Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 31 > Chapter 3 - Housing Authorities Law

• Administrator: means the administrator of the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs. See South Carolina Code 37-17-20
• 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.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
• 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.
• Buyer: means a purchaser of a motor vehicle under the terms of a retail installment contract. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Consumer: means a natural person who is the object of a telephone solicitation. See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• Continuing care contract: means a contract to provide board or lodging together with nursing, medical, or other health-related services:
  
  (a) to a person sixty-five years of age or older at the time the contract is signed or purchased; or
  
  (b) which provides for services for the life of the person or for more than one year, including mutually terminable contracts; and
  
  (c) which requires payment of an entrance fee or other fee in return for a promise of future care. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• Continuing care retirement community: means a community in which there is furnished, pursuant to a continuing care contract, to two or more persons not related to the administrator or owner of the facility within the third degree of consanguinity, board or lodging together with nursing, medical, or other health-related services, regardless of whether the services or lodging are provided at the same location or not. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. ^{Source: OCC}
• Customer: means an individual who pays for the right to receive the benefits of a discount medical plan. See South Carolina Code 37-17-20
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• 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: means the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• Department: means the Department of Consumer Affairs. See South Carolina Code 37-16-10
• Department: means the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs. See South Carolina Code 37-17-20
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Discount medical plan organization: means an entity that, in exchange for fees, dues, charges, or other consideration, provides access for customers to providers of health care services and the right to receive health care services from those providers at a discount. See South Carolina Code 37-17-20
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Entrance fee: means a payment that assures a resident a place in a facility. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• 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.
• Established business relationship: means a relationship between the consumer and the person on whose behalf the telephone solicitation call is being made based on the consumer's:
  
  (a) purchase from, or transaction with, the person on whose behalf the telephone solicitation is being made within the eighteen months immediately preceding the solicitation date; or
  
  (b) inquiry or application regarding a property, good, or service offered by the person on whose behalf the telephone solicitation is being made within the three months immediately preceding the solicitation date. See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• 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.
• Facility: means the place in which an operator undertakes to provide continuing care to a person. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• 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}
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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.
• Fixed Rate: Having a "fixed" rate means that the APR doesn't change based on fluctuations of some external rate (such as the "Prime Rate"). In other words, a fixed rate is a rate that is not a variable rate. A fixed APR can change over time, in several circumstances:
  • You are late making a payment or commit some other default, triggering an increase to a penalty rate
  • The bank changes the terms of your account and you do not reject the change.
  • The rate expires (if the rate was fixed for only a certain period of time).
• 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}
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• 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.
• Handling charge: means a charge, fee, or sum of money that is paid by a consumer to receive a prize, gift, or an item of value including, but not limited to, promotional fees, redemption fees, registration fees, or delivery costs. See South Carolina Code 37-15-20
• Health care services: means any care, service, or treatment of an illness or dysfunction of, or injury to, the human body. See South Carolina Code 37-17-20
• Health-related services: includes a degree of personal assistance in feeding, dressing, or other essential daily living activities. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• item: means an item or service with monetary value. See South Carolina Code 37-15-20
• 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: means an agreement between a lessor and lessee where the lessee obtains the possession and use of a motor vehicle for the period of time, for the purposes, and for the consideration set forth in the agreement whether or not the agreement includes an option to purchase the motor vehicle. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• 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}
• Lessee: means a person who obtains possession and use of a motor vehicle through a motor vehicle lease agreement. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Lessor: means a person who in the regular course of business or as a part of regular business activity leases motor vehicles under motor vehicle lease agreements or purchases motor vehicle lease agreements or a sales finance company that purchases motor vehicle lease agreements. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• 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.
• Living unit: means a room, apartment, cottage, or other area within a facility set aside for the exclusive use or control of one or more identified residents. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• Marketer: means a corporation, partnership, or other business entity including, but not limited to, a health maintenance organization, an insurance company, or third party payor, who sells, markets, promotes, advertises, or distributes a discount medical plan or other purchasing mechanism or device that purports to offer discounts or access to discounts from the health care providers described in item (3) in this State on behalf of a discount medical plan organization. See South Carolina Code 37-17-20
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. ^{Source: OCC}
• National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• 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.
• Operator: means the promoter, developer, or owner of a continuing care retirement community or of an institution, building, residence, or other place, whether operated for profit or not, or a person who solicits or undertakes to provide continuing care under a continuing care facility contract. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• 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, a partnership, a corporation, an association, or other group however organized. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Person: means an individual, corporation, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See South Carolina Code 37-15-20
• Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, unincorporated organization, or other form of entity, however organized. See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Personal relationship: means the relationship between a telephone solicitor making a telephone solicitation and a family member, friend, or acquaintance of that telephone solicitor. See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• 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}
• Prepaid legal company: means a person or entity offering prepaid legal services to the general public or a segment of the general public. See South Carolina Code 37-16-10
• Prepaid legal services: means legal services or reimbursement for legal services provided by an individual licensed or admitted to practice law in the jurisdiction in which the services are to be rendered, and which are provided in return for a predetermined, specified, periodic fee. See South Carolina Code 37-16-10
• Prize promotion: means :
  
  (a) a sweepstakes or other game of chance; or
  
  (b) an oral or written representation that a person has won, has been selected to receive, or may be eligible to receive a prize or purported prize. See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• 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.
• 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.
• Representative: means an individual who is designated by a discount medical plan organization, as defined in this section, and acts or aids on behalf of the discount medical plan organization in the solicitation, negotiation, or renewal of a discount medical plan with respect to South Carolina citizens. See South Carolina Code 37-17-20
• Resident: means a purchaser of, a nominee of, or a subscriber to a continuing care contract. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Secured party: means a lender, a seller, or other person in whose favor there is a security interest including a person to whom accounts or retail installment sales contracts have been sold. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Security interest: means an interest in personal property that secures performance of an obligation. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• 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.
• 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.
• Sublease: means an agreement whether written or oral to transfer:
  
  (a) to a third party possession of a motor vehicle which is and, while in that third party's possession, remains the subject of a security interest which secures performance of a retail installment contract or consumer loan;
  
  (b) or assign to a third party any of the buyer's rights, interests, or obligations under the retail installment contract or consumer loan;
  
  (c) to a third party possession of a motor vehicle which is and, while in the third party's possession, remains the subject of a motor vehicle lease agreement; or
  
  (d) or assign to a third party any of the lessee's or buyer's rights, interests, or obligations under the motor vehicle lease agreement. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Sublease arranger: means a person who engages in the business of inducing by any means buyers and lessees to enter into subleases as sublessors and inducing third parties to enter into subleases or sublessees, however these contracts are called. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Telephone solicitation: means the initiation of a telephone call, or a text or media message sent, to a natural person's residence in the State, or to a wireless telephone with a South Carolina area code, for the purpose of offering or advertising a property, good, or service for sale, lease, license, or investment, including offering or advertising an extension of credit, prize promotion, or for the purposes of obtaining information that will or may be used for the direct solicitation thereof. See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• Telephone solicitor: means a person who makes, or causes another person to make, a telephone solicitation. See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• 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.
• Text Message: means a communication consisting of text, images, sounds, or other information that is transmitted to or from a device that is identified as the receiving or transmitting device by means of a ten-digit telephone number or N11 service code;
  
  (a) includes a short message service (commonly referred to as "SMS") message and a multimedia message service (commonly referred to as "MMS") message; and
  
  (b) does not include:
  
  (i) a real-time, two-way voice or video communication; or
  
  (ii) a message sent over an IP-enabled messaging service to another user of the same messaging service, except a message described in subitem (a). See South Carolina Code 37-21-20
• Third party: means a person other than the buyer or the lessee of the vehicle. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Transfer: means to transfer possession of a motor vehicle by sale, loan assumption, lease, sublease, or lease assignment. See South Carolina Code 37-13-10
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trust institution: means a state or national bank, state or federal savings and loan association, or trust company authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity in this State. See South Carolina Code 37-11-20
• 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}