Terms Used In Oregon Statutes > Chapter 174 > General Definitions

• Administrator: means the Administrator of the Personnel Division. See Oregon Statutes 240.015
• Adviser: means a person who, at the request of the issuer, a confirmer or another adviser, notifies or requests another adviser to notify the beneficiary that a letter of credit has been issued, confirmed or amended. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• 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.
• 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.
• Applicant: includes a person who requests that an issuer issue a letter of credit on behalf of another if the person making the request undertakes an obligation to reimburse the issuer. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• Appointing authority: means an officer or agency having power to make appointments to positions in the state service. See Oregon Statutes 240.015
• Articles of incorporation: means the articles described in ORS § 60. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• 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.
• Bailiff: a court officer who enforces the rules of behavior in courtrooms.
• Beneficiary: includes a person to whom drawing rights have been transferred under a transferable letter of credit. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• 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}
• Board: means the Employment Relations Board. See Oregon Statutes 240.015
• City: includes any incorporated village or town. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• classification: means a group of positions in the state classified service sufficiently alike in duties, authority and responsibilities that the same qualifications may reasonably be required for, and the same schedule of pay can be equitably applied to, all positions in the group. See Oregon Statutes 240.015
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Confirmer: means a nominated person who undertakes, at the request or with the consent of the issuer, to honor a presentation under a letter of credit issued by another. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• 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.
• County court: includes board of county commissioners. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Delivery: means any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including by hand, mail, commercial delivery and, in accordance with ORS § 60. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• 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:
• Division of the service: means a state department or any division or branch thereof, any agency of the state government, or any branch of the state service, all the positions in which are under the same appointing authority. See Oregon Statutes 240.015
• Document: means a draft or other demand, document of title, investment security, certificate, invoice or other record, statement or representation of fact, law, right or opinion:

  (A) That is presented in a written or other medium permitted by the letter of credit or, unless prohibited by the letter of credit, by the standard practice referred to in ORS § 75. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020

• domestic corporation: means a corporation for profit that is incorporated under or subject to the provisions of this chapter and that is not a foreign corporation. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Electronic notice revocation: means a notice in which a person states that the person will not accept delivery of certain communications by means of electronic transmission. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Electronic transmission: means a form or process of communication that does not directly involve physically transferring paper or another tangible medium and that enables a recipient to retain, retrieve and reproduce information by means of an automated process that is used in conventional commercial practice, except as provided in ORS § 60. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• 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}
• 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.
• executive department: means all statewide elected officers other than judges, and all boards, commissions, departments, divisions and other entities, without regard to the designation given to those entities, that are within the executive branch of government as described in Article III, section 1, of the Oregon Constitution, and that are not:

  (a) In the judicial department or the legislative department;

  (b) Local governments; or

  (c) Special government bodies. See Oregon Statutes 174.112

• 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.
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation for profit that is incorporated under laws other than the laws of the state. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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: 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.
• Individual: means a natural person or the estate of an incompetent individual or a deceased individual. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
• Issuer: means a bank or other person that issues a letter of credit, but does not include an individual who makes an engagement for personal, family or household purposes. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• judicial department: means the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Oregon Tax Court, the circuit courts and all administrative divisions of those courts, whether denominated as boards, commissions, committees or departments or by any other designation. See Oregon Statutes 174.113
• Jurisprudence: The study of law and the structure of the legal system.
• 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}
• legislative department: means the Legislative Assembly, the committees of the Legislative Assembly and all administrative divisions of the Legislative Assembly and its committees, whether denominated as boards, commissions or departments or by any other designation. See Oregon Statutes 174.114
• Letter of credit: means a definite undertaking that satisfies the requirements of ORS § 75. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• local government: means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. See Oregon Statutes 174.116
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Nominated person: means a person whom the issuer:

  (A) Designates or authorizes to pay, accept, negotiate or otherwise give value under a letter of credit; and

  (B) Undertakes by agreement or custom and practice to reimburse. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020

• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Person: means an individual or entity. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• 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

• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• 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.
• Presentation: means delivery of a document to an issuer or nominated person for honor or giving of value under a letter of credit. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• Presenter: means a person making a presentation as or on behalf of a beneficiary or nominated person. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• Principal office: means the physical street address of an office, in or out of this state, where the principal executive offices of a domestic or foreign corporation are located and designated in the annual report or in the application for authority to transact business in this state. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• public body: means state government bodies, local government bodies and special government bodies. See Oregon Statutes 174.109
• public notice: means any legal publication which requires an affidavit of publication as required in ORS § 193. See Oregon Statutes 174.104
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• 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 Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Regular employee: means an employee who has been appointed to a position in the classified service in accordance with this chapter after completing the trial service period. See Oregon Statutes 240.015
• 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).
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• 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.
• Sexual orientation: means an individual's actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Shareholder: means a person in whose name a share is registered in the records of a corporation or the beneficial owner of a share to the extent of the rights granted by a nominee certificate on file with a corporation. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• special government body: means any of the following:

  (a) A public corporation created under a statute of this state and specifically designated as a public corporation. See Oregon Statutes 174.117

• state government: means the executive department, the judicial department and the legislative department. See Oregon Statutes 174.111
• State service: means all offices and positions in the employ of the state other than those of commissioned, warrant and enlisted personnel in the military and naval services thereof. See Oregon Statutes 240.015
• State Treasury: includes those financial assets the lawful custody of which are vested in the State Treasurer and the office of the State Treasurer relating to the custody of those financial assets. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Successor of a beneficiary: means a person who succeeds to substantially all of the rights of a beneficiary by operation of law, including a corporation with or into which the beneficiary has been merged or consolidated, an administrator, executor, personal representative, trustee in bankruptcy, debtor in possession, liquidator and receiver. See Oregon Statutes 75.1020
• 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.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: means the federal government or a district, authority, bureau, commission, department or any other agency of the United States. See Oregon Statutes 60.001
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Violate: includes failure to comply. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• wife: means spouses or a spouse in a marriage. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Written: means embodied as a document. See Oregon Statutes 60.001