Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes > Title 32 > Chapter 4-C > Part I - Definitions and General Provisions

• 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.
• 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.
• Commission: means the Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission or its designee. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• 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.
• Department: means the Louisiana Department of Health. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:2116.1
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismantler and parts recycler: means a person, firm, or corporation engaged in whole or in part in the business of acquiring and dismantling, disassembling, or repairing wrecked, abandoned, or repairable motor vehicles or selling the usable parts thereof, or selling such wrecked, abandoned, or repairable motor vehicles as a unit of wholesale, or selling such repaired motor vehicles as a unit at wholesale. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• 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}
• 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.
• Motor vehicle: means any motor-driven vehicle required to be registered that was used, is used, or is designed to be used for the transporting of passengers or goods for public, private, commercial, or for-hire purposes. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Motor vehicle crusher: means any person, firm, limited liability corporation, or corporation engaged in whole or in part in the business of purchasing and crushing or compacting motor vehicles and selling the crushed or compacted vehicle for scrap. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• 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 a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
• Person with significant disabilities: means a person with loss of sensory or motor functions interfering with activities of daily living to the extent that the person requires assistance with nonmedical personal care needs, domestic or cleaning needs, dressing and undressing, moving into and out of bed, ambulation, related services including but not limited to meal preparation, laundry, and grocery shopping, and other similar activities of daily living. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:2116.1
• Place of business: means the place owned or leased and regularly occupied by a person, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or other entity licensed under the provisions of this Chapter for the principal purpose of auctioning, renting, or selling used motor vehicles, crushing or compacting used motor vehicles and selling the crushed or compacted vehicle for scrap, or engaging in the business of a dismantler and parts recycler, where the products for sale are displayed and offered for sale, and where the books and records required for the conduct of the business are maintained and kept. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Public or retail motor vehicle auction: means the act of any person, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or other entity engaging in, for a commission, compensation, or other consideration, the business of providing vehicle auction services at an established place of business which is not open exclusively to motor vehicle dealers, dismantlers, and parts recyclers. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Scrap metal processor: means any person or entity engaged in the business of obtaining and storing scrap metal, as defined by Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Secretary: means the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:2116.1
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• stalking: means any act that would constitute the crime of stalking under Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:2172
• State personal assistance services: means goods and services which are required by a person with significant disabilities age eighteen or older to increase a person's independence or substitute for a person's dependence on human assistance. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:2116.1
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Ultimate purchaser: means the first person or corporate entity, other than a dealer purchasing in his capacity as a dealer, who in good faith purchases a new motor vehicle for purposes other than resale. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Used motor vehicle: means a motor vehicle, which has been previously titled to an ultimate purchaser as defined in Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Used motor vehicle dealer: means any person, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or other entity who, for a commission or with intent to make a profit or gain of money or other thing of value, buys, sells, brokers, exchanges, rents with option to purchase, auctions at retail or public, offers, or attempts to negotiate a sale or exchange of an interest in used motor vehicles and who is engaged wholly or in part in the business of buying and selling used motor vehicles, whether such motor vehicles are owned by such person and whether the motor vehicles are sold from a dealership location or via any form of advertising, including but not limited to the Internet. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:781
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.