Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 31A > Article 2A - Maxwell Governmental Access to Financial Records Act

• 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.
• 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.
• Board: means the West Virginia Board of Banking and Financial Institutions. See West Virginia Code 31A-1-2
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. ^{Source: OCC}
• Customer: means any person or his or her duly authorized representative who has transacted business with or has used the services of a financial institution or for whom a financial institution has acted as a fiduciary in relation to an account maintained in such person'. See West Virginia Code 31A-2A-1
• 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.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• division: means the Division of Banking of West Virginia. See West Virginia Code 31A-1-2
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Financial institution: means a bank, a savings and loan association, a trust company or a credit union chartered pursuant to any state or federal law, a regulated consumer lender licensed under article four, chapter . See West Virginia Code 31A-2A-1
• Financial record: means the original or a copy of any record or document held by a financial institution pertaining to a customer of the financial institution, including any record of a transaction conducted by means of a customer bank communication terminal or other electronic device. See West Virginia Code 31A-2A-1
• 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}
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• 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.
• in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
• Investigation: includes , but is not limited to, any inquiry by a state or local law-enforcement officer, sheriff or prosecuting attorney or any inquiry made by a state or local governmental entity for the purpose of determining whether there has been a violation of any law which is punishable by imprisonment or by a fine or other monetary liability. See West Virginia Code 31A-2A-1
• Judgment: includes decrees and orders for the payment of money, or the conveyance or delivery of land or personal property, or some interest therein, or any undertaking, bond or recognizance which has the legal effect of a judgment. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• 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.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• 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: means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust or any other legal entity. See West Virginia Code 31A-2A-1
• State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• State entity: means any state or local governmental office, officer, department, division, bureau, board or commission, including the Legislature, and any other state or local government agency of West Virginia, its political subdivisions and any agent thereof. See West Virginia Code 31A-2A-1
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subpoena: includes a subpoena duces tecum or any other lawful subpoena to compel testimony or the disclosure or production of documents. See West Virginia Code 31A-2A-1
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. ^{Source: OCC}