Terms Used In California Codes > Health and Safety Code > Division 8 > Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS

• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Balanced budget: A budget in which receipts equal outlays.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• board: means the board of supervisors of a county. See California Government Code 77002
• Case law: The law as laid down in cases that have been decided in the decisions of the courts.
• Child: means any individual entitled to take as a child under this code by intestate succession from the parent whose relationship is involved. See California Probate Code 26
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• Commission: means the Fish and Game Commission, and "commissioner" means a member of the Fish and Game Commission. See California Fish and Game Code 30
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conservatee: includes a limited conservatee. See California Probate Code 29
• Conservator: means the conservator of the estate, or the limited conservator of the estate to the extent that the powers and duties of the limited conservator are specifically and expressly provided by the order appointing the limited conservator. See California Probate Code 2400
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Controller: means the State Controller. See California Government Code 77013
• county: includes a city and county. See California Government Code 77012
• County: includes "city and county. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes city and county. See California Health and Safety Code 14
• court operations: means all of the following:

  California Government Code 77003

• Court proceeding: means a civil, criminal, or juvenile proceeding, or a deposition in a civil case filed in a court of record. See California Government Code 68560.5
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• department: means State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
• Department: means the Department of Fish and Wildlife. See California Fish and Game Code 37
• 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.
• Director: means "State Director of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 21
• Director: means the Director of Fish and Wildlife. See California Fish and Game Code 39
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Domestic partner: means one of two persons who have filed a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with the Secretary of State pursuant to Division 2. See California Probate Code 37
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Estate: means all of the conservatee's or ward's personal property, wherever located, and real property located in this state. See California Probate Code 2400
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fiduciary: means personal representative, trustee, guardian, conservator, attorney-in-fact under a power of attorney, custodian under the California Uniform Transfer To Minors Act (Part 9 (commencing with Section 3900) of Division 4), or other legal representative subject to this code. See California Probate Code 39
• filing fees: means any and all fees and charges, liberally construed, collected or collectible for filing, processing, including service of process, copying, endorsing, or for any other service related to court operations as defined in Section 77003. See California Government Code 77008
• Financing: means the lending of moneys or any other thing of value for the purpose of facilitating residential construction pursuant to this chapter, including the making of construction loans and mortgage loans to purchasers of newly constructed and newly rehabilitated residences and the making of loans to qualified mortgage lenders, and the making of mortgage loans to purchasers of newly constructed or existing residences located in targeted areas as provided in Section 33760. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Fish: means a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian, or part, spawn, or ovum of any of those animals. See California Fish and Game Code 45
• 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}
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Guardian: means the guardian of the estate. See California Probate Code 2400
• Instrument: means a will, a document establishing or modifying a trust, a deed, or any other writing that designates a beneficiary or makes a donative transfer of property. See California Probate Code 45
• 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}
• interested person: includes any of the following:

  California Probate Code 48

• Jury instructions: A judge's directions to the jury before it begins deliberations regarding the factual questions it must answer and the legal rules that it must apply. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• 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}
• 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.
• Local codes: means applicable local, state and federal standards for residential construction or rehabilitation, including any other standards adopted by the agency for a redevelopment project area or as part of its redevelopment program. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. ^{Source: OCC}
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Government Code 15
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Parent: means any individual entitled to take as a parent under this code by intestate succession from the child whose relationship is involved. See California Probate Code 54
• Participating party: means any person, corporation, partnership, firm, or other entity or group of entities requiring financing for residential construction pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• 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: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Health and Safety Code 19
• Person: means any natural person or any partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, or other type of association. See California Fish and Game Code 67
• Person: means an individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, or other entity. See California Probate Code 56
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Personal representative: means executor, administrator, administrator with the will annexed, special administrator, successor personal representative, public administrator acting pursuant to Section 7660, or a person who performs substantially the same function under the law of another jurisdiction governing the person's status. See California Probate Code 58
• 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}
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
• Professional fiduciary: means a person who is a professional fiduciary as defined under subdivision (f) of §. See California Probate Code 60.1
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Property: means anything that may be the subject of ownership and includes both real and personal property and any interest therein. See California Probate Code 62
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Qualified mortgage lender: means a mortgage lender authorized by a redevelopment agency to do business with the agency and to aid in financing pursuant to this chapter on behalf of the agency, for which service the qualified mortgage lender will be reasonably compensated. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Real property: includes a leasehold interest in real property. See California Probate Code 68
• Redevelopment project area: means a project area, as defined in Section 33320. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Rehabilitation: means repairs and improvements to a substandard residence necessary to make it meet local codes. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• 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.
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Residence: includes condominium and cooperative dwelling units, and includes both real property improved with single-family residential structures and real property improved with multiple-family residential structures. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Residential construction: means the construction of new residences or the rehabilitation and improvement of substandard residences to meet requirements of local codes and the redevelopment plan. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Revenue bonds: means any bonds, notes, interim certificates, debentures, or other obligations issued by an agency pursuant to this chapter and which are payable exclusively from revenues and from any other funds specified in this chapter upon which the revenue bonds may be made a charge and from which they are payable. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Revenues: means all amounts received as repayment of principal, interest, and all other charges received for, and all other income and receipts derived by, the redevelopment agency from the financing of residential construction, including moneys deposited in a sinking, redemption, or reserve fund or other fund to secure the revenue bonds or to provide for the payment of the principal of, or interest on, the revenue bonds. See California Health and Safety Code 33753
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Spouse: includes domestic partner, as defined in Section 37 of this code, as required by §. See California Probate Code 72
• State: includes the District of Columbia and the territories when applied to the different parts of the United States, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Health and Safety Code 23
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Fish and Game Code 83
• State: includes any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession subject to the legislative authority of the United States. See California Probate Code 74
• 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.
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Fish and Game Code 73
• subordinate judicial officers: includes all commissioner or referee positions created prior to July 1, 1997, including positions created in the municipal court prior to July 1, 1997, which thereafter became positions in the superior court as a result of unification of the municipal and superior courts in a county, and including those commissioner positions created pursuant to former Sections 69904, 70141, 70141. See California Government Code 77003
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• taxes: shall include , but without limitation, all levies on an ad valorem basis upon land or real property. See California Health and Safety Code 33672
• 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.
• trial court: means a superior court. See California Government Code 77007
• trial court funding: means the amount of state funds provided for the operation of the trial courts, as defined in Section 77003, appropriated in the Budget Act, and allocated or reallocated by the Judicial Council. See California Government Code 77006.5
• Trust: includes the following:

  California Probate Code 82

• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Wildlife: means and includes all wild animals, birds, plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and related ecological communities, including the habitat upon which the wildlife depends for its continued viability. See California Fish and Game Code 89.5
• Will: includes codicil and any testamentary instrument which merely appoints an executor or revokes or revises another will. See California Probate Code 88