Terms Used In Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 21 - Regulation of Certain Residential Foreclosure Consulting Services

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Association: means an entity governed as an association under Title 6 or 7. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• 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}
• Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
• Charge to the jury: The judge's instructions to the jury concerning the law that applies to the facts of the case on trial.
• Contribution: means a tangible or intangible benefit that a person transfers to an entity in consideration for an ownership interest in the entity or otherwise in the person's capacity as an owner or a member. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Conversion: means :
  (A) the continuance of a domestic entity as a non-code organization of any type;
  (B) the continuance of a non-code organization as a domestic entity of any type;
  (C) the continuance of a domestic entity of one type as a domestic entity of another type;
  (D) the continuance of a domestic entity of one type as a foreign entity of the same type that may be treated as a domestication, continuance, or transfer transaction under the laws of the jurisdiction of formation of the foreign entity; or
  (E) the continuance of a foreign entity of one type as a domestic entity of the same type that may be treated as a domestication, continuance, or transfer transaction under the laws of the jurisdiction of formation of the foreign entity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Domestic: means , with respect to an entity, that the entity is formed under this code or the entity's internal affairs are governed by this code. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Entity: means a domestic entity or foreign entity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• 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.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Filing instrument: means an instrument, document, consent, or statement that is required or authorized by this code to be filed by or for an entity with the filing officer in accordance with Chapter Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Filing officer: means :
  (A) with respect to an entity other than a domestic real estate investment trust, the secretary of state; or
  (B) with respect to a domestic real estate investment trust, the county clerk of the county in which the real estate investment trust's principal office is located in this state. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• Foreign: means , with respect to an entity, that the entity is formed under, and the entity's internal affairs are governed by, the laws of a jurisdiction other than this state. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Governing authority: means a person or group of persons who are entitled to manage and direct the affairs of an entity under this code and the governing documents of the entity, except that if the governing documents of the entity or this code divide the authority to manage and direct the affairs of the entity among different persons or groups of persons according to different matters, "governing authority" means the person or group of persons entitled to manage and direct the affairs of the entity with respect to a matter under the governing documents of the entity or this code. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Governing documents: means :
  (A) in the case of a domestic entity:
  (i) the certificate of formation for a domestic filing entity or the document or agreement under which a domestic nonfiling entity is formed; and
  (ii) the other documents or agreements adopted by the entity under this code to govern the formation or the internal affairs of the entity; or
  (B) in the case of a foreign entity, the instruments, documents, or agreements adopted under the law of its jurisdiction of formation to govern the formation or the internal affairs of the entity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Governing person: means a person serving as part of the governing authority of an entity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Individual: means a natural person. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Insolvent: means a person who is unable to pay the person's debts as they become due in the usual course of business or affairs. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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}
• Internal Revenue Code: means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Limited liability company: means an entity governed as a limited liability company under Title 3 or 7. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Manager: means a person designated as a manager of a limited liability company that is not managed by members of the company. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Managerial official: means an officer or a governing person. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Merger: means :
  (A) the division of a domestic entity into two or more new domestic entities or other organizations or into a surviving domestic entity and one or more new domestic or foreign entities or non-code organizations; or
  (B) the combination of one or more domestic entities with one or more domestic entities or non-code organizations resulting in:
  (i) one or more surviving domestic entities or non-code organizations;
  (ii) the creation of one or more new domestic entities or non-code organizations; or
  (iii) one or more surviving domestic entities or non-code organizations and the creation of one or more new domestic entities or non-code organizations. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
• Nonprofit corporation: means a corporation governed as a nonprofit corporation under Chapter Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• Organization: means a corporation, limited or general partnership, limited liability company, business trust, real estate investment trust, joint venture, joint stock company, cooperative, association, bank, insurance company, credit union, savings and loan association, or other organization, regardless of whether the organization is for-profit, nonprofit, domestic, or foreign. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Party to the merger: means a domestic entity or non-code organization that under a plan of merger is divided or combined by a merger. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Plan of conversion: means a document that conforms with the requirements of Section Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Plan of exchange: means a document that conforms with the requirements of Section Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Plan of merger: means a document that conforms with the requirements of Sections Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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}
• President: means the:
  (A) individual designated as president of an entity under the entity's governing documents; or
  (B) officer or committee of persons authorized to perform the functions of the principal executive officer of an entity without regard to the designated name of the officer or committee. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Secretary: means the:
  (A) individual designated as secretary of an entity under the entity's governing documents; or
  (B) officer or committee of persons authorized to perform the functions of secretary of an entity without regard to the designated name of the officer or committee. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Share: means a unit into which the ownership interest in a for-profit corporation, professional corporation, real estate investment trust, or professional association is divided, regardless of whether the share is certificated or uncertificated. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Treasurer: means the:
  (A) individual designated as treasurer of an entity under the entity's governing documents; or
  (B) officer or committee of persons authorized to perform the functions of treasurer of an entity without regard to the designated name of the officer or committee. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• written: means an expression of words, letters, characters, numbers, symbols, figures, or other textual information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium that is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002