Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 5A > Article 3 - Purchasing Division

• Abstract of judgment: In a federal criminal proceeding, A certification from a U.S. District Court clerk that a judgment of restitution was entered against the defendant owing to the victim. If the defendant inherits, owns, or sells real property or holdings, these assets can then be attached at the state and local levels as well.
• Administrator: means the State Treasurer. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Aggregator site: means a website that provides access to information regarding insurance products from more than one insurer, including product and insurer information, for use in comparison shopping. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• 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.
• 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.
• Apparent owner: means a person whose name appears on the records of a holder as the person entitled to property held, issued, or owing by the holder. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Articles of incorporation: includes , but is not limited to, amended and restated articles of incorporation and articles of merger. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
• 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.
• 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}
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Blanket travel insurance: means travel insurance issued to any eligible group providing coverage for specified circumstances and specific classes of persons defined in the policy with coverage provided to all members of the eligible group without a separate charge to individual members of the eligible group. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Board: means the board of directors of an insurer or insurance group. See West Virginia Code 33-52-2
• board of directors: means the group of persons vested with management of the affairs of the corporation irrespective of the name by which the group is designated. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Building: means any multiunit building or buildings or complex thereof, whether in vertical or horizontal arrangement, as well as other improvements comprising a part of the property and used or intended for use for residential, commercial or industrial purposes or for any other lawful purpose or for any combination of such uses. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Burial right: means the right of earth interment. See West Virginia Code 35-5A-1
• Business association: means a corporation, joint stock company, investment company, partnership, unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, business trust, trust company, safe deposit company, financial organization, insurance company, mutual fund, utility, or other business entity consisting of one or more persons, whether or not for profit. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Cancellation fee waiver: means a contractual agreement between a supplier of travel arrangements or travel services and its customer to waive some or all of the non-refundable cancellation fee or penalty provisions of the underlying travel contract between the supplier and customer with or without regard to the reason for the cancellation or form of reimbursement. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Cemetery: means and includes all land and appurtenances including roadways, office buildings, outbuildings and other structures used or intended to be used for or in connection with the interment of human remains. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• CGAD: means a confidential report filed by the insurer or insurance group made in accordance with the requirements of this article. See West Virginia Code 33-52-2
• Clerk: means the clerk of the county court of the county in which the property is situate. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Code of regulations: means such governing regulations as are adopted pursuant to this chapter for the regulation and management of the property, including such amendments thereof as may be adopted from time to time. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Columbarium right: means the right of inurnment in a columbarium for cremated remains. See West Virginia Code 35-5A-1
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of insurance of this state. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Common elements: means and includes:

  (i) The land on which the building is located and portions of the building which are not included in a unit. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2

• Common expenses: means and includes:

  (i) Expenses of administration, maintenance, repair and replacement of the common elements. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2

• 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.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Compliance agent: means a natural person who owns or is employed by a cemetery company to assure the compliance of the cemetery company with the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• Consenting Cotenant: means a tenant in common, joint tenant, or parcener having an interest in the mineral property who consents in writing to a lawful use of the mineral property through a bona fide lease made in an arms-length transaction. See West Virginia Code 37B-1-3
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Convict: means a person confined in a penitentiary or correctional facility of this or any other state, or of the United States. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• 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.
• Council: means a board of natural individuals of the number stated in the code of regulations who are residents of this state, who need not be unit owners and who shall manage the business, operation and affairs of the property on behalf of the unit owners and in compliance with and subject to the provisions of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Declaration: means the instrument by which the owner of property submits it to the provisions of this chapter as hereinafter provided, and all amendments thereof. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Declaration plan: means a survey of the property prepared in accordance with section two, article four, of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• 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.
• Delivery: means that the seller has transferred physical possession of the identified goods, has attached or installed such goods at the designated interment space or has actually furnished preneed cemetery company contract services. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Distribution: means a direct or indirect transfer of money or other property or incurrence of indebtedness by a corporation to or for the benefit of its members in respect of any of its membership interests or to or for the benefit of its officers or directors: Provided, That the payment of reasonable compensation for services rendered, the reimbursement of reasonable expenses, the granting of benefits to members in conformity with the corporation'. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Domicile: means the state of incorporation of a corporation and the state of the principal place of business of a holder other than a corporation. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Donee: The recipient of a gift.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Dower: A widow
• Electronic: means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Eligible group: means any of the following:

  (A) Any entity engaged in the business of providing travel or travel services, including, but not limited to, tour operators, lodging providers, vacation property owners, hotels and resorts, travel clubs, travel agencies, property managers, cultural exchange programs, and common carriers, or the operator, owner, or lessor of a means of transportation of passengers, including, but not limited to, airlines, cruise lines, railroads, steamship companies, and public bus carriers. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3

• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Entity: includes corporation and foreign corporations. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Entombment right: means the right of entombment in a mausoleum. See West Virginia Code 35-5A-1
• 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}
• 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}
• 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.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• 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.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Financial organization: means a savings and loan association, bank, banking organization, or credit union. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• 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.
• flood: means a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two acres or more of normally dry land area or of two or more properties, at least one of which is the policyholder'. See West Virginia Code 33-49-2
• 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}
• Foreign corporation: means any nonprofit corporation which is incorporated under a law other than the laws of this state. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• 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.
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fulfillment materials: means documentation sent to the purchaser of a travel protection plan confirming the purchase and providing the travel protection plan's coverage and assistance details. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• Grave: means a below-ground right of interment. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• Group travel insurance: means travel insurance issued to any eligible group. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Holder: means a person obligated to hold for the account of, or deliver or pay to, the owner property that is subject to this article. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Homestead: means property owned and used as the principal home for the debtor, his spouse or a dependent, or any or all of them, whether classified as real property, chattel real, a fixture or personal property. See West Virginia Code 38-9-2
• in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• 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.
• Individual: includes , but is not limited to, the estate of an incompetent or deceased individual. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insurance company: means an association, corporation, or fraternal or mutual benefit organization, whether or not for profit, engaged in the business of providing life endowments, annuities or insurance, including accident, burial, casualty, credit life, contract performance, dental, disability, fidelity, fire, health, hospitalization, illness, life, malpractice, marine, mortgage, surety, wage protection, and workers' compensation insurance. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Insurance group: means those insurers and affiliates included within an insurance holding company system as defined in §. See West Virginia Code 33-52-2
• insurer: means an insurer that is subject to the provisions of this chapter and is offering flood insurance pursuant to this article: Provided, That a surplus lines insurer offering flood insurance pursuant to this article is exempt from the requirements of this chapter but subject to laws and rules applicable to surplus lines insurers. See West Virginia Code 33-49-2
• Insurer: means every person engaged in the business of making contracts of insurance, except that it shall not include agencies, authorities or instrumentalities of the United States, its possessions and territories, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, or a state or political subdivision of a state. See West Virginia Code 33-52-2
• Intangible property: Property that has no intrinsic value, but is merely the evidence of value such as stock certificates, bonds, and promissory notes.
• Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
• 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}
• Interment: means the disposition of human remains by earth burial, entombment or inurnment. See West Virginia Code 35-5A-1
• Interment: means the disposition of human remains by earth burial, entombment or inurnment. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• 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.
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
• 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
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• Laws of the state: includes the Constitution of the State of West Virginia and the Constitution of the United States, and treaties and laws made in pursuance thereof. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• lease: as used in this article shall include any mining or timber lease or any lease of any profit in land, and the word "sale" shall include the sale of any undivided interest, or any part of the corpus of land, or anything in or growing upon land. See West Virginia Code 37-1-2
• Legal tender: coins, dollar bills, or other currency issued by a government as official money. ^{Source: U.S. Mint}
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Limited lines travel insurance producer: means a:

  (A) Licensed managing general agent or third party administrator. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3

• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• majority of the unit owners: means the owners of more than fifty percent in the aggregate in interest of the undivided ownership of the common elements as specified in the declaration. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Member: means a person having membership rights in a corporation in accordance with the provisions of its certificate of incorporation or bylaws. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Mineral: means gas. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Mineral proceeds: means amounts payable for the extraction, production or sale of minerals, or, upon the abandonment of those payments, all payments that become payable thereafter. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Money order: includes an express money order and a personal money order, on which the remitter is the purchaser. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• 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.
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Nonconsenting Cotenant: means an owner who for any reason chooses not to consent to a lawful use of the mineral property agreed to by the consenting cotenants owning, cumulatively, at least an undivided three-fourths interest in and to the mineral property. See West Virginia Code 37B-1-3
• Nonprofit corporation: means a corporation which may not make distributions to its members, directors or officers. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• 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.
• Offense: includes every act or omission for which a fine, forfeiture, or punishment is imposed by law. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Offer and disseminate: means providing general information, including a description of the coverage and price, as well as processing the application, collecting premiums, and performing other non-licensable activities permitted by the state. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Operator: means any owner of at least an undivided three-fourths interest of the right to develop, operate and produce oil, natural gas, or their constituents, and to appropriate the oil, natural gas, or their constituents produced therefrom. See West Virginia Code 37B-1-3
• ORSA summary report: means the report filed in accordance with §. See West Virginia Code 33-52-2
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Owner: means a person who has a legal or equitable interest in property subject to this article or the person's legal representative. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• 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.
• Permanent endowment care fund: means a fund held in an irrevocable trust separate and apart from all other assets of the cemetery and dedicated for the exclusive use of perpetual care and maintenance of such cemetery. See West Virginia Code 35-5A-1
• Perpetual care cemetery: means a cemetery which advertises or represents to the public in any manner that it provides perpetual care or maintenance for burial grounds, mausoleums or columbaria and the fixtures attached thereto or which sells or offers to sell any interment right which is to be perpetually cared for or maintained. See West Virginia Code 35-5A-1
• Person: includes , but is not limited to, an individual and an entity. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Person: means any corporation, company, partnership, individual, association or other entity owning or operating a cemetery for the disposition of human remains. See West Virginia Code 35-5A-1
• Person: means an individual, business association, financial organization, estate, trust, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Person: means a natural individual, corporation, partnership, association, trustee or other legal entity. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, association, receiver, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, fiduciary or other representative of any kind, and includes any government or any political subdivision or any agency thereof. See West Virginia Code 37B-1-3
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• personal property: includes goods, chattels, real and personal, money, credits, investments, and the evidences thereof. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• 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}
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Preneed: means at any time other than either at the time of death or while death is imminent. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• Preneed cemetery company contract: means a contract for the sale of real and personal property, goods or services used in connection with interring or disposing of the remains or commemorating the memory of a deceased human being, where delivery of the property or performance of the service may be delayed for more than one hundred twenty days after the receipt of initial payment on account of such sale. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• Primary certificate holder: means an individual person who elects and purchases travel insurance under a group policy. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Primary policyholder: means an individual person who elects and purchases individual travel insurance. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Principal office: means the office so designated in the return required pursuant to section three, article twelve-c, chapter . See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Proceeding: includes , but is not limited to, civil suits and criminal, administrative and investigatory actions. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Property: means tangible personal property described in section three of this article or a fixed and certain interest in intangible personal property that is held, issued, or owed in the course of a holder's business, or by a government, governmental subdivision, agency or instrumentality, and all income or increments therefrom. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Property: means and includes the land, the building, all improvements thereon, all owned in fee simple, and all easements, rights and appurtenances belonging thereto, which have been or are intended to be submitted to the provisions of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• 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.
• reasonable notice: means written notice of the date and time the authorized person intends to visit the cemetery or grave site delivered to the property owner at least ten days prior to the date of the intended visit. See West Virginia Code 37-13A-1
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Recorded: means that an instrument has been duly entered of record in the office of the clerk of the county court of the county in which the property is situate. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Registered agent: means the agent identified by the corporation pursuant to section five hundred one, article five of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Registered office: means the address of the registered agent for the corporation, as provided in section five hundred one, article five of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• 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.
• Reserved interests: means all amounts payable for the use, development, extraction, production or sale of minerals due for an unknown or unlocatable interest owner. See West Virginia Code 37B-2-3
• Revocation: means an instrument signed by all of the unit owners and by all holders of liens against the units by which the property is removed from the provisions of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Right of survivorship: The ownership rights that result in the acquisition of title to property by reason of having survived other co-owners.
• Royalty owner: means any owner in place of oil or natural gas and their constituents, owners of oil or natural gas leasing rights, and owners vested with any leasehold estate less than 25 percent of the total, to the extent that the owners are not an operator as defined in this section. See West Virginia Code 37B-1-3
• sale: shall include the sale of any undivided interest, or any part of the corpus of land, or anything in or growing upon land. See West Virginia Code 37-1-2
• Secretary: means the corporate officer to whom the board of directors has delegated responsibility under subsection (c), section eight hundred forty, article eight of this chapter for custody of the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors and the meetings of the members and for authenticating records of the corporation. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• seller: means any person, partnership, firm or corporation engaged in the business of operating a cemetery or selling property, goods or services used in connection with interring or disposing of the remains or commemorating the memory of a deceased human being, where delivery of the property or goods or performance of the service may be delayed later than one hundred twenty days after receipt of the initial payment on account of such sale. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• Senior management: means any corporate officer responsible for reporting information to the board at regular intervals or providing this information to shareholders or regulators and shall include, for example and without limitation, the chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operations officer (COO), chief procurement officer (CPO), chief legal officer (CLO), chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO), chief revenue officer (CRO), chief visionary officer (CVO), or any other "C" level executive. See West Virginia Code 33-52-2
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Specific trust funds: means funds identified with a certain preneed cemetery company contract for personal property, goods or services. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• 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: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Tax Commissioner: means the secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tax and Revenue. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• 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
• Testator: A male person who leaves a will at death.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• 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.
• Travel administrator: means a person who directly or indirectly underwrites, collects charges, collateral, or premiums from, or adjusts or settles claims on residents of this state, in connection with travel insurance, except that a person shall not be considered a travel administrator if that person's only actions that would otherwise cause it to be considered a travel administrator are among the following:

  (A) A person working for a travel administrator to the extent that the person's activities are subject to the supervision and control of the travel administrator. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3

• Travel assistance services: means non-insurance services that may be distributed by limited lines travel insurance producers or other entities, and for which there is no indemnification for the travel protection plan customer based on a fortuitous event, nor any transfer or shifting of risk that would constitute the business of insurance. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Travel insurance: means insurance coverage for personal risks incident to planned travel, including, but not limited to:

  (A) Interruption or cancellation of trip or event. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3

• Travel protection plans: means plans that provide one or more of the following: travel insurance, travel assistance services, and cancellation fee waivers. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Travel retailer: means a business entity that makes, arranges, or offers travel services and may offer and disseminate travel insurance as a service to its customers on behalf of and under the direction of a limited lines travel insurance producer. See West Virginia Code 33-62-3
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Trustee: means any natural person, partnership or corporation, including any bank, trust company, broker-dealer, foreign state charter trust, savings and loan association or credit union which receives money in trust pursuant to any agreement or contract made pursuant to the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 35-5B-1
• 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}
• Unit: means a part of the property designed or intended for any type of independent use, which has a direct exit to a public street or way, or to a common element or common elements leading to a public street or way, or to an easement or right-of-way leading to a public street or way, and includes the proportionate undivided interest in the common elements which is assigned thereto in the declaration, or any amendments thereof. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Unit designation: means the number, letter or combination thereof designating a unit in the declaration plan. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• Unit owner: means the person or persons owning a unit in fee simple. See West Virginia Code 36A-1-2
• United States savings bond: means property, tangible or intangible, in the form of a savings bond issued by the United States Treasury whether in paper form, electronic or paperless form, along with the proceeds thereof. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Unknown or unlocatable interest owner: means a person vested with a present ownership interest in the oil or natural gas and their constituents in place in a mineral property whose present identity or location cannot be determined from:

  (A) A reasonable review of the records of the clerk of the county commission, the sheriff, the assessor, and the clerk of the circuit court in the county or counties in which the interest is located, and includes unknown heirs, successors and assigns known to be alive. See West Virginia Code 37B-1-3

• Utility: means a person who owns or operates for public use any plant, equipment, real property, franchise, or license for the transmission of communications or the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of electricity, water, steam, or gas as defined in §. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Virtual currency: means a digital representation of value, including cryptocurrency, used as a medium of exchange, unit of account, or store of value, which does not have legal tender status recognized by the United States. See West Virginia Code 36-8-1
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.