Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 23 - Miscellaneous Executive Functions

• 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.
• 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.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• association: means any person, other than an authorized insurer, issuing service warranties. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• 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.
• Contingency reserve: means a special premium reserve which is in addition to other premium reserves required by law and which is established for the protection of policyholders against the effect of adverse economic cycles. See Florida Statutes 635.011
• 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.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Gross written premiums: means the total amount of premiums, paid or to be paid by the consumer for the entire period of the service warranty inclusive of commissions, for which the association is obligated under service warranties issued. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Impaired: means having liabilities in excess of assets. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insolvent: means unable to pay debts as they become due in the usual course of business. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Insurance code: means the Florida Insurance Code as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Insurer: means any property or casualty insurer duly authorized to transact such business in this state. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• 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.
• law enforcement agency: means any agency or unit of government that has authority to employ or appoint law enforcement officers, as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 23.1225
• 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 session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgage guaranty insurance: means a form of casualty insurance insuring lenders against:
  (a) Financial loss by reason of nonpayment of principal, interest, and other sums agreed to be paid under the terms of any note, bond, or other evidence of indebtedness secured by a mortgage, deed of trust, or other instrument constituting a lien or charge on real estate which contains a residential building or a building designed to be occupied for industrial or commercial purposes. See Florida Statutes 635.011
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
• mutual aid agreement: as used in this part , refers to one of the following types of agreement:
  (a) A voluntary cooperation written agreement between two or more law enforcement agencies, which agreement permits voluntary cooperation and assistance of a routine law enforcement nature across jurisdictional lines. See Florida Statutes 23.1225
• Net assets: means total statutory assets in excess of liabilities, except that assets pledged to secure debts not reflected on the books of the service warranty association shall not be included in net assets. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• 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.
• Person: includes an individual, company, corporation, association, insurer, agent, and any other legal entity. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• 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
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Premium: means the total amount paid by the consumer, including any charges designated as assessments or fees for membership, policy, survey, inspection, finance, service, or other charges by the association. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Sales representative: means any person, retail store, corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship utilized by an insurer or service warranty association for the purpose of selling or issuing service warranties. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Service warranty: means any warranty, guaranty, extended warranty or extended guaranty, maintenance service contract equal to or greater than 1 year in length or which does not meet the exemption in paragraph (a), ¹contract agreement, or other written promise for a specific duration to perform the repair, replacement, or maintenance of a consumer product, or for indemnification for repair, replacement, or maintenance, for operational or structural failure due to a defect in materials or workmanship, normal wear and tear, power surge, or accidental damage from handling in return for the payment of a segregated charge by the consumer; however:
  (a) Maintenance service contracts written for less than 1 year which do not contain provisions for indemnification and which do not provide a discount to the consumer for any combination of parts and labor in excess of 20 percent during the effective period of such contract, motor vehicle service agreements, transactions exempt under…. See Florida Statutes 634.401
• 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.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. ^{Source: OCC}
• veteran: means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• 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