Terms Used In Alabama Code > Title 25 > Chapter 4 > Article 1 - Definitions

• 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.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• 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.
• Base period: as used in this chapter , means the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an individual benefit year. See Alabama Code 25-4-1
• 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}
• Benefit year: as used in this chapter with respect to any individual, means the one-year period beginning with the first day of the first week with respect to which an individual who is unemployed first files a valid claim for benefits or a claim is filed by an employer on behalf of an employee working less than full time, and thereafter the one-year period beginning with the first day of the first week with respect to which such individual next files a valid claim for benefits or such claim is filed by an employer on behalf of an employee working less than full time, after the termination of his last preceding benefit year. See Alabama Code 25-4-3
• Benefits: as used in this chapter , means the money payable to an individual with respect to his unemployment as provided in this chapter. See Alabama Code 25-4-2
• Calendar quarter: as used in this chapter , means the period of three consecutive calendar months ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31, except as the secretary shall by regulation otherwise prescribe. See Alabama Code 25-4-4
• 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.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contributions: as used in this chapter , means the money payments to the State Unemployment Compensation Fund, required by this chapter, on the basis of a percentage of wages. See Alabama Code 25-4-5
• 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.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• employee: as used in this chapter , means any individual employed by an employer subject to this chapter, in which employment the relationship of master and servant exists between the employee and the person employing him. See Alabama Code 25-4-7
• Employing unit: as used in this chapter , means any individual or type of organization, including any partnership, association, trust estate, joint stock company or corporation, whether domestic or foreign, or the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, trustee or successor thereof, or the legal representative of a deceased person, which has, or subsequent to January 1, 1935, had in its employ one or more individuals performing services for it within this state. See Alabama Code 25-4-9
• employment: shall include service constituting employment under any unemployment compensation law of another state or of this state. See Alabama Code 25-4-16
• Employment office: as used in this chapter , means a free public employment office or a branch thereof operated by this or any other state as a part of a state controlled system of public employment offices or by a federal agency charged with the administration of an unemployment compensation program or free public employment offices. See Alabama Code 25-4-11
• 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.
• following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Fund: as used in this chapter , means the Unemployment Compensation Fund established by this chapter, to which all contributions and payments in lieu of contributions and from which all benefits required under this chapter shall be paid. See Alabama Code 25-4-12
• 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.
• Insured work: as used in this chapter , means "employment" for "employers. See Alabama Code 25-4-13
• 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.
• month: means a calendar month. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• 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.
• Payments in lieu of contributions: as used in this chapter , means the money payments to the State Unemployment Compensation Fund, required by this chapter, from employers who reimburse the fund for the amount of regular benefits and extended benefits paid that is attributable to service in the employ of such employers as is required by this chapter. See Alabama Code 25-4-5
• person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• preceding: means next before. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Probate: Proving a will
• property: includes both real and personal property. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Secretary: as used in this chapter , means the Secretary of Labor or his authorized representatives; except, that during any interim in which there is no duly appointed and qualified Secretary of Labor, the same shall mean the Director of Unemployment Compensation, provided for in Section 25-2-3. See Alabama Code 25-4-6
• State: as used in this chapter , includes, in addition to the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canada. See Alabama Code 25-4-14
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes the territories thereof and the District of Columbia. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
• wages: as used in this chapter , shall mean such remuneration as was defined in this section prior to such date. See Alabama Code 25-4-16
• Week: as used in this chapter , means such period of seven consecutive days, as the secretary may by regulation prescribe. See Alabama Code 25-4-17
• writing: includes typewriting and printing on paper. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• year: means a calendar year; but, whenever the word "year" is used in reference to any appropriations for the payment of money out of the treasury, it shall mean fiscal year. See Alabama Code 1-1-1