Terms Used In Indiana Code > Title 32 > Article 31 - Landlord-Tenant Relations

• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• applicable offense: refers to any of the following:

  Indiana Code 32-31-9-3

• applicant: means an individual who applies to a landlord to enter into a lease of a dwelling unit. See Indiana Code 32-31-9-4
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• cooperative housing association: means a consumer cooperative that provides dwelling units to its members. See Indiana Code 32-31-3-2
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• dwelling unit: has the meaning set forth in IC 32-31-5-3. See Indiana Code 32-31-9-5
• dwelling unit: means a structure or part of a structure that is used as a home, residence, or sleeping unit. See Indiana Code 32-31-5-3
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• exempt property: means personal property that is any of the following:

  Indiana Code 32-31-4-1

• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• 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.
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• landlord: means :

  Indiana Code 32-31-3-3

• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• minor: means a person less than eighteen (18) years of age. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• 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.
• owner: means one (1) or more persons in whom is vested all or part of the legal title to property. See Indiana Code 32-31-3-4
• perpetrator: means an individual who:

  Indiana Code 32-31-9-6

• person: means an individual, a corporation, an association, a partnership, a governmental entity, a trust, an estate, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Indiana Code 32-31-3-5
• Personal property: includes goods, chattels, evidences of debt, and things in action. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• protected activity: means any of the following actions taken by a tenant:

  Indiana Code 32-31-8.5-2

• protected individual: means a tenant or applicant:

  Indiana Code 32-31-9-7

• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• real property: include lands, tenements, and hereditaments. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
• Remainderman: One entitled to the remainder of an estate after a particular reserved right or interest, such as a life tenancy, has expired.
• rent: includes all payments made to a landlord under a rental agreement except a security deposit, however denominated. See Indiana Code 32-31-3-6
• rental agreement: means an agreement together with any modifications, embodying the terms and conditions concerning the use and occupancy of a rental unit. See Indiana Code 32-31-3-7
• rental premises: includes all of the following:

  Indiana Code 32-31-7-3

• rental premises: includes all of the following:

  Indiana Code 32-31-8-3

• rental premises: has the meaning set forth in IC 32-31-7-3. See Indiana Code 32-31-8.5-3
• rental unit: means :

  Indiana Code 32-31-3-8

• residential landlord-tenant statute: refers to any of the following:

  Indiana Code 32-31-2.9-2

• retaliatory act: means any of the following actions taken by a landlord in response to a tenant's engaging in a protected activity:

  Indiana Code 32-31-8.5-4

• security deposit: means a deposit paid by a tenant to the landlord or the landlord's agent to be held for all or a part of the term of the rental agreement to secure performance of any obligation of the tenant under the rental agreement. See Indiana Code 32-31-3-9
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• storage facility: means any location approved by a court for storage of a tenant's personal property under section 2(e) of this chapter. See Indiana Code 32-31-4-1.5
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• tenant: means an individual who occupies a rental unit:

  Indiana Code 32-31-3-10

• Testator: A male person who leaves a will at death.