Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 189 - Uniform Special District Accountability Act

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• 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.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Component independent special district: means an independent special district that proposes to be merged into a merged independent district, or an independent special district as it existed before its merger into the merged independent district of which it is now a part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Department: means the Department of Commerce. See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dependent special district: means a special district that meets at least one of the following criteria:
  (a) The membership of its governing body is identical to that of the governing body of a single county or a single municipality. See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Elector-initiated merger plan: means the merger plan of two or more independent special districts, a majority of whose qualified electors have elected to merge, which outlines the terms and agreements for the official merger of the districts and is finalized and approved by the governing bodies of the districts pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• 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}
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• 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}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Governing body: means the governing body of the independent special district in which the general legislative, governmental, or public powers of the district are vested and by authority of which the official business of the district is conducted. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Independent special district: means a special district that is not a dependent special district as defined in subsection (2). See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Initiative: means the filing of a petition containing a proposal for a referendum to be placed on the ballot for election. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Joint merger plan: means the merger plan that is adopted by resolution of the governing bodies of two or more independent special districts that outlines the terms and agreements for the official merger of the districts and that is finalized and approved by the governing bodies pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• judicial office: includes the office of:
  (a) Justice of the Supreme Court. See Florida Statutes 105.011
• 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.
• 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}
• Legislative Auditing Committee: means a committee or committees designated by joint rule of the Legislature, by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• 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 governing authority: means the governing body of a unit of local general-purpose government. See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Merged independent district: means a single independent special district that results from a successful merger of two or more independent special districts pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Merger: means the combination of two or more contiguous independent special districts resulting in a newly created merged independent district that assumes jurisdiction over all of the component independent special districts. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Merger plan: means a written document that contains the terms, agreements, and information regarding the merger of two or more independent special districts. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes affirmations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• 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.
• Office of Economic and Demographic Research: means an entity designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability: means an entity designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Proposed elector-initiated merger plan: means a written document that contains the terms and information regarding the merger of two or more independent special districts and that accompanies the petition initiated by the qualified electors of the districts but that is not yet finalized and approved by the governing bodies of each component independent special district pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Proposed joint merger plan: means a written document that contains the terms and information regarding the merger of two or more independent special districts and that has been prepared pursuant to a resolution of the governing bodies of the districts but that is not yet finalized and approved by the governing bodies of each component independent special district pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Public facilities: means major capital improvements, including, but not limited to, transportation facilities, sanitary sewer facilities, solid waste facilities, water management and control facilities, potable water facilities, alternative water systems, educational facilities, parks and recreational facilities, health systems and facilities, and, except for spoil disposal by those ports listed in…. See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Qualified elector: means an individual at least 18 years of age who is a citizen of the United States, a permanent resident of this state, and a resident of the district who registers with the supervisor of elections of a county within which the district lands are located when the registration books are open. See Florida Statutes 189.07
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• registered mail: includes certified mail with return receipt requested. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• 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.
• Special district: means a unit of local government created for a special purpose, as opposed to a general purpose, which has jurisdiction to operate within a limited geographic boundary and is created by general law, special act, local ordinance, or by rule of the Governor and Cabinet. See Florida Statutes 189.012
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• 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.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01