Terms Used In U.S. Code > Title 12 > Chapter 43 > Subchapter I - Declarations Providing New Claims to United States

• advanced automobile propulsion system: means an energy conversion system, including engine and drive train, which utilizes advanced technology and is suitable for use in an advanced automobile. See 15 USC 2702
• affiliate: means any person who (other than by means of a franchise) controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, any other person. See 15 USC 2801
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• association: when used in reference to a corporation, shall be deemed to embrace the words "successors and assigns of such company or association" in like manner as if these last-named words, or words of similar import, were expressed. See 1 USC 5
• automotive fuel: means liquid fuel of a type distributed for use as a fuel in any motor vehicle. See 15 USC 2821
• automotive fuel rating: means &mdash. See 15 USC 2821
• automotive fuel requirement: means , with respect to automotive fuel for use in a motor vehicle or a class thereof, imported, manufactured, or assembled by a manufacturer, the minimum automotive fuel rating of such automotive fuel which such manufacturer recommends for the efficient operation of such motor vehicle, or a substantial portion of such class, without knocking. See 15 USC 2821
• automotive fuel retailer: means any person who markets automotive fuel to the general public for ultimate consumption. See 15 USC 2821
• 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.
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Board: means the Climate Program Policy Board. See 15 USC 2903
• cetane rating: means a measure, as indicated by a cetane index or cetane number, of the ignition quality of diesel fuel oil and of the influence of the diesel fuel oil on combustion roughness. See 15 USC 2821
• commerce: means any trade, traffic, transportation, exchange, or other commerce&mdash. See 15 USC 2821
• commerce: means any trade, traffic, transportation, exchange, or other commerce&mdash. See 15 USC 2801
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• contract: means any oral or written agreement. See 15 USC 2801
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• 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.
• distributor: means any person who receives automotive fuel and distributes such automotive fuel to another person other than the ultimate purchaser. See 15 USC 2821
• distributor: means any person, including any affiliate of such person, who&mdash. See 15 USC 2801
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• franchise: includes &mdash. See 15 USC 2801
• franchise relationship: means the respective motor fuel marketing or distribution obligations and responsibilities of a franchisor and a franchisee which result from the marketing of motor fuel under a franchise. See 15 USC 2801
• franchisee: means a retailer or distributor (as the case may be) who is authorized or permitted, under a franchise, to use a trademark in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. See 15 USC 2801
• franchisor: means a refiner or distributor (as the case may be) who authorizes or permits, under a franchise, a retailer or distributor to use a trademark in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. See 15 USC 2801
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• fuel: means any energy source capable of propelling an automobile. See 15 USC 2702
• 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.
• 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}
• individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
• 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}
• 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.
• 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.
• 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}
• leased marketing premises: means marketing premises owned, leased, or in any way controlled by a franchisor and which the franchisee is authorized or permitted, under the franchise, to employ in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. See 15 USC 2801
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• manufacturer: means any person who imports, manufactures, or assembles motor vehicles for sale. See 15 USC 2821
• marketing premises: means , in the case of any franchise, premises which, under such franchise, are to be employed by the franchisee in connection with sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel. See 15 USC 2801
• motor fuel: means gasoline and diesel fuel of a type distributed for use as a fuel in self-propelled vehicles designed primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways. See 15 USC 2801
• motor vehicle: means any self-propelled four-wheeled vehicle, of less than 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, which is designed primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways. See 15 USC 2821
• oath: includes affirmation, and "sworn" includes affirmed. See 1 USC 1
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• 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.
• octane rating: means the rating of the antiknock characteristics of a grade or type of automotive fuel as determined by dividing by 2 the sum of the research octane number plus the motor octane number, unless another procedure is prescribed under section 2823(c)(3) of this title, in which case such term means the rating of such characteristics as determined under the procedure so prescribed. See 15 USC 2821
• Office: means the National Climate Program Office. See 15 USC 2903
• 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.
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Program: means the National Climate Program. See 15 USC 2903
• 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.
• refiner: means any person engaged in the production or importation of automotive fuel. See 15 USC 2821
• refiner: means any person engaged in the refining of crude oil to produce motor fuel, and includes any affiliate of such person. See 15 USC 2801
• relevant geographic market area: includes a State or a standard metropolitan statistical area as periodically established by the Office of Management and Budget. See 15 USC 2801
• retailer: means any person who purchases motor fuel for sale to the general public for ultimate consumption. See 15 USC 2801
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Commerce. See 15 USC 2903
• 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.
• State: means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States. See 15 USC 2801
• State: means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States. See 15 USC 2821
• State: means any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 15 USC 2702
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• termination: includes cancellation. See 15 USC 2801
• 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.
• trademark: means any trademark, trade name, service mark, or other identifying symbol or name. See 15 USC 2801
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• ultimate purchaser: means , with respect to any item, the first person who purchases such item for purposes other than resale. See 15 USC 2821
• vehicle: includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land. See 1 USC 4
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• vessel: includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water. See 1 USC 3
• writing: includes printing and typewriting and reproductions of visual symbols by photographing, multigraphing, mimeographing, manifolding, or otherwise. See 1 USC 1