Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes > Chapter 7B > Article 8 - Hearing Procedures

• Abandoned: Ceased from maintenance or use by the person with legal right to the real property with the intent of not again maintaining the real property in the foreseeable future. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-85
• 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.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
• Bank of belowground crypts: means any construction unit of belowground crypts acceptable to the Commission which a cemetery uses to initiate its belowground crypt program or to add to existing belowground crypt structures. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• Belowground crypts: consists of an interment space in preplaced chambers, either side by side or multiple depth, covered by earth and sod and are also known as lawn crypts, westminsters or turf top crypts. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• 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}
• Cemetery: means any one or a combination of more than one of the following in a place used or to be used and dedicated or designated for cemetery purposes:

• 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.
• Columbarium: means a structure or building substantially exposed aboveground intended to be used for the interment of the cremated remains of a deceased person. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• Commission: means the North Carolina Cemetery Commission. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• corporate trustee: as used in this Article shall mean a bank, credit union, or trust company authorized to do business in North Carolina under the supervision of the Commissioner of Banks, Credit Union Administrator, or any other corporate entity; provided that any corporate entity other than a bank, credit union, or trust company which acts as trustee under this Article shall first be approved by the Cemetery Commission and shall be subject to supervision by the Cemetery Commission as provided herein. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-60.1
• 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.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• 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.
• Department: The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-85
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• 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.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• 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.
• following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• Grave: A place of burial for a single decedent. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-85
• Grave space: means a space of ground in a cemetery intended to be used for the interment in the ground of the remains of a deceased person. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• 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.
• in writing: may be construed to include printing, engraving, lithographing, and any other mode of representing words and letters: Provided, that in all cases where a written signature is required by law, the same shall be in a proper handwriting, or in a proper mark. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
• 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}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Mausoleum: means a structure or building substantially exposed aboveground intended to be used for the entombment of remains of a deceased person. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• Mausoleum section: means any construction unit of a mausoleum acceptable to the Commission which a cemetery uses to initiate its mausoleum program or to add to its existing mausoleum structures. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• month: shall be construed to mean a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed; and the word "year" a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed; and the word "year" alone shall be equivalent to the expression "year of our Lord. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Neglected: Left unattended or uncared for through carelessness or intention and lacking a caretaker. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-85
• 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: means an individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, or association. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• personal property: shall include moneys, goods, chattels, choses in action and evidences of debt, including all things capable of ownership, not descendable to heirs at law. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Public cemetery: A cemetery for which there is no qualification to purchase, own, or come into possession of a grave in that cemetery. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-85
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• remains: means the bodies of deceased persons, and includes the bodies in any stage of decomposition, and cremated remains. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• 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.
• 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.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Truth in Lending Act: The Truth in Lending Act is a federal law that requires lenders to provide standardized information so that borrowers can compare loan terms. In general, lenders must provide information on ^{Source: OCC}
• United States: shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Vault: means a crypt or underground receptacle which is used for interment in the ground and which is designed to encase and protect caskets or similar burial devices. See North Carolina General Statutes 65-48