Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 455 - Business and Professional Regulation: General Provisions

• Administrative Procedures Committee: means a committee 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
• 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.
• Appropriate law enforcement official: means the sheriff of the county in which a secondary metals recycler is located or, if the secondary metals recycler is located within a municipality, the police chief of the municipality in which the secondary metals recycler is located; however, the sheriff or police chief may designate as the appropriate law enforcement official for the county or municipality, as applicable, any law enforcement officer working within that respective county or municipality. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Appropriate law enforcement official: means the sheriff of the county in which a secondhand dealer is located or, if the secondhand dealer is located within a municipality, both the police chief of the municipality and the sheriff; however, the sheriff or police chief may designate as the appropriate law enforcement official for that county or municipality, as applicable, any law enforcement officer working within that respective county or municipality. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• 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
• 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.
• Automated kiosk: means an interactive device that is permanently installed within a secure retail space and that has the following technological functions:
  1. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• 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.
• Board: means any board or commission, or other statutorily created entity to the extent such entity is authorized to exercise regulatory or rulemaking functions, within the department, including the Florida Real Estate Commission; except that, for ss. See Florida Statutes 455.01
• Brake fluid: means the fluid intended for use as the liquid medium through which force is transmitted in the hydraulic brake system of a vehicle operated upon the highways. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• Brand: means the product name appearing on the label of a container of brake fluid. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• Budget authority: Authority provided by law to enter into obligations that will result in outlays of Federal funds. Budget authority may be classified by the period of availability (one-year, multiyear, no-year), by the timing of congressional action (current or permanent), or by the manner of determining the amount available (definite or indefinite).
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Container: means any receptacle in which brake fluid is immediately contained when sold, but does not mean a carton or wrapping in which a number of such receptacles are shipped or stored or a tank car or truck. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 455.01
• Department: means the Department of Revenue. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Department: means the Department of Revenue. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• Department: means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Ferrous metals: means any metals containing significant quantities of iron or steel. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. ^{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.
• Fixed location: means any site occupied by a secondary metals recycler as owner of the site or as lessee of the site under a lease or other rental agreement providing for occupation of the site by the secondary metals recycler for a total duration of not less than 364 days. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Formula: means the name of the chemical mixture or composition of the brake fluid product. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• 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.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• 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.
• Labeling: includes all written, printed or graphic representations, in any form whatsoever, imprinted upon or affixed to any container of brake fluid. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• 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}
• License: means any permit, registration, certificate, or license issued by the department. See Florida Statutes 455.01
• Licensee: means any person issued a permit, registration, certificate, or license by the department. See Florida Statutes 455.01
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• 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.
• Nonferrous metals: means metals not containing significant quantities of iron or steel, including, without limitation, copper, brass, aluminum, bronze, lead, zinc, nickel, and alloys thereof, excluding precious metals subject to regulation under part I. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• 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 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.
• 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 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 identification card: means a valid Florida driver license, a Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, an equivalent form of identification issued by another state, a passport, or an employment authorization issued by the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services that contains an individual's photograph and current address. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• 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: 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
• Precious metals: means any item containing any gold, silver, or platinum, or any combination thereof, excluding any chemical or any automotive, photographic, electrical, medical, or dental materials or electronic parts. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• Precious metals dealer: means a secondhand dealer who normally or regularly engages in the business of buying used precious metals for resale. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• 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.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Profession: means any activity, occupation, profession, or vocation regulated by the department in the Divisions of Certified Public Accounting, Professions, Real Estate, and Regulation. See Florida Statutes 455.01
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Purchase transaction: means a transaction in which a secondary metals recycler gives consideration for regulated metals property. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Registrant: means any manufacturer, packer, distributor, seller, or other person who has registered a brake fluid with the department. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• Regulated metals property: means any item composed primarily of any nonferrous metals. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Restricted regulated metals property: means any regulated metals property listed in…. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Secondary metals recycler: means any person who:
  (a) Is engaged, from a fixed location, in the business of purchase transactions or gathering or obtaining ferrous or nonferrous metals that have served their original economic purpose or is in the business of performing the manufacturing process by which ferrous metals or nonferrous metals are converted into raw material products consisting of prepared grades and having an existing or potential economic value; or
  (b) Has facilities for performing the manufacturing process by which ferrous metals or nonferrous metals are converted into raw material products consisting of prepared grades and having an existing or potential economic value, other than by the exclusive use of hand tools, by methods including, without limitation, processing, sorting, cutting, classifying, cleaning, baling, wrapping, shredding, shearing, or changing the physical form or chemical content thereof. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Secondhand dealer: means any person, corporation, or other business organization or entity which is not a secondary metals recycler subject to part II and which is engaged in the business of purchasing, consigning, or trading secondhand goods. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• Secondhand goods: means personal property previously owned or used which is not regulated metals property regulated under part II and which is purchased, consigned, or traded as used property. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• Secondhand store: means the place or premises at which a secondhand dealer is registered to conduct business as a secondhand dealer or conducts business. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• Sell: includes give, distribute, barter, exchange, trade, keep for sale, offer for sale or expose for sale, in any of their variant forms. See Florida Statutes 526.50
• 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.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transaction: means any purchase, consignment, or trade of secondhand goods by a secondhand dealer. See Florida Statutes 538.03
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Utility: means a public utility or electric utility as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• 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
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• 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