Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 45-24.4 - Special Development Districts

• 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.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Certificate of approval: means the document issued by a special development district commission approving an application for construction, erection, alteration, demolition, or use of a structure or land within a special development district, and pursuant to which a building permit may be issued. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• Commission: means a special development district commission designated by a city council pursuant to this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• 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.
• 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.
• Development map: means a map of a special development district that shows the parcels into which the district may have been divided according to the plan of development. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• 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}
• 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.
• 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}
• 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.
• Permit: means a building permit issued by a city building inspector. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• Person: means a natural person or any other legal entity, including, but not limited to, a corporation, firm, partnership, or trust. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• plan: means a plan, including design and development criteria and regulations, for the development of a special development district adopted by a special development district commission pursuant to this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• 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.
• Regulations: means the rules regulating the construction, erection, alteration, demolition, or use of a structure or land within a special development district adopted by a special development commission pursuant to a plan of development. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Special development district: means an area of a city established, designated, laid out, or defined by a city council pursuant to this chapter because it is or may be the subject of combined federal, state, local, and private action relating to a railroad relocation project. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Structure: means a building or anything that is constructed or erected and that requires location on the ground or attachment to something located on the ground. See Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.4-3
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• town council: include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9