labor, merchandise and other valuable things. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1702
• 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.
• 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.
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Electric membership corporation: means any non-profit association or corporation organized pursuant to Title 12, Chapter 4, Part I of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, which is engaged in the business of manufacturing, generating, supplying, or manufacturing, generating and supplying electricity for light, heat, or power to consumers in this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Electric power company: means a company primarily engaged in the business of manufacturing, generating, supplying, or manufacturing, generating and supplying electricity for light, heat, or power to consumers in this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Enrolled bill: The final copy of a bill or joint resolution which has passed both chambers in identical form. It is printed on parchment paper, signed by appropriate officials, and submitted to the President/Governor for signature.
• 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.
• Express company: means a company engaged in the business of conveying merchandise or other articles by express for hire within, through, into, or from this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• farm machinery: shall mean and include all motor propelled or motor operated mechanical devices used on a farm in the tilling of the soil and the production of crops, but shall not include any vehicle licensed for use on the public highways of this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1690
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• front footage: as used in this Part shall mean the footage of each lot or parcel of real estate abutting the right of way, street, or drainage way along which the drainage line is constructed. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:1585
• front footage: as used in this Part shall mean the footage of each lot or parcel of real estate abutting the right of way, street, or drainage way along which the drainage line is constructed. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:1596.5
• Gas company: means a company engaged in the business of supplying artificial or natural gas through pipe or tubing for light, heat, or power to consumers in the state and which is regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission or by the governing authority of a political subdivision pursuant to Section 21 of Article IV of thethe Louisiana Constitution of 1974. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Gasoline: shall mean any motor fuel which is subject to tax under Part I of Chapter 7 of Sub-title II of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1690
• Immovable property: means all things fixed and immovable by nature, destination or object, or disposition of law, whether owned or leased for a definite and specific term stated or which are continuously used or operated in Louisiana, including, but not limited to land, real estate, depots and station houses, buildings, tracks, repair and other shops, storage and other warehouses, excavations, channels, pole lines, docks, piers, or any structure or construction of permanent or quasi-permanent character. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• 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}
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• 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}
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Major movable property: means all movable and regularly moved locomotives, cars, vehicles, craft, barges, boats, and similar things which have not the character of immovable property, either owned or leased for a definite and specific term, including, but not limited to, the engines, cars, and all rolling stock of railroad companies; the boats, barges, and other watercraft and floating equipment of barge line and towing companies; the rolling stock of private car companies; the flight equipment of airlines; but not including "other movable property" as defined in Subsection J. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• movable property: means and includes all things other than real estate which have any pecuniary value, all monies, credits, investments in bonds, stocks, franchises, shares in joint stock companies, or otherwise. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1702
• 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.
• Other movable property: means all other property, corporeal or incorporeal, not included within the definitions of "immovable property" or "major movable property" and not immovable by nature or by disposition of law, which are so owned, leased, and so operated or used, including, but not limited to, material and supplies, inventories, fuel, leased rail, tools, furniture and fixtures, machinery, scales, pumps, water wells, communication equipment used solely in such enterprises and not available to the public, landing piers, docks, and all similar equipment. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Owner: means the owner of record, and it shall not include usufructuaries, lessees, mortgagees, or trustees, who shall be considered as represented by the record owner for all purposes. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:1601
• 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 a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
• Pipeline company: means any company that is engaged primarily in the business of transporting oil, natural gas, petroleum products, or other products within, through, into, or from this state, and which is regulated by (1) the Louisiana Public Service Commission, (2) the Interstate Commerce Commission, or (3) the Federal Power Commission, as a "natural gas company" under the Federal Natural Gas Act, 15 U. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• police jury: means the governing authority of the various parishes. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:1601
• Private car company: means a company whose railway rolling stock, used either for freight or passenger purposes and whether owned or leased, is operated over any railroad within, through, into, or from this state, but not the rolling stock of any regularly incorporated railroad. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Property: includes every form, character and kind of property, real, personal, and mixed, tangible and intangible, corporeal and incorporeal, and every share, right, title or interest therein or thereto, and every right, privilege, franchise, patent, copyright, trade-mark, certificate, or other evidence of ownership or interest; bonds, notes, judgments, credits, accounts, or other evidence of indebtedness, and every other thing of value, in possession, on hand, or under the control, at any time during the calendar year for which taxes are levied, within the State of Louisiana, of any person, firm, partnership, association of persons, or corporation, foreign or domestic whether the same be held, possessed, or controlled, as owner, agent, pledgee, mortgagee, or legal representative, or as president, cashier, treasurer, liquidator, assignee, master, superintendent, manager, sequestrator, receiver, trustee, stakeholder, depository, warehouseman, keeper, curator, executor, administrator, legatee, heir, beneficiary, parent, attorney, usufructuary, mandatary, fiduciary, or other capacity, whether the owner be known or unknown; except in the cases of fire, life, or other insurance companies, the notes, judgments, accounts, and credits of nonresident persons, firms, corporations, partnerships, associations, or companies doing business in the State of Louisiana, originating from the business done in this state, are hereby declared to be property with its situs within this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1702
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public service properties: means the immovable, major movable, and other movable property owned or used but not otherwise assessed in this state in the operations of each airline, electric membership corporation, electric power company, express company, gas company, pipeline company, railroad company, telegraph company, telephone company, and water company. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Railroad company: means a company primarily engaged in the business of operating a railroad or terminal either wholly or partially within this state on right-of-way owned, leased, or held exclusively by the company. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Refundable purposes: shall mean the operating or propelling of any aircraft, any commercial fishing boat, any vehicle used by a licensed commercial fisherman in the administration of business associated with commercial fishing, any boat used to transport children to or from public or parochial schools, any farm tractor or any farm machinery used in the actual tilling of the soil and production of crops or any stationary motor used for agricultural purposes. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1690
• Rolling stock: includes any kind of locomotive, car, or sleeping car used either for freight or passenger purposes, that may be operated over any railroad within this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1702
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Simple resolution: Designated "S. Res.," simple resolutions are used to express nonbinding positions of the Senate or to deal with the Senate's internal affairs, such as the creation of a special committee. They do not require action by the House of Representatives.
• square footage: shall mean the area of land measured in square feet to be drained by the improvements to be constructed. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:1585
• square footage: shall mean the area of land measured in square feet to be drained by the improvements to be constructed. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:1596.5
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Tax commission: means the Louisiana Tax Commission as established in Title 47, Section 1831 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, or its successor. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• taxpayers: includes firms, companies, associations and corporations; all words importing the masculine gender apply to females also, and all words in the plural number apply to single individuals in all cases in which the spirit and intent of this Chapter require it. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1702
• Telegraph company: means a company primarily engaged in the business of transmitting telegraph messages within, through, into, or from this state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Telephone company: means a company primarily engaged in the business of transmitting telephone messages within, through, into, or from this state; however, the term "telephone company" shall not include any company that:

  (1)  Primarily is engaged in the business of owning, operating, or managing a radio common carrier, as defined in La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851

• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Water company: means a company primarily engaged in the business of supplying water through pipe or tubing to consumers in this state with the exception of those exempt by thethe Louisiana Constitution of 1974, Article VII, Section 21(B)(1). See Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1851
• Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.