Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 49 > Chapter 19 > Article 11 - Construction of Improvements

• 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
• Business with which he is associated: means a business of which the person or a member of his immediate family is a director, an officer, owner, employee, a compensated agent, or holder of stock. See South Carolina Code 58-4-5
• Commission: means the Public Service Commission. See South Carolina Code 58-4-5
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• 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}
• 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.
• lands: as used in this chapter shall be held to cover and include railroads and all property assessed for benefits. See South Carolina Code 49-19-40
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• owner: as used in this chapter shall mean the owner of the freehold estate, as appears by the deed record, and it shall not include reversioners, remaindermen, trustees or mortgagees, who shall not be counted and need not be notified by publication or served by process but shall be represented by the present owner of the freehold estate in any proceedings under this chapter. See South Carolina Code 49-19-30
• Public utility: means public utility as defined in § 58-5-10, telephone utility as defined in § 58-9-10, government-owned telecommunications service provider as defined in § 58-9-2610, radio common carrier as defined in § 58-11-10, carriers governed in Chapter 13 of Title 58, railroads and railways as defined in § 58-17-10, motor vehicle carrier as defined in § 58-23-10, or electrical utility as defined in § 58-27-10. See South Carolina Code 58-4-5
• Regulatory staff: means the executive director or the executive director and employees of the Office of Regulatory Staff. See South Carolina Code 58-4-5
• Review committee: means the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee. See South Carolina Code 58-4-5
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.