Terms Used In Oregon Statutes > Chapter 12 - Limitations of Actions and Suits

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• Any other state: includes any state and the District of Columbia. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• 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
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Business: includes every trade, occupation, profession and commercial activity. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• 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.
• Conservator: means a person appointed as a conservator under the provisions of this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 125.005
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Dissociated partner: means a partner with respect to whom an event specified in ORS § 67. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Distribution: means a transfer of money or other property from a partnership to a partner in the partner's capacity as a partner or to the partner's transferee. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• district: means any one of the following:

  (1) A people's utility district organized under ORS Chapter 261. See Oregon Statutes 198.010

• Financially incapable: means a condition in which a person is unable to manage financial resources of the person effectively for reasons including, but not limited to, mental illness, mental retardation, physical illness or disability, chronic use of drugs or controlled substances, chronic intoxication, confinement, detention by a foreign power or disappearance. See Oregon Statutes 125.005
• 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}
• Gender identity: means an individual's gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior, regardless of whether the identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that associated with the gender assigned to the individual at birth. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• Guardian: means a person appointed as a guardian under the provisions of this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 125.005
• 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}
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Judgment: means a judgment or appealable order, as provided in ORS § 19. See Oregon Statutes 19.005
• Limited liability partnership: means a partnership that has registered under ORS § 67. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Minor: means any person who has not attained 18 years of age. See Oregon Statutes 125.005
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Notice of appeal: includes a notice of cross-appeal. See Oregon Statutes 19.005
• Partnership: means an association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners a business for profit created under ORS § 67. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Partnership agreement: means the agreement, whether written, oral or implied, among the partners concerning the partnership, including amendments to the partnership agreement. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Partnership at will: means a partnership in which the partners have not agreed to remain partners until the expiration of a definite term or the completion of a particular undertaking. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• person with a disability: means any person who:

  (a) Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities;

  (b) Has a record of such an impairment; or

  (c) Is regarded as having such an impairment. See Oregon Statutes 174.107

• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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}
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Property: means all property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Protected person: means a person for whom a protective order has been entered. See Oregon Statutes 125.005
• 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.
• Respondent: means a person for whom entry of a protective order is sought in a petition filed under ORS § 125. See Oregon Statutes 125.005
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Right of survivorship: The ownership rights that result in the acquisition of title to property by reason of having survived other co-owners.
• Sexual orientation: means an individual's actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Supersedeas undertaking: means an undertaking on appeal that secures performance of a judgment being appealed and operates to stay enforcement of the judgment pending appeal. See Oregon Statutes 19.005
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testate: To die leaving a will.
• 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.
• Transfer: includes an assignment, conveyance, lease, mortgage, deed, encumbrance, creation of a security interest and any other disposition. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• 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}
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.