Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 6 > Chapter 35 - Residential Improvement District Act

• 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.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Assessment: means a charge against the real property belonging to an owner within an improvement district created pursuant to this chapter. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• 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.
• 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.
• District: means an area within the county or municipality designated by the governing body and proposed by petition and approved by the governing body pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and within which an improvement plan is to be accomplished. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• Dower: A widow
• 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.
• 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.
• Governing body: means , as appropriate, the county council or the municipal council or councils with authority over the geographic area in which the district lies and acting under this chapter. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• Government entity: means the county or municipality in which the district is located and the governing body of which acts under this chapter to create such district and impose assessments therein. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• Improvement plan: means an overall plan by which the governing body proposes and the owner accepts to effect improvements within a district and service area to preserve property values, prevent deterioration of urban areas, and preserve the tax base, and includes an overall plan by which the governing body proposes to effect improvements within an improvement district in order to encourage and promote private or public development within the improvement district. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• Improvements: include , but are not limited to, public infrastructure improvements, such as a parkway, park, and playground; a recreation facility, athletic facility, and pedestrian facility; sidewalk; parking facility ancillary to another public facility; facade redevelopment; storm drain; the relocation, construction, widening, and paving of a street, road, and bridge including demolition of them; underground utility dedicated or to be dedicated to public use; all improvements permitted under Chapter 35 of Title 4 and Chapter 37 of Title 5; a building or other facility for public use; public works eligible for financing under the provisions of § 6-21-50; and things incidental to an improvement including, but not limited to, planning, engineering, promotion, marketing, administrative fees, and acquisition of necessary easements and land, and may include a facility for lease or use by a private person, firm, or corporation. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• 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.
• Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Owner: means any person eighteen years of age, or older, or the proper legal representative for any person younger than eighteen years of age or otherwise incapacitated person as defined in § 62-5-101(1), and any firm or corporation, who or which owns legal title to a present possessory interest in real estate equal to a life estate or greater, expressly excluding leaseholds, easements, equitable interests, inchoate rights, dower rights, and future interests, and who owns, at the date of the petition required by § 6-35-118, at least an undivided one-tenth interest in a single tract and whose name appears on the county tax records as an owner of real estate, and any duly organized group whose total interest is equal to at least a one-tenth interest in a single tract. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Service area: means , based on sound planning or engineering principles, or both, a defined geographic area served by a particular improvement. See South Carolina Code 6-35-20
• 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.