Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 6 > MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT GENERALLY > Chapter 51 - Change of Municipal Boundaries

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• 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.
• 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.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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
• Bonds: means bonds, notes, interim certificates, or other obligations of a corporation issued pursuant to this part. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• 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
• Candidate: means an individual who has made a formal announcement of candidacy or who is qualified under the law of this state to seek nomination for election or elections to public office, or has received contributions or made expenditures except for incidental expenditures to determine if one shall be a candidate, or has given consent for a campaign committee to receive contributions or make expenditures with a view to bringing about the individual's nomination for election or election to state public office. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• City: means any city or territory to be incorporated that may adopt chapters 30-36 of this title. See Tennessee Code 6-30-102
• Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contiguous: means having a shared portion of boundary. See Tennessee Code 6-51-401
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contribution: means any advance, conveyance, deposit, distribution, transfer of funds, loan, loan guaranty, payment, gift, or subscription, of money or like thing of value, and any contract, agreement, promise or other obligation, whether or not legally enforceable, made for the purpose of defraying any expenses of a governor or governor-elect's inauguration or the celebration of a governor or governor-elect's inauguration. See Tennessee Code 2-10-402
• Contribution: means any advance, conveyance, deposit, distribution, transfer of funds, loan, loan guaranty, personal funds of a candidate, payment, digital currency, gift, or subscription of money or like thing of value, and any contract, agreement, promise or other obligation, whether or not legally enforceable, made for the purpose of influencing a measure or nomination for election or the election of any person for public office or for the purpose of defraying any expenses of an officeholder incurred in connection with the performance of the officeholder's duties, responsibilities, or constituent services. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Corporation: means any corporation organized pursuant to this part. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• 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.
• County: means the county in which any such city or territory to be incorporated under chapters 30-36 of this title is located, or in which the major portion of the population of any such city or territory to be incorporated is located as indicated by the last federal census. See Tennessee Code 6-30-102
• 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.
• 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.
• delivery: means any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including delivery by hand, mail, commercial delivery, and, if authorized in accordance with §. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• 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
• Election: means any general, special or primary election or run-off election, held to approve or disapprove a measure or nominate or elect a candidate for public office. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Employee: includes an officer but not a director. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Expenditure: means a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value made for the purpose of influencing a measure or the nomination for election or election of any person to public office. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• 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.
• Federal government authorization: means approval in writing, whether in the form of statute, regulation, bulletin, manual, or letter signed by an authorized person, approving certain activities under a federal-state program. See Tennessee Code 12-11-102
• filed: means the date actually deposited with or received by the appropriate office or the date of the postmark if postmarked and sent by registered or certified mail of the United States postal service. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• 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 body: means the legislative body of a county or the board or other body in which the general legislative powers of a city or town are vested. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Hospital institution: means any city, county, metropolitan government, or other local governmental entity, or any institution organized for-profit or not for profit authorized by law to provide congregate elderly facilities or extended care, hospital, or nursing home facilities in this state, or any finance subsidiary of such hospital institution. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• Housing: means any multi-family housing facilities to be occupied by persons of low and/or moderate income, and/or elderly, and/or handicapped persons as may be determined by the board of directors, which determination shall be conclusive. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• Individual: includes the estate of an incompetent or deceased individual. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Institution for higher education: means any institution organized for-profit or not for profit authorized by law to provide a program of education at the primary level, secondary level or beyond the secondary level in this state. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• 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 48-11-201
• Joint federal-state program: means any program authorized by the statutes and/or regulations of the United States and the state of Tennessee where both governments supervise, authorize, and/or fund a program to provide money, goods, or assistance to residents of the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 12-11-102
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• Joint session: When both chambers of a legislature adopt a concurrent resolution to meet together.
• 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.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Lease: includes a lease containing an option to purchase the project for a nominal sum upon payment in full, or provision therefor, of all bonds issued in connection with the project and all interest thereon and all other expenses in connection with the project, and a lease containing an option to purchase the project at any time, as provided therein, upon payment of the purchase price which shall be sufficient to pay all bonds issued in connection with the project and all interest thereon and all other expenses incurred in connection with the project, but which payment may be made in the form of one (1) or more notes, debentures, bonds, or other secured or unsecured debt obligations of the lessee providing for timely payments, including, but not limited to, interest thereon sufficient for such purposes and delivered to the corporation or to the trustee under the indenture pursuant to which the bonds were issued. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• 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 any municipal corporation, the state of Tennessee, the United States, or any agency, authority, branch, bureau, commission, corporation, department or instrumentality thereof now or hereafter existing. See Tennessee Code 12-10-103
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Loan agreement: means an agreement providing for a corporation to loan the proceeds derived from the issuance of bonds pursuant to this part to one (1) or more contracting parties to be used to pay the cost of one (1) or more projects and providing for the repayment of such loan by the other contracting party or parties, and which may provide for such loans to be secured or evidenced by one (1) or more notes, debentures, bonds or other secured or unsecured debt obligations of the contracting party or parties, delivered to the corporation or to the trustee under the indenture pursuant to which the bonds were issued. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• Local public office: means any state, county, municipal, school or other district or precinct office or position, including general sessions and juvenile court judges, that is filled by the voters, with the exception that "local public office" does not include any state public office as defined in subdivision (13)(B). See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Multicandidate political campaign committee: means a political campaign committee to support or oppose two (2) or more candidates for public office or two (2) or more measures. See Tennessee Code 2-10-402
• Multicandidate political campaign committee: means a political campaign committee to support or oppose two (2) or more candidates for public office or two (2) or more measures. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Municipal corporation: means any county, metropolitan government, incorporated city or town, utility district, school district, power district, sanitary district or other municipal, quasi-municipal or governmental body or political subdivision in this state, and any agency, authority, branch, bureau, commission, corporation, department or instrumentality thereof now or hereafter authorized by law to be created. See Tennessee Code 12-10-103
• municipalities: means any incorporated city or cities, or town or towns, and does not include any utility district, sanitary district, school district, or other public service district, whether organized under public or private acts. See Tennessee Code 6-51-101
• municipalities: refers to incorporated cities and towns in this state. See Tennessee Code 6-51-401
• Municipality: means any county, incorporated city or town or utility district in this state with respect to which an authority may be organized. See Tennessee Code 12-10-103
• Municipality: means any county or incorporated city or town in this state with respect to which a corporation may be organized. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• Notice: means publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality at least seven (7) days in advance of a hearing. See Tennessee Code 6-51-101
• 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.
• Officer: means the mayor, aldermen, city attorney and city judge. See Tennessee Code 6-1-101
• 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
• 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.
• Performance audit: means a review of the procedures followed to conduct the election. See Tennessee Code 2-20-101
• Person: means an individual, limited liability company, partnership, limited liability partnership, committee, association, labor organization or any other organization or group of persons, but does not mean a corporation or the executive officers or other representatives of a corporation. See Tennessee Code 2-10-402
• Person: means an individual, partnership, committee, association, corporation, labor organization or any other organization or group of persons. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Political campaign committee: means :
  (A) Any corporation or any other organization making expenditures, except as provided in subdivision (4), to support or oppose a measure. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Precinct-based optical scanner: means an optical ballot scanner that is located in the precinct and into which optical scan voter-verified paper ballots, marked either by hand by the voter or with the assistance of a device, are inserted to count the voter verified paper ballot. See Tennessee Code 2-20-101
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Project: includes an undertaking whereby a municipal corporation contracts with an authority respecting construction of improvements upon and/or for the operation and maintenance of property owned by or leased by other than the authority to the municipal corporation. See Tennessee Code 12-10-103
• project: means the purchase of the accounts receivable of any hospital institution. See Tennessee Code 48-101-301
• 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 defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Public office: means any state public office or local public office filled by the voters. See Tennessee Code 2-10-102
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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: 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
• Risk-limiting audit: means a protocol which checks a random sample of ballots chosen by statistical methods. See Tennessee Code 2-20-101
• Road: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". 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
• 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
• signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• smaller: refer to population and not area. See Tennessee Code 6-51-101
• State: means a state of the United States. See Tennessee Code 12-11-102
• 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
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Top race: means the presidential race, if the presidential race is on the ballot, or the governor's race, if the governor's race is on the ballot. See Tennessee Code 2-20-101
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• United States: means the federal government of the United States or any federal agency as defined under federal law. See Tennessee Code 12-11-102
• 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.
• 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
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105