Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 24-12 - Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority

• Additional facility: means any bridge, approach or feeder road, highway, road, freeway, tunnel, overpass, underpass, parking facility or toll facility, in the state, equipment or signal and information system, which the authority is authorized by this chapter or any other law to construct, reconstruct, renovate, acquire, maintain, repair, operate, or manage after May 3, 1954 or any portion thereof. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• 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.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Authority: means the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority created by § 24-12-2, or, if the authority shall be abolished, the board, body, or commission succeeding to the principal functions thereof or upon whom the powers given by the chapter to the authority shall be given by law. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• 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.
• Department: means the department of transportation, or, if the department shall be abolished, the board, body, or commission succeeding to the principal functions thereof or upon whom the powers given by chapter 5 of Title 37 to the department shall be given by law. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Ferry franchise: means the existing franchises and rights to operate ferries belonging to the Jamestown and Newport ferry company, but not including any other intangible personal property or real estate or tangible personal property of the corporation which shall remain the property of the corporation. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Jamestown Bridge: means the former bridge over the west passage of Narragansett Bay between the towns of Jamestown and North Kingstown constructed by the Jamestown Bridge commission under the provisions of chapter 2536 of the Public Laws, 1937 and the approaches thereto, and shall embrace all tollhouses, administration, and other buildings and structures used in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the Jamestown Bridge commission in connection with the construction and operation of the bridge. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge: means the bridge constructed in replacement of the Jamestown Bridge, as defined in subdivision (7) and the approaches thereto, and shall embrace all tollhouses, administration, and other buildings and structures used in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the authority in connection with the construction and operation of such bridge. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• 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}
• 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.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mount Hope Bridge: means the existing bridge between the towns of Bristol and Portsmouth and the approaches thereto, which was constructed by the Mount Hope Bridge corporation and which was acquired and is now owned and operated by the Mount Hope Bridge authority under the provisions of chapter 13 of this title, and shall embrace all tollhouses, administration, and other buildings and structures used in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the Mount Hope Bridge corporation or the Mount Hope Bridge authority in connection with the construction and operation of the bridge. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• Newport Bridge: means the bridge or tunnel or combination of bridge and tunnel constructed or to be constructed under the provisions of this chapter over or under the waters of Narragansett Bay between Conanicut Island and Aquidneck Island, shall embrace the substructure and the superstructure thereof and the approaches thereto and the entrance plazas, interchanges, overpasses, underpasses, tollhouses, administration, storage, and other buildings, and highways connecting the bridge or tunnel with the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge (defined in subdivision (8)) and with state highways as the authority may determine to construct from time to time in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the authority for the construction and operation of the bridge or tunnel or combination of bridge and tunnel. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes affirmation; the word "sworn" includes affirmed; and the word "engaged" includes either sworn or affirmed. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-11
• 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.
• Owner: means and include all individuals, incorporated companies, partnerships, societies, or associations, and also municipalities, political subdivisions, and all public agencies and instrumentalities, having any title or interest in any property, rights, easements, or franchises authorized to be acquired under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• 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: 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.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Project: means the "Newport Bridge" "Mount Hope Bridge" "Sakonnet River Bridge" "Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge" the "turnpike" or any "additional facility" as the case may be, or any portion thereof which may be financed, acquired or leased under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• 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.
• Sakonnet River Bridge: means the replacement Sakonnet River bridge constructed or to be constructed under the provisions of Article 36 of Chapter 376 of the Public Laws of 2003 between the towns of Tiverton and Portsmouth and shall embrace the substructure and the superstructure thereof and the approaches thereto and the toll structures, interchanges, overpasses, underpasses, tollhouses, administration, storage, and other buildings, and highways connecting the bridge with state highways, as the authority may determine to construct or acquire from time to time in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the authority for the construction and operation of the bridge. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• 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
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• 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.
• 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
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Turnpike: means the controlled access highway or any portion thereof to be constructed or acquired, from time to time, under the provisions of this chapter from a point at or near the Connecticut-Rhode Island border through the county of Washington and the county of Newport to a point at or near the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border in the town of Tiverton (excluding the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, the Mount Hope Bridge, the Newport Bridge, and the Sakonnet River Bridge), together with all bridges (except those mentioned above), overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, entrance plazas, approaches, approach roads, tollhouses, service stations, and administration, storage, and other buildings and facilities which the authority may deem necessary for the operation of the turnpike, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests which may be acquired by the authority for the construction or the operation of the turnpike. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.