Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 23-27.3 > Article 2 - New Buildings and Structures

• 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.
• 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.
• Applicant: means any person who has applied for permission to engage in any act or activity that is regulated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5-2
• Applicant: means any person who on his or her own behalf or on behalf of another has applied for permission to engage in any act or activity that is regulated under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• 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
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Attorney General: means the attorney general of the state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• Branch office: means any office of a licensee within the state other than its principal place of business within the state. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• Business: means any corporation, company, association, operation, firm, partnership, institution, trust, or other form of business association, as well as a natural person. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• coal: as used in this chapter , includes both anthracite and bituminous coal and other fuels containing coal. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-4-21
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Computer forensic specialist: means a person who holds a professional certification as a computer examiner and who interprets, evaluates, tests, or analyzes preexisting data from computers, computer systems, networks, or other electronic media, provided to them by another person who owns, controls, or possesses the computer, computer system, network, or other electronic media. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5-2
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• 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}
• Employee: means any natural person employed by the businesses defined in this section. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• 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.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• 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.
• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• 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}
• License: means any license required by this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• License: means any license required by this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5-2
• Licensee: means any person to whom a license is granted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Local licensing authority: means the town councils of license boards of the several towns, the mayor and city council or license bureau of a city. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5-2
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• 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 any corporation, company, association, operation, firm, partnership, institution, trust, or other form of business association, as well as a natural person. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Private detective: means a person who is hired for the purpose of conducting investigations involving:

  (i)  Inquiries into unsolved crimes;

  (ii)  Clandestine surveillance;

  (iii)  The search for missing persons; and

  (iv)  The search for lost or stolen property. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5-2

• Private security guard business: includes :

  (i)  A business that furnishes for hire or reward watchmen, guards, bodyguards, private patrolmen, or other persons, to protect persons or real and personal property;

  (ii)  A business that furnishes for hire or reward any trained dog or other animal with or without an accompanying handler for the purpose of providing security. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2

• 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.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Publicly traded corporation: means any corporation or other legal entity, except a natural person, that:

  (i)  Has one or more classes of security registered pursuant to § 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-5.1-2

• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• real estate: may be construed to include lands, tenements, and hereditaments and rights thereto and interests therein. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-10
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• 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.
• seal: shall be construed to include an impression of the seal made with or without the use of wax or wafer on the paper. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-15
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• town council: include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• 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.
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8