Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 40 > Chapter 59 - Residential Home Builders

• Action: means any civil lawsuit or action or arbitration proceeding for damages or indemnity asserting a claim for injury or loss to a dwelling or personal property caused by an alleged defect arising out of or related to the design, construction, condition, or sale of the dwelling or a remodel of a dwelling. See South Carolina Code 40-59-820
• Administrator: means the Executive Director for the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission provided for under § 40-59-50. See South Carolina Code 40-59-500
• Administrator: means the individual to whom the director has delegated authority to administer the programs of a specific board or of a professional or occupational group for which the department has regulatory authority or has delegated authority to administer the programs of a specific board;
  
  (2) "Authorization to practice" or "Practice authorization" means the approval to practice the specified profession, engage in the specified occupation, or use a title protected under this article, which has been granted by the applicable board. See South Carolina Code 40-1-20
• 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.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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.
• 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
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Claimant: means a homeowner, including a subsequent purchaser, who asserts a claim against a contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or design professional concerning a defect in the design, construction, condition, or sale of a dwelling or in the remodel of a dwelling. See South Carolina Code 40-59-820
• 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.
• Commission: means the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission. See South Carolina Code 40-59-500
• Commission: means the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Construction defect: means a deficiency in or a deficiency arising out of the design, specifications, surveying, planning, supervision, or observation of construction or construction of residential improvements that results from any of the following:
  
  (a) defective material, products, or components used in the construction of residential improvements;
  
  (b) violation of the applicable codes in effect at the time of construction of residential improvements;
  
  (c) failure of the design of residential improvements to meet the applicable professional standards of care at the time of governmental approval of the design of residential improvements; or
  
  (d) failure to construct residential improvements in accordance with accepted trade standards for good and workmanlike construction at the time of construction. See South Carolina Code 40-59-820
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: means a county business development corporation created under this chapter;
  
  (2) "Financial institution" means any banking corporation or trust company, building and loan association, insurance company or related corporation, partnership, foundation or other institution engaged primarily in lending or investing funds;
  
  (3) "Member" means any financial institution authorized to do business within this State which shall undertake to lend money to a corporation created under this chapter, upon its call, and in accordance with the provisions of this chapter;
  
  (4) "Board of directors" means the board of directors of the corporation created under this chapter; and
  
  (5) "Loan limit" means, for any member, the maximum amount permitted to be outstanding at one time on loans made by such member to the corporation as determined under the provisions of this chapter. See South Carolina Code 33-39-10
• 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.
• Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. ^{Source: OCC}
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. See South Carolina Code 40-59-500
• Dwelling: means a single-family house or duplex or a multifamily unit not to exceed sixteen units and not to exceed three stories in height, and which is intended for residential use. See South Carolina Code 40-59-820
• 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.
• Firm: means a business entity functioning as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, professional association, professional corporation, business corporation, limited liability company, joint venture or other legally constituted organization which practices or offers to practice residential building or residential specialty contracting. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• 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.
• Home inspection: means the rendering of a written or oral report in exchange for compensation of any sort, regarding the condition of the construction or improvements to a residence including, but not limited to, structural problems or conditions, damage, safety problems, deterioration, equipment, and systems that are visible and readily accessible. See South Carolina Code 40-59-500
• Home inspector: means an individual who, for compensation of any sort, engages in the business of home inspection. See South Carolina Code 40-59-500
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• 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.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• License: means a license, registration, or certification issued in accordance with this chapter. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• 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.
• 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.
• Residence: means a structure including, but not limited to, condominiums and townhouses intended to be used or in fact used primarily for living quarters which is not over three floors in height and which does not have more than sixteen units. See South Carolina Code 40-59-500
• Residential builder: means one who constructs, superintends, or offers to construct or superintend the construction, repair, improvement, or reimprovement of a residential building or structure which is not over three floors in height and which does not have more than sixteen units in any single apartment building, when the cost of the undertaking exceeds five thousand dollars. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
• Residential specialty contractor: means an independent contractor who contracts with a licensed residential builder, general contractor, or individual property owner to do construction work, repairs, improvement, or reimprovement which requires special skills and involves the use of specialized construction trades or craft, when the undertakings exceed five hundred dollars and are not regulated by the provisions of Chapter 11. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
• roadway: as used in this chapter shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively. See South Carolina Code 56-5-460
• service: means personal service or delivery by certified mail to the last known address of the addressee. See South Carolina Code 40-59-820
• 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.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• 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.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.