Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes > Chapter 146 > Article 14 - General Provisions

• Acquired lands: means all State lands, title to which has been acquired by the State or by any State agency by purchase, devise, gift, condemnation, or adverse possession. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the 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.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• Escheated lands: means all State lands, title to which has been acquired by escheat. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64
• following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• 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}
• Navigable waters: means all waters which are navigable in fact. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64
• property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
• State agency: includes every agency, institution, board, commission, bureau, council, department, division, officer, and employee of the State, but does not include counties, municipal corporations, political subdivisions of the State, county or city boards of education, or other local public bodies. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64
• State lands: means all land and interests therein, title to which is vested in the State of North Carolina, or in any State agency, or in the State to the use of any agency, and specifically includes all vacant and unappropriated lands, swamplands, submerged lands, lands acquired by the State by virtue of being sold for taxes, escheated lands, and acquired lands. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64
• Submerged lands: means State lands which lie beneath

  a. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64

• Swamplands: means lands too wet for cultivation except by drainage, and includes

  a. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64

• Vacant and unappropriated lands: means all State lands title to which is vested in the State as sovereign, and land acquired by the State by virtue of being sold for taxes, except swamplands. See North Carolina General Statutes 146-64