Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 20 > Chapter 6 - Pleadings

• 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.
• Agriculture: means :
  (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• 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
• Articles of conversion: means the form of articles provided for in chapter 204 of this title creating a new LLC and evidencing the conversion of an existing partnership or corporation to the new LLC which shall have all of the assets and liabilities of the former partnership. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• board of directors: means the governing board of a corporation, whether denominated the board of directors or otherwise, except that no person or group of persons is the board of directors because of powers delegated to that person or group pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Business: includes every trade, occupation, profession, investment activity and other lawful purpose for gain or the preservation of assets whether or not carried on for profits. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Bylaws: means the code or codes of rules (other than the charter) adopted pursuant to chapters 51-68 of this title for the regulation or management of the affairs of the corporation irrespective of the name or names by which such rules are designated. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Cancer: means and includes, but is not limited to:
  (A) A large group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Charitable purpose: means a purpose that:
  (A) Would make a corporation operated exclusively for that purpose eligible to be exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Charter: includes amended and restated charters and articles of merger. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Class: when used with reference to membership interests, means a category of membership interests that differs in one (1) or more rights or preferences from another category of membership interests of the LLC. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of health. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• 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.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• County mayor: means and includes "county executive" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Court: includes every court and judge having jurisdiction in the case. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the department of health. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Directors: means natural persons, designated in the charter or bylaws or elected or appointed by the incorporators, and their successors and natural persons elected or appointed to act as members of the board, irrespective of the names or titles by which such persons are described. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Dissolution: means that the LLC has incurred an event under §. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Document: means :
  (A) Any tangible medium on which information is inscribed, and includes any writing or written instrument. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• domestic business corporation: means a corporation for profit, which is not a foreign corporation, incorporated under or subject to chapters 11-27 of this title. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• domestic corporation: means a corporation for profit, which is not a foreign corporation, incorporated under or subject to the Tennessee Business Corporation Act, compiled in chapters 11-27 of this title, as amended. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• domestic nonprofit corporation: means a corporation incorporated under the laws of this state and subject to the Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act, compiled in chapters 51-68 of this title. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Eligible entity: means a domestic or foreign unincorporated entity or a domestic or foreign business corporation. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• Eligible interests: means interests or shares. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• Entity: includes the following, whether foreign or domestic: LLCs. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• 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 a health care facility in which diagnosis or treatment services are provided to patients with cancer, including, but not limited to, an ambulatory surgical treatment center (ASTC), a freestanding cancer treatment center, a radiation therapy center, a chemotherapy treatment center, a nursing home, an oncology or dermatology clinic, a laboratory, or any other facility that provides screening, detection, diagnostic or therapeutic services to patients with cancer. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Filing entity: means an unincorporated entity that is of a type that is created by filing a public organic document. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• 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.
• Foreign business corporation: means a corporation for-profit incorporated under an organic law other than the laws of this state. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation for profit incorporated under a law other than the laws of this state. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Foreign nonprofit corporation: means a corporation incorporated under a law other than the law of this state, which would be a nonprofit corporation if incorporated under the laws of this state. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Foreign unincorporated entity: means an unincorporated entity whose internal affairs are governed by an organic law other than the laws of this state. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• 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.
• Health care practitioner: means a physician, surgeon, or other health care professional licensed under title 63 who is engaged in diagnosing and treating patients who have cancer. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• Highway: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Hospital: means an institution as defined by §. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• Interest: means either or both of the following rights under the organic law of an unincorporated entity:
  (A) The right to receive distributions from the entity either in the ordinary course or upon liquidation. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• Interest holder: means a person who holds of record an interest. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• 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.
• Laboratory: means a facility where tests are performed identifying anatomical and cytological changes, and where specimens are interpreted and pathological diagnoses are made. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• 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}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Member: means a person reflected in the required records of an LLC as the owner of some governance rights of a membership interest of the LLC. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Membership: means the rights and obligations a member has pursuant to a corporation's charter, bylaws and chapters 51-68 of this title. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Membership: means the rights of a member in a domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation and includes the rights and obligations a member has pursuant to a corporation's charter, bylaws and chapters 51-68 of this title. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• Membership interest: means a member's interest in an LLC consisting of a member's financial rights, a member's right to assign financial rights as provided in §. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Month: means the time from any day of any month to the corresponding day of the succeeding month, if any, and if none, the last day of the succeeding month. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mutual benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation which becomes by operation of law a mutual benefit corporation pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Nonfiling entity: means an unincorporated entity that is of a type that is not created by filing a public organic document. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• 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.
• Organic document: means a public organic document or a private organic document. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Organic law: means the statute governing the internal affairs of a domestic or foreign business or nonprofit corporation or unincorporated entity. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Owners: means members in the case of an LLC, shareholders in the case of a corporation, partners in the case of general or limited partnerships and the equivalent with respect to other entities. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Person: includes individual and entity. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation which becomes by operation of law a public benefit corporation pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Public organic document: means the document, if any, that is filed of public record to create an unincorporated entity. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Representative: means a governor, manager, employee or other agent of a foreign LLC. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Secretary: means the corporate officer to whom the bylaws or the board of directors has delegated responsibility under §. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Secretary of state: means the person who holds the office of secretary of state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Series: means a category of membership interests, within a class of membership interests, that have some of the same rights and preferences as other membership interests within the same class, but that differ in one (1) or more rights and preferences from another category of membership interests within that class. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• 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.
• Share: means the unit into which the proprietary interests in a corporation are divided. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subscription: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Subsidiary: means a corporation more than fifty percent (50%) of whose outstanding voting shares are owned by its parent and/or the parent's other wholly-owned subsidiaries. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Survivor: means the corporation or unincorporated entity that is in existence immediately after consummation of a merger or entity conversion pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Unincorporated entity: means an organization or artificial legal person that either has a separate legal existence or has the power to acquire an estate in real property in its own name and that is not any of the following: a domestic or foreign business or nonprofit corporation, an estate, a trust, a state, the United States, or a foreign government. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• United States: includes district, authority, bureau, commission, department, and any other agency of the United States. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Voting group: means all shares of one (1) or more classes or series that under the charter or chapters 11-27 of this title are entitled to vote and be counted together collectively on a matter at a meeting of shareholders. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Voting memberships: means memberships that entitle their holders to vote unconditionally in the election of directors. See Tennessee Code 48-61-101
• Voting power: means the total number of votes entitled to be cast for the election of directors at the time the determination of voting power is made, excluding a vote which is contingent upon the happening of a condition or event that has not occurred at the time. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• written: means any information in the form of a document. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105