Terms Used In Oregon Statutes > Chapter 357 > State Library

• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Assessment: means any charge imposed or levied by the association of unit owners on or against a unit owner or unit pursuant to provisions of the declaration or the bylaws of the condominium or provisions of this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• association: means the association provided for under ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the 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}
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Building: means a multiple-unit building or single-unit buildings, or any combination thereof, comprising a part of the property. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• charging station: means a facility designed to deliver electrical current for the purpose of charging one or more electric motor vehicles. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Commissioner: means the Real Estate Commissioner. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Common elements: means the general common elements and the limited common elements. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• condominium unit: means a part of the property which:

  (a) Is described in ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005

• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conversion condominium: means real property that a declarant intends to submit to the condominium form of ownership under this chapter on which there is a building, improvement or structure that was occupied prior to any negotiation and that is:

  (a) Residential in nature, at least in part; and

  (b) Not wholly commercial or industrial, or commercial and industrial, in nature. See Oregon Statutes 100.005

• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• County: means the county in which the district, or the greatest length of highway to be illuminated, is located. See Oregon Statutes 372.010
• County board: means board of county commissioners or county court of a county. See Oregon Statutes 372.010
• County court: includes board of county commissioners. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Declarant: means a person who records a declaration under ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Declaration: means the instrument described in ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• 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.
• Developer: means a declarant or any person that acquires an interest in a condominium from declarant, successor declarant or subsequent developer for the primary purpose of resale. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• District: means a highway lighting district formed under this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 372.010
• domestic corporation: means a corporation for profit that is incorporated under or subject to the provisions of this chapter and that is not a foreign corporation. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• executed by the association: means signed by the secretary and the president or chairperson of the association. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. ^{Source: OCC}
• Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Flexible condominium: means a condominium containing variable property that may be redesignated, reclassified or withdrawn from the condominium pursuant to ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• 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}
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation for profit that is incorporated under laws other than the laws of the state. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Governing document: means articles of incorporation, bylaws, a declaration or a rule, regulation or resolution that was properly adopted by the association of unit owners or any other instrument or plat relating to common ownership or common maintenance of a portion of a condominium that is binding upon units within the condominium. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Highway: means any road or way open to public travel. See Oregon Statutes 372.010
• 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 or estate: includes a lessee's interest in a unit for more than three years or less than three years if the interest may be renewed under the terms of the lease for a total period of more than three years. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• judicial department: means the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Oregon Tax Court, the circuit courts and all administrative divisions of those courts, whether denominated as boards, commissions, committees or departments or by any other designation. See Oregon Statutes 174.113
• 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}
• Leasehold: means the interest of a person, firm or corporation that is the lessee under a lease from the owner in fee and that files a declaration creating a condominium under ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Limited common elements: means those common elements designated in the declaration, as reserved for the use of a certain unit or number of units, to the exclusion of the other units. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• local government: means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. See Oregon Statutes 174.116
• majority of unit owners: means more than 50 percent of the voting rights allocated to the units by the declaration. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• 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.
• Negotiation: means any activity preliminary to the execution by either developer or purchaser of a unit sales agreement, including but not limited to advertising, solicitation and promotion of the sale of a unit. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Nonwithdrawable variable property: means property which pursuant to ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• 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.
• percentage of owners: means the percent of the voting rights determined under ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• 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.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• public body: means state government bodies, local government bodies and special government bodies. See Oregon Statutes 174.109
• Purchaser: means an actual or prospective purchaser of a condominium unit pursuant to a sale. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• 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.
• Recorded: means to cause to be recorded by the county officer in the real property records for each county in which the condominium is located. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Recording officer: means the county officer charged with the duty of filing and recording deeds and mortgages or any other instruments or documents affecting the title to real property. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• 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.
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• 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.
• Reservation agreement: means an agreement relating to the future sale of a unit which is not binding on the purchaser and which grants purchaser the right to cancel the agreement without penalty and obtain a refund of any funds deposited at any time until purchaser executes a unit sales agreement. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Sale: means any disposition or transfer of a condominium unit, or an interest or estate therein, by a developer, including the offering of the property as a prize or gift when a monetary charge or consideration for whatever purpose is required by the developer. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• 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.
• Special declarant right: means any right, in addition to the regular rights of the declarant as a unit owner, reserved for the benefit of or created by the declarant under the declaration, bylaws or the provisions of this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Staged condominium: means a condominium that provides for annexation of additional property pursuant to ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• state government: means the executive department, the judicial department and the legislative department. See Oregon Statutes 174.111
• State Treasury: includes those financial assets the lawful custody of which are vested in the State Treasurer and the office of the State Treasurer relating to the custody of those financial assets. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• 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.
• Successor declarant: means the transferee of any special declarant right. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Termination date: means that date described in ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• Turnover meeting: means the meeting provided for under ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Unit designation: means the number, letter or combination thereof designating a unit in the declaration and on the plat. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
• Variable property: means property described in ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Violate: includes failure to comply. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Voting rights: means the portion of the votes allocated to a unit by the declaration in accordance with ORS § 100. See Oregon Statutes 100.005
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.