Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 7 > Special Districts > Chapter 89 - Convention Center Authorities Act of 2009

• 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.
• 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
• 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 body of the authority. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• Certified child death pathologist: means a pathologist who is board certified or board eligible in forensic pathology, and who has received training in, and agrees to follow, the autopsy protocol, policies and guidelines for child death investigation, as prescribed by the chief medical examiner for the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1101
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Chief medical examiner: means the individual appointed pursuant to title 38, chapter 7. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1101
• 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
• 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.
• Communication: means the making or submitting of a statement or document in any form or medium, including oral, written, audiovisual, or electronic. See Tennessee Code 20-17-103
• 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.
• convention center authority: means any public corporation organized pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• 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.
• Credible threat of violence: means a knowing and willful statement or course of conduct that would cause a reasonable person to believe that the person is under threat of death or serious bodily injury and that is intended to, and that actually causes, a person to believe that the person is under threat of death or serious bodily injury. See Tennessee Code 20-14-101
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Department: means the department of health. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1002
• Department: means the department of health. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1302
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Down syndrome: means a chromosomal condition caused by an error in cell division that results in the presence of an extra whole or partial copy of chromosome 21. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1302
• Employer: means any person or entity that employs one (1) or more employees and shall include the state and its political subdivisions and instrumentalities. See Tennessee Code 20-14-101
• 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.
• Exercise of the right of free speech: means a communication made in connection with a matter of public concern or religious expression that falls within the protection of the . See Tennessee Code 20-17-103
• 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.
• 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}
• 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 body in which the general legislative powers of a municipality are vested. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• 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.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Joint venture: means a partnership or any other type of business relationship or organization, such as a corporation, trust, partnership, public-private partnership, limited liability company, association, government or governmental subdivision, agency or instrumentality that is sponsored, owned, operated, or governed by two (2) or more entities. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• 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.
• Lands: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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}
• Legal action: means a claim, cause of action, petition, cross-claim, or counterclaim or any request for legal or equitable relief initiated against a private party. See Tennessee Code 20-17-103
• 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 an authority to loan the proceeds derived from the issuance of revenue bonds pursuant to this chapter 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 the loan by the other contracting party or parties. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• Matter of public concern: includes an issue related to:
  (A) Health or safety. See Tennessee Code 20-17-103
• Metropolitan government: means the political entity created by consolidation of all, or substantially all, of the political and corporate functions of a county and a city or cities. See Tennessee Code 7-1-101
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Municipality: means any county, metropolitan government or incorporated city or town in this state with respect to which an authority may be organized. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• 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.
• other contracting party: means any party, including a municipality, to a sale contract, lease agreement or loan agreement, other than the authority. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• 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: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Project: means any land, improvement, structure, building or part of a building comprised of facilities for conventions, public assemblies, conferences, trade exhibitions or other business, social, cultural, scientific and public interest events, along with any associated hotel accommodations. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• 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.
• 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.
• real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• revenue bonds: means bonds, notes, interim certificates or other obligations of an authority issued pursuant to this chapter, or pursuant to any other law, as supplemented by, or in conjunction with, this chapter. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• Sale contract: means a contract providing for the sale of one (1) or more projects to one (1) or more contracting parties and includes a contract providing for payment of the purchase price in one (1) or more installments. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• State: means the state of Tennessee and, unless otherwise indicated by the context, any agency, authority, branch, bureau, commission, corporation, department or instrumentality of the state, now or hereafter existing. See Tennessee Code 7-89-103
• 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.
• Sudden infant death syndrome: means the sudden death of an infant under one (1) year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. See Tennessee Code 68-1-1101
• 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.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Unlawful violence: means assault, aggravated assault, stalking, intimidation, or extortion as prohibited by §. See Tennessee Code 20-14-101
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• 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