Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 11 > Article 7-A - Documents of Title

• Adult: means a person who has attained the age of 18 years. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Advertisement: means any material designed to create public interest in a product or induce the public to purchase, increase, modify, reinstate, borrow on, surrender, replace or retain a policy, as more specifically defined in the rules and operating procedures of the commission. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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.
• 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.
• Bailee: means a person that by a warehouse receipt, bill of lading or other document of title acknowledges possession of goods and contracts to deliver them. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Bylaws: means the bylaws established by the commission for its governance or for directing or controlling the commission's actions or conduct. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Carrier: means a person that issues a bill of lading. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
• Commission: means the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission established by the compact. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Commissioner: means the chief insurance regulatory official of a compacting state, including, but not limited to, commissioner, superintendent, director or administrator. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Health and Human Services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 22 Sec. 1-A
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Compacting state: means a state that has enacted the compact and that has not withdrawn pursuant to section 2485, subsection 1 or been terminated pursuant to section 2485, subsection 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Consignee: means a person named in a bill of lading to which or to whose order the bill promises delivery. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Consignor: means a person named in a bill of lading as the person from which the goods have been received for shipment. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• 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.
• county commissioners: means the county commissioners of Somerset County. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 895
• County legislative delegation: means all state legislators whose legislative districts, in whole or in part, lie within the boundaries of a county. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 1
• 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.
• Delivery order: means a record that contains an order to deliver goods directed to a warehouse, carrier or other person that in the ordinary course of business issues warehouse receipts or bills of lading. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Department: means the Department of Health and Human Services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 22 Sec. 1-A
• Department: means the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Domiciliary state: means the state in which an insurer is incorporated or organized or, in the case of an alien insurer, its state of entry. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• 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.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• 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.
• 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.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Good faith: means honesty in fact and the observance of reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Goods: means all things that are treated as movable for the purposes of a contract for storage or transportation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Grace period: The number of days you'll have to pay your bill for purchases in full without triggering a finance charge. ^{Source: Federal Reserve}
• 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.
• Guide: means a person who receives any form of remuneration for that person's services in accompanying or assisting a person in the fields or forests or on the waters or ice within the jurisdiction of the State while hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, snowmobiling, using an all-terrain vehicle or camping at a primitive camping area. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
• health insurance: means insurance of human beings against bodily injury, disablement or death by accident or accidental means, or the expense thereof, or against disablement or expense resulting from sickness, and every insurance appertaining thereto, including provision for the mental and emotional welfare of human beings by defraying the costs of legal services only to the extent provided for in chapter 38. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 704
• hunt: means to pursue, catch, take, kill or harvest wild animals or wild birds or to attempt to catch, take, kill or harvest wild animals or wild birds. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
• in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Infant: means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insurer: means an entity licensed by a state to issue contracts of insurance for any of the lines of insurance covered by the compact. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• 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}
• Issuer: means a bailee that issues a document of title or, in the case of an unaccepted delivery order, the person that orders the possessor of goods to deliver. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• 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}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Majority: when used in reference to age shall mean the age of 18 and over. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Management committee: means the management committee established under section 2476, subsection 5. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Member: means the person chosen by a compacting state as its representative to the commission, or the member's designee. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Minority: when used in reference to age shall mean under the age of 18. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Month: means a calendar month. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• 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.
• Motor vehicle: means any motor-driven vehicle, except motorboats. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
• Municipal officers: means the mayor and municipal officers or councilors of a city, the members of the select board or councilors of a town and the assessors of a plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Municipality: includes cities, towns and plantations, except that "municipality" does not include plantations in Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter IV; or Title 30?A, Part 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners: means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or its successor organization of insurance regulators. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 15
• Noncompacting state: means a state that is not a compacting state. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• 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.
• Operating procedures: means procedures adopted by the commission implementing a rule, uniform standard or provision of the compact. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• 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: means a human being or an organization. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Product: means the form of a policy or contract, including an application, endorsement or related form that is attached to and made a part of the policy or contract, and any evidence of coverage or certificate, for an individual or group annuity, life insurance, disability income or long-term care insurance product that an insurer is authorized to issue. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• 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.
• Rule: means a statement of general or particular applicability and future effect adopted by the commission, including a uniform standard developed pursuant to section 2478, designed to implement, interpret or prescribe law or policy or describing the organization, procedure or practice requirements of the commission, that has the force and effect of law in the compacting states. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• 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.
• Shipper: means a person that enters into a contract of transportation with a carrier. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• State: means any state, district or territory of the United States of America. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Third-party filer: means an entity that submits a product filing to the commission on behalf of an insurer. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Town: includes cities and plantations, unless otherwise expressed or implied. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. ^{Source: OCC}
• Uniform standard: means a standard adopted by the commission for a product line, pursuant to section 2478, and includes all of the product requirements in aggregate. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2473
• United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Warehouse: means a person engaged in the business of storing goods for hire. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 11 Sec. 7-1102
• Wild animal: means a species of mammal, wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity, as distinguished from the common domestic animals, and includes any physical part of that species of animal. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
• Wild bird: means a species of bird wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity, as distinguished from common domestic birds, and includes any physical part of that species of bird. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001