Terms Used In Michigan Laws > Chapter 125 > Act 346 of 1966 > Chapter 3A

• Adjacent neighborhood: means a residential area as determined by the authority immediately adjoining or near a downtown area within the same municipality. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• Adjusted household income: means that term as defined in rules of the authority. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• 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.
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• 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
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Authority: means the Michigan state housing development authority created in this act. See Michigan Laws 125.1411
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• citation: means a complaint or notice upon which a police officer shall record an occurrence involving 1 or more vehicle law violations by the person cited. See Michigan Laws 257.727c
• Commission: means the Mackinac Island state park commission created in section 76503. See Michigan Laws 324.76501
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• controlling board: means all boards having the care, management, or control over public school districts and public educational institutions other than a public school academy established under the revised school code, Act No. See Michigan Laws 38.73
• 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.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the director of the department of natural resources or his or her designee to whom the director delegates a power or duty by written instrument. See Michigan Laws 324.301
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Director: means the director of the Mackinac Island state park commission. See Michigan Laws 324.76501
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Downtown area: means an area where 20 or more contiguous properties have been planned, zoned, or used for commercial purposes for 50 or more years and where a majority of the buildings are built adjacent to each other as determined by the authority and up to the public right-of-way. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• Eligible applicant: means a not-for-profit corporation, a for-profit corporation, a municipality, a land bank fast track authority organized under the land bank fast track act, 2003 PA 258, MCL 124. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• 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}
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fund: means the Michigan housing and community development fund created in section 58a. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• 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.
• in writing: shall be construed to include printing, engraving, and lithographing; except that if the written signature of a person is required by law, the signature shall be the proper handwriting of the person or, if the person is unable to write, the person's proper mark, which may be, unless otherwise expressly prohibited by law, a clear and classifiable fingerprint of the person made with ink or another substance. See Michigan Laws 8.3q
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• 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}
• Local unit of government: means a village, city, township, or county. See Michigan Laws 28.117
• Majority leader: see Floor Leaders
• Mixed use buildings: means buildings that can be used for more than 1 purpose, and in any combination, including, but not limited to, residential housing combined with either commercial or retail space. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• month: means a calendar month; the word "year" a calendar year; and the word "year" alone shall be equivalent to the words "year of our Lord". See Michigan Laws 8.3j
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Multifamily housing: means a building or buildings providing housing to 2 or more households, none of which is owner occupied. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• Municipality: means a city, village, or township in this state. See Michigan Laws 125.1411
• 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.
• Person: means a natural person, partnership, cooperative, association, private or public corporation, personal representative, receiver, trustee, assignee, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 28.71
• person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
• Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 324.301
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Project: means those activities defined under section 58c. See Michigan Laws 125.1458
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Rehabilitation: means all or part of those repairs and improvements necessary to make residential real property safe, sanitary, or adequate. See Michigan Laws 125.1411
• 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.
• Reporting agency: means 1 of the following: