Terms Used In Delaware Code > Title 25 > Chapter 27 - Mechanics' Liens

• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Agency: means any office, department, board, commission or other separate unit of government of this State, including all branches of government: Executive, legislative and judicial. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 502
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• 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
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• 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.
• Authorization act: means an act of the General Assembly, concurred in by 3/4 of all the members of each House, appropriating funds of the State from the proceeds of bonds authorized to be issued by such act. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7401
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Board: means the Delaware Board of Charitable Gaming;

  (2) "Districts" means those districts mentioned in article II, § 17A or § 17B of the state Constitution;

  (3) "Game or games" means bingo, instant or sealed game, and charitable gaming;

  (4) "Members-only game" means any game of chance open for participation only to members of the sponsoring organization;

  (5) "Organization" means a veterans', religious or charitable organization, volunteer fire company or fraternal society as defined in article II, § 17A or § 17B of the state Constitution. See Delaware Code Title 28 Sec. 1502

• Bonds: means any bonds authorized to be issued by the State pursuant to a school construction bond authorization act. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• Bonds: means any bonds authorized to be issued by the State pursuant to an authorization act and to the payment of which the State has pledged its full faith and credit. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7401
• Buyer: means a person who buys or contracts to buy goods. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 2-103
• charitable gaming: means any game or scheme operated by an organization which has been in existence 2 years or longer in which chance is the dominant factor in the game, a consideration is paid to play and a prize may be won, excluding slot machines, roulette, craps or baccarat games. See Delaware Code Title 28 Sec. 1527
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Construction management services: includes services performed pursuant to a contract with an owner of a structure, or with the agent of such owner, for the management of the erection, alteration or repair of such structure, where the person or entity providing such services does not perform or furnish labor or material for such erection, alteration or repair. See Delaware Code Title 25 Sec. 2701
• 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.
• 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.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• 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}
• 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.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• 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.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• 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}
• Issuing officers: means the Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Secretary of Finance of the State. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7401
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• 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.
• Labor: includes work. See Delaware Code Title 25 Sec. 2701
• 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}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Local government: means any county, city, town, municipality or other government, created by an act of the General Assembly, that is not a state agency, department, board or commission. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 502
• Local share: means the sum of money specified in any school construction bond authorization act to render permissible the use of the state share for school construction within the particular school district. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• Minor capital improvement: means minor capital improvement as that term is defined in § 7528 of this title. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Month: means a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Notes: means anticipation notes issued by the State in anticipation of the issuance of bonds. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• Notes: means notes issued by the State in anticipation of the issuance of bonds authorized by an authorization act and to the payment of which the State has pledged its full faith and credit. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7401
• 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• 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.
• Political subdivision: includes counties, cities, towns, districts, authorities and other public corporations and entities whether mandated by the Constitution or formed by an act of the General Assembly. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 502
• President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public record: means any document, book, photographic image, electronic data recording, paper, sound recording or other material regardless of physical form or characteristics, including electronic records created or maintained in electronic information systems, made, used, produced, composed, drafted or otherwise compiled or collected or received in connection with the transaction of public business or in any way related to public purposes by any officer or employee of this State or any political subdivision thereof. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 502
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Records officer: means any person or persons designated according to the provisions of this chapter, whose responsibilities include the development and oversight of agency or local government records management programs. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 502
• 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.
• Revenue notes: means notes issued by the State in anticipation of the receipt by the State of taxes and revenues payable to the State and the payment of which the State has pledged its full faith and credit. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7401
• School construction: includes , but is not limited to, the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling or enlargement of school buildings, the acquisition or installation of apparatus or equipment or educational supplies suitable for the use of such buildings, the acquisition of machinery necessary for the maintenance of such buildings or school grounds, the acquisition of land required as sites for such buildings, or for playgrounds, including land or rights in land needed to provide access to sites and to provide suitable playgrounds, and the grading or other improvements of such sites, land or rights in land, including the construction of sidewalks where authorized by law, the construction of any sewers or water mains needed to connect such buildings to any publicly owned sewer system or water system, the acquisition of temporary buildings or facilities for school purposes to be used until such time as permanent school buildings or facilities shall become available. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• School construction bond authorization act: means an authorization act of the General Assembly concurred in by 3/4 of all the members of each House, authorizing, among other things, the issuance of bonds and the appropriation of the proceeds thereof to finance school construction. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• School district: means a reorganized school district, or any newly created school unit or area for which no board has been appointed or elected at the time of the effective date of any school construction bond authorization act or any area which the State Board of Education shall determine to be the area served by any school facility which is referred to in any school construction bond authorization act and for which there is specified no local share. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• Seller: means a person who sells or contracts to sell goods. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 2-103
• 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 the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• state contiguous to this State: shall mean any state having a common border with this State. See Delaware Code Title 28 Sec. 801
• State share: means that maximum sum of money which may be paid from state sources for school construction in a particular school district as provided in any school construction bond authorization act. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• 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.
• Structure: includes a building or house. See Delaware Code Title 25 Sec. 2701
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Total cost: means the maximum sum or sums of money which may be spent for school construction under a particular school construction bond authorization act in a particular school district, provided that nothing contained in this chapter shall prevent any school district from increasing said total cost by providing a larger amount from local sources than that stated as that district's local share, nor prevent the acceptance and use of any funds appropriated by the Congress of the United States for these purposes. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 7501
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• United States: includes its territories and possessions and the District of Columbia. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
• Vital records: means those records which contain information required for government to continue functioning during a disaster, protect the rights of Delaware citizens and document the obligations of Delaware government, and reestablish operations after a calamity has ended. See Delaware Code Title 29 Sec. 502
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Year: means a calendar year, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302