Terms Used In Texas Special District Local Laws Code Chapter 1001 - City of Amarillo Hospital District

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Affiliate of a declarant: means any person who controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with a declarant. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Allocated interests: means the undivided interest in the common elements, the common expense liability, and votes in the association allocated to each unit. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• 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.
• Association: means the unit owners' association organized under § 82. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• 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}
• Board: means the board of directors or the body, regardless of name, designated to act on behalf of the association. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Common elements: means all portions of a condominium other than the units and includes both general and limited common elements. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Common expense liability: means the liability for common expenses allocated to each unit. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Common expenses: means expenditures made by or financial liabilities of the association, together with any allocations to reserves. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Comptroller: means the state comptroller of public accounts. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Condominium: means a form of real property with portions of the real property designated for separate ownership or occupancy, and the remainder of the real property designated for common ownership or occupancy solely by the owners of those portions. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• Covered entity: means any person who:
  (A) for commercial, financial, or professional gain, monetary fees, or dues, or on a cooperative, nonprofit, or pro bono basis, engages, in whole or in part, and with real or constructive knowledge, in the practice of assembling, collecting, analyzing, using, evaluating, storing, or transmitting protected health information. See Texas Health and Safety Code 181.001
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Declarant: means a person, or group of persons acting in concert, who:
  (A) as part of a common promotional plan, offers to dispose of the person's interest in a unit not previously disposed of; or
  (B) reserves or succeeds to any special declarant right. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Declaration: means an instrument, however denominated, that creates a condominium, and any amendment to that instrument. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Dedicatory instrument: means each document governing the establishment, maintenance, or operation of a condominium regime. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• 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.
• Development rights: means a right or combination of rights reserved by a declarant in the declaration to:
  (A) add real property to a condominium;
  (B) create units, common elements, or limited common elements within a condominium;
  (C) subdivide units or convert units into common elements; or
  (D) withdraw real property from a condominium. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Disposition: means a voluntary transfer to a purchaser of any legal or equitable interest in a unit but does not include the transfer or release of a security interest. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Effects: includes all personal property and all interest in that property. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) ^{Source: OCC}
• 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}
• 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.
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• 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 Deposit Insurance Corporation: A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and state banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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}
• General common elements: means common elements that are not limited common elements. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• 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.
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Privacy Standards: means the privacy requirements in existence on September 1, 2011, of the Administrative Simplification subtitle of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Pub. See Texas Health and Safety Code 181.001
• Identifying number: means a symbol or address that identifies only one unit in a condominium. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Justice: when applied to a magistrate, means justice of the peace. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• 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.
• Leasehold condominium: means a condominium in which all or a portion of the real property is subject to a lease the expiration or termination of which will terminate the condominium or reduce its size. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Limited common element: means a portion of the common elements allocated by the declaration or by operation of § 82. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• 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.
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plan: means a dimensional drawing that is recordable in the real property records or the condominium plat records and that horizontally and vertically identifies or describes units and common elements that are contained in buildings. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Plat: means a survey recordable in the real property records or the condominium plat records and containing the information required by § 82. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• 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}
• Product: means a prescription drug or prescription medical device. See Texas Health and Safety Code 181.001
• Purchaser: means a person, other than a declarant, who by means of a voluntary transfer acquires a legal or equitable interest in a unit other than a leasehold interest or as security for an obligation. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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.
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Special declarant rights: means rights reserved for the benefit of a declarant to:
  (A) complete improvements indicated on plats and plans filed with the declaration;
  (B) exercise any development right;
  (C) make the condominium part of a larger condominium or a planned community;
  (D) maintain sales, management, and leasing offices, signs advertising the condominium, and models;
  (E) use easements through the common elements for the purpose of making improvements within the condominium or within real property that may be added to the condominium; or
  (F) appoint or remove any officer or board member of the association during any period of declarant control. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• sworn: includes affirm or affirmed. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• 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.
• Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Unit: means a physical portion of the condominium designated for separate ownership or occupancy, the boundaries of which are described by the declaration. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Unit owner: means a declarant or other person who owns a unit, or a lessee of a unit in a leasehold condominium whose lease expires simultaneously with any lease the expiration or termination of which will remove the unit from the condominium, but does not include a person having an interest in a unit solely as security for an obligation. See Texas Property Code 82.003
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Week: means seven consecutive days. See Texas Government Code 311.005