Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 368 - City Development

• Adjoining: means having a common boundary for not less than fifty feet. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Annexation: means the addition of territory to a city. See Iowa Code 368.1
• 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.
• Board: means the city development board established in section 368. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Boundary adjustment: means annexation, severance or consolidation. See Iowa Code 368.1
• City development: means an incorporation, discontinuance or boundary adjustment. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Clerk: means the recording and recordkeeping officer of a city regardless of title. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Committee: means the board members, and the local representatives appointed as provided in sections 368. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Consolidation: means the combining of two or more cities into one city. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Council: means the governing body of a city. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Discontinuance: means termination of a city. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• 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}
• 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.
• 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.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Incorporation: means establishment of a new city. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Island: means land which is not part of a city and which is completely surrounded by the corporate boundaries of one or more cities. See Iowa Code 368.1
• 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.
• motion: means a council statement of policy or a council order for action to be taken, but "motion" does not require a recorded vote. See Iowa Code 362.2
• 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.
• Ordinance: means a city law of a general and permanent nature. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Person: means an individual, firm, partnership, domestic or foreign corporation, company, association or joint stock association, trust, or other legal entity, and includes a trustee, receiver, assignee, or similar representative thereof, but does not include a governmental body. See Iowa Code 362.2
• property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
• property owner: means the contract purchaser if there is one of record, otherwise the record holder of legal title. See Iowa Code 364.12
• Public land: means land owned by the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Public utility: means a public utility subject to regulation pursuant to chapter 476. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• real property: include lands, tenements, hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Registered voter: means the same as it is defined in section 39. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Registered voter: means a person who is registered to vote pursuant to chapter 48A. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• road: include public bridges, and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" "common road" and "state road". See Iowa Code 4.1
• Severance: means the deletion of territory from a city. See Iowa Code 368.1
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Territory: means the land area or areas proposed to be incorporated, annexed, or severed, whether or not contiguous to all other areas proposed to be incorporated, annexed, or severed. See Iowa Code 368.1
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Urbanized area: means any area of land within two miles of the boundaries of a city. See Iowa Code 368.1