Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 33 > Chapter 1 - Department for Children and Families

• Aid: means financial assistance. See
• 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.
• 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
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• 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.
• Benefits: means aid or commodities furnished under chapter 17 of this title. See
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner for Children and Families. See
• Committed: means pledged and appropriated for the purpose of the current and future payment of tax increment financing incurred in accordance with section 1894 of this subchapter and related costs as defined in this section. See
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department for Children and Families. See
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• 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}
• federal agency: means a department or agency of the United States of America. See
• Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
• Financing: means debt incurred, including principal, interest, and any fees or charges directly related to that debt, or other instruments or borrowing used by a municipality to pay for improvements in a tax increment financing district, only if authorized by the legal voters of the municipality in accordance with section 1894 of this subchapter. See
• following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• 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.
• Guardian: means a legal guardian appointed by a Probate Division of the Superior Court or by a court in a divorce or other proceeding or action. See
• Improvement: shall include , apart from its ordinary signification:

• Improvements: means the installation, new construction, or reconstruction of infrastructure that will serve a public purpose and fulfill the purpose of tax increment financing districts as stated in section 1893 of this subchapter, including utilities, transportation, public facilities and amenities, land and property acquisition and demolition, and site preparation. See
• 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}
• Legislative body: means the mayor and alderboard, the city council, the selectboard, and the president and trustees of an incorporated village, as appropriate. See
• Municipality: means a city, town, or incorporated village. See
• Original taxable value: means the total valuation as determined in accordance with 32 Vt. See
• Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Public assistance: means aid provided by the Department under Title IV, XVI, or XIX of the Social Security Act. See
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Regulation: means a rule or regulation. See
• Related costs: means expenses incurred and paid by the municipality, exclusive of the actual cost of constructing and financing improvements, that are directly related to the creation and implementation of the tax increment financing district, including reimbursement of sums previously advanced by the municipality for those purposes. See
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Social Security Act: means the federal Social Security Act and regulations promulgated under the Act, as amended at any time. See
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Town: shall include city and wards or precincts therein; "selectboard members" and "board of civil authority" shall extend to and include the mayor and aldermen of cities; "trustees" shall extend to and include bailiffs of incorporated villages; and the laws applicable to the inhabitants and officers of towns shall be applicable to the inhabitants and similar officers of all municipal corporations. See
• 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.
• Village: shall mean an incorporated village. See