Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 20 > Chapter 3 > Article 5 - Equitable Apportionment of Marital Property

• 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.
• Area of operation: means the area within the territorial boundaries of the counties entitled to representation on an authority which consists of both the real property to be disposed of by an authority as well as any other properties disposed of directly by the federal government to public or private persons or entities, other than disposal to the federal government for other defense uses, in connection with military installation closure and realignment or other federal defense site closure, realignment, or drastic downsizing, together with such areas of the surrounding community as may need planning for infrastructure improvements to support the redevelopment project area. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Authority: means a redevelopment authority created pursuant to § 31-12-40. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• 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.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• 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.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Intangible property: Property that has no intrinsic value, but is merely the evidence of value such as stock certificates, bonds, and promissory notes.
• 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}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• marital property: as used in this article means all real and personal property which has been acquired by the parties during the marriage and which is owned as of the date of filing or commencement of marital litigation as provided in § 20-3-620 regardless of how legal title is held, except the following, which constitute nonmarital property:
  
  (1) property acquired by either party by inheritance, devise, bequest, or gift from a party other than the spouse;
  
  (2) property acquired by either party before the marriage and property acquired after the happening of the earliest of:
  
  (a) entry of a pendente lite order in a divorce or separate maintenance action;
  
  (b) formal signing of a written property or marital settlement agreement; or
  
  (c) entry of a permanent order of separate maintenance and support or of a permanent order approving a property or marital settlement agreement between the parties;
  
  (3) property acquired by either party in exchange for property described in items (1) and (2) of this section;
  
  (4) property excluded by written contract of the parties. See South Carolina Code 20-3-630
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Municipality: means an incorporated municipality of this State. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• 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.
• Obligations: means bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness issued by the municipality to carry out a redevelopment project or to refund outstanding obligations. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Personal property: includes all goods, classified as equipment, used or bought for use primarily in the operation of the federal defense facility, not to include inventory, consumer goods, or farm products, as defined in §§ 36-2-105 and 36-9-109. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• 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.
• Real property: includes all property assessed under authority of § 12-4-540 when the term is used in this chapter with regard to tax increment financing. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Redevelopment plan: means the comprehensive program of the authority for redevelopment intended by the payment of redevelopment costs to redevelop properties scheduled for disposal which may tend to return properties to the tax rolls, replace lost jobs, and integrate the properties back into the community, enhancing the tax bases of the taxing districts which extend into the project redevelopment area and the economic health of the community in which it lies. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Redevelopment project: means buildings, improvements, including street improvements, water, sewer and storm drainage facilities, parking facilities, and recreational facilities. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Redevelopment project area: means an area within the incorporated area of a municipality and designated pursuant to § 31-12-200, which is not less in the aggregate than one and one-half acres. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Redevelopment project costs: means and includes the total of all reasonable or necessary costs incurred or estimated to be incurred and any costs incidental to a redevelopment project. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Sequester: To separate. Sometimes juries are sequestered from outside influences during their deliberations.
• 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.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Taxing districts: means counties, incorporated municipalities, schools, special purpose districts, and any other municipal corporations or districts with the power to levy taxes. See South Carolina Code 31-12-30
• 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.
• 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.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.