Agent: means an individual, firm, partnership, association or corporation who is involved in the solicitation, negotiation or binding of coverages for or on applications or policies of insurance, covering property or risks located in this State. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
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.
Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
Applicant: means any person who seeks to contract for insurance coverage other than a person seeking group insurance that is not individually underwritten. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
Banking association: means any Illinois corporation, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, which functions as a professional or trade association of dues-paying member commercial banks. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1102
Commercial Building: means any building, other than a residence, permanently affixed to realty located in Illinois, including basements, footings, foundations, septic systems and underground pipes directly servicing the building, but does not include sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, living units, land, trees, plants, crops or agricultural field drainage tile. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Consumer report: means any written, oral or other communication of information bearing on a natural person's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living which is used or expected to be used in connection with an insurance transaction. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Consumer reporting agency: means any person who: (1) regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the
practice of assembling or preparing consumer reports for a monetary fee,
(2) obtains information primarily from sources other
Contingency reserve fund: means a separate fund maintained for payment of claims in excess of the pool retention fund amount. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1102
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.
Coverage grant: means the document describing specific coverages and terms of coverage which are provided by a risk retention trust created under this Article. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1102
Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
Declination of insurance coverage: means a denial, in whole or in part, by an insurance institution or agent of requested insurance coverage. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
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.
Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
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.
Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
Individual: means any natural person who: (1) in the case of property or casualty insurance, is
a past, present or proposed named insured or certificateholder;
(2) in the case of life, health or disability
insurance, is a past, present or proposed principal insured or certificateholder;
(3) is a past, present or proposed policyowner; (4) is a past or present applicant; (5) is a past or present claimant; or (6) derived, derives or is proposed to derive
Institutional source: means any person or governmental entity that provides information about an individual to an agent, insurance institution or insurance-support organization, other than: (1) an agent, (2) the individual who is the subject of the
information, or
(3) a natural person acting in a personal capacity
Insurance institution: means any corporation, association, partnership, reciprocal exchange, inter-insurer, Lloyd's insurer, fraternal benefit society or other person engaged in the business of insurance, health maintenance organizations as defined in § 2 of the Health Maintenance Organization Act, voluntary health services plans as defined in § 2 of the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and dental service plans as defined in § 4 of the Dental Service Plan Act. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Insurance transaction: means any transaction involving insurance primarily for personal, family or household needs rather than business or professional needs which entails: (1) the determination of an individual's eligibility
Insurance-support organization: means : (1) any person who regularly engages, in whole or in
part, in the practice of assembling or collecting information about natural persons for the primary purpose of providing the information to an insurance institution or agent for insurance transactions, including:
(a) the furnishing of consumer reports or
investigative consumer reports to an insurance institution or agent for use in connection with an insurance transaction, or
(b) the collection of personal information from
insurance institutions, agents or other insurance-support organizations for the purpose of detecting or preventing fraud, material misrepresentation or material nondisclosure in connection with insurance underwriting or insurance claim activity. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Insurers: means insurance companies and reciprocals licensed and authorized to write Class 3 policies of insurance, as defined in this Code, within Illinois. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Intergovernmental cooperative: means an intergovernmental cooperative organized pursuant to Article VII, Section 10 of the Illinois Constitution and Section 6 of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Investigative consumer report: means a consumer report or portion thereof in which information about a natural person's character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living is obtained through personal interviews with the person's neighbors, friends, associates, acquaintances or others who may have knowledge concerning such items of information. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
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.
Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
Licensed service company: means an entity licensed under § 464a of the Illinois Insurance Code to perform claims adjusting, loss control and data processing. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1102
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.
Living Unit: shall mean that physical portion designated for separate ownership or occupancy for residential purposes, of a building or group of buildings, permanently affixed to realty located in Illinois, having elements which are owned or used in common, including a condominium unit, a cooperative unit or any other similar unit. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Medical professional: means any person licensed or certified to provide health care services to natural persons, including but not limited to, a physician, dentist, nurse, optometrist, chiropractor, naprapath, pharmacist, physical or occupational therapist, psychiatric social worker, speech therapist, clinical dietitian or clinical psychologist. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Medical-care institution: means any facility or institution that is licensed to provide health care services to natural persons, including but not limited to: hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home-health agencies, medical clinics, rehabilitation agencies and public-health agencies and health-maintenance organizations. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Medical-record information: means personal information which: (1) relates to an individual's physical or mental
condition, medical history or medical treatment, and
Mine Subsidence: means lateral or vertical ground movement caused by a failure initiated at the mine level, of man-made underground mines, including, but not limited to coal mines, clay mines, limestone mines, and fluorspar mines that directly damages residences or commercial buildings. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
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.
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.
Personal information: includes an individual's name and address and "medical-record information" but does not include "privileged information". See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
policies: means any contract or contracts of insurance providing the coverage of the Standard Fire Policy and Extended Coverage Endorsement on any residence, living unit or commercial building. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Policyholder: means any person who: (1) in the case of individual property or casualty
insurance, is a present named insured;
(2) in the case of individual life, health or
disability insurance, is a present policyowner; or
Pool retention fund: means a separate fund maintained for payment of first dollar claims, up to a specific amount per claim ("specific retention") and up to an aggregate amount for a 12-month period ("aggregate retention"). See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1102
premiums: means the gross amount charged to policyholders for the mine subsidence insurance made available under this Article. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Pretext interview: means an interview whereby a person, in an attempt to obtain information about a natural person, performs one or more of the following acts: (1) pretends to be someone he or she is not, (2) pretends to represent a person he or she is not
in fact representing,
(3) misrepresents the true purpose of the interview,
Privileged information: means any individually identifiable information that: (1) relates to a claim for insurance benefits or a civil or criminal proceeding involving an individual, and (2) is collected in connection with or in reasonable anticipation of a claim for insurance benefits or civil or criminal proceeding involving an individual; provided, however, information otherwise meeting the requirements of this subsection shall nevertheless be considered "personal information" under this Article if it is disclosed in violation of Section 1014 of this Article. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. Source: FDIC
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: means a building used principally for residential purposes up to and including a four family dwelling, permanently affixed to realty located in Illinois, including appurtenant structures, driveways, sidewalks, basements, footings, foundations, septic systems and underground pipes directly servicing the dwelling or building, but does not include living units, land, trees, plants, crops or agricultural field drainage tile. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/802.1
Residual market mechanism: means an association, organization or other entity described in Article XXXIII of this Act, or Section 7-501 of The Illinois Vehicle Code. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
Unauthorized insurer: means an insurance institution that has not been granted a certificate of authority by the Director to transact the business of insurance in this State. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
under common control with: means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract other than a commercial contract for goods or nonmanagement services, or otherwise, unless the power is the result of an official position with or corporate office held by the person. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5/1003
