Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 62 > Chapter 20 - Tennessee Collection Service Act

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Adult: means any person eighteen (18) years of age or older. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Board: means the Tennessee collection service board. See Tennessee Code 62-20-102
• Child: means :
  (A) A person under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• 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.
• Client: means any person who retains the services of a collection service and for such services directly provides the fee, commission or other compensation. See Tennessee Code 62-20-102
• Collection service: includes , but is not limited to:
  (A) Any deputy sheriff, constable or other individual who, in the course of that person's duties, accepts any compensation other than that fixed by statute in connection with the collection of an account. See Tennessee Code 62-20-102
• Collection service license: means a license granted to a collection service. See Tennessee Code 62-20-102
• Commissioner: means commissioner of children's services. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• 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.
• 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.
• Court order: means any order or decree of a judge, magistrate or court of competent jurisdiction. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Credit bureau: An agency that collects individual credit information and sells it for a fee to creditors so they can make a decision on granting loans. Typical clients include banks, mortgage lenders, credit card companies, and other financing companies. (Also commonly referred to as consumer-reporting agency or credit-reporting agency.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Custodian: means a person, other than a parent or legal guardian, who stands in loco parentis to the child or a person to whom temporary legal custody of the child has been given by order of a court. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Custody: means the control of actual physical care of the child and includes the right and responsibility to provide for the physical, mental, moral and emotional well-being of the child. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• 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.
• Delinquent act: means an act designated a crime under the law, including local ordinances of this state, or of another state if the act occurred in that state, or under federal law, and the crime is not a status offense under subdivision (b)(32)(C) and the crime is not a traffic offense as defined in the traffic code of the state other than failing to stop when involved in an accident pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Delinquent child: means a child who has committed a delinquent act and is in need of treatment or rehabilitation. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Department: means the department of children's services. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Detention: means temporary confinement in a secure or closed type of facility that is under the direction or supervision of the court or a facility that is designated by the court or other authority as a place of confinement for juveniles. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• 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.
• Evidence-based: means policies, procedures, programs, and practices demonstrated by scientific research to reliably produce reductions in recidivism or has been rated as effective by a standardized program evaluation tool. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a set of United States statutes added as Title VIII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Its purpose is to ensure ethical practices in the collection of consumer debts and to provide consumers with an avenue for disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information's accuracy. It is often used in conjunction with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Financial obligations: means fines, fees, costs, surcharges, child support, or other monetary liabilities ordered or assessed by any court or state or county government, but does not include restitution. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Financially responsible: means capable, as demonstrated to the board's satisfaction, of sound financial management and fiscal discretion. See Tennessee Code 62-20-102
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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.
• 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.
• Juvenile court: means the general sessions court in all counties of this state, except in those counties and municipalities in which special juvenile courts are provided by law, and "judge" means judge of the juvenile court. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• 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.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. ^{Source: OCC}
• Nonjudicial days: means Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• 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.
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Person: means an individual, firm, corporation, association or other legal entity. See Tennessee Code 62-20-102
• 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.
• Preliminary inquiry: means the process established by the Rules of Juvenile Practice and Procedure that is used to commence proceedings and to resolve complaints by excluding certain matters from juvenile court at their inception. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Probation: means casework service as directed by the court and pursuant to this part as a measure for the protection, guidance, and well-being of the child and child's family. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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 a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Restitution: means compensation that is accomplished through actual monetary payment to the victim of the offense by the child who committed the offense, or symbolically, through unpaid community service work by the child, for property damage or loss incurred as a result of the delinquent offense. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Severe child abuse: means :
  (A)

  (i) The knowing exposure of a child to or the knowing failure to protect a child from abuse or neglect that is likely to cause serious bodily injury or death and the knowing use of force on a child that is likely to cause serious bodily injury or death. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Shelter care: means temporary care of a child in physically unrestricted facilities. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Significant injury: means bodily injury, including a cut, abrasion, bruise, burn, or disfigurement, and physical pain or temporary illness or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty, involving:
  (A) A substantial risk of death. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• Unruly child: means a child in need of treatment and rehabilitation who:
  (A) Habitually and without justification is truant from school while subject to compulsory school attendance under §. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• Validated risk and needs assessment: means a determination of a child's risk to reoffend and the needs that, when addressed, reduce the child's risk to reoffend through the use of an actuarial assessment tool that assesses the dynamic and static factors that predict delinquent behavior. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105