Terms Used In New York Laws > General Municipal > Article 17-A > Title 4 - Miscellaneous Provisions

• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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.
• 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.
• Consolidation: shall mean either (a) the combination of two or more local government entities resulting in the termination of the existence of each of the entities to be consolidated and the creation of a new entity which assumes jurisdiction over all of the terminated entities, or (b) the combination of two or more local government entities resulting in the termination of the existence of all but one of the entities which shall absorb the terminated entity or entities. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 750
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dissolution: shall mean the termination of the existence of a local government entity. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 750
• entity: shall mean a town, village, district, special improvement district or other improvement district, including, but not limited to, special districts created pursuant to articles eleven, twelve, twelve-A or thirteen of the town law, library districts, and other districts created by law; provided, however, that a local government entity shall not include school districts, city districts or special purpose districts created by counties under county law. See N.Y. General Municipal Law 750
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• 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.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• 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.