Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 7 > Municipal Functions > Chapter 32 - Improvements by Special Assessment

• 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.
• Affiliate: when used to indicate a relationship with an interested shareholder, means a person that directly or indirectly through one (1) or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, or is acting in concert with, a specified person. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• 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.
• Announcement date: when used in reference to any business combination, means the date of the first public announcement of a final definitive proposal for such business combination. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• 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.
• articles of incorporation: includes all documents serving a similar function required to be filed with the secretary of state or other state office of the LLC's jurisdiction of organization. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Assessed value basis: means the apportionment of the applicable cost according to the ratio that the assessed value of the individual parcels of property bears to the total assessed value of all such properties at such time as is determined by the legislative body. See Tennessee Code 7-32-101
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Associate: when used to indicate a relationship with an interested shareholder, means:
  (A) Any domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, syndicate, joint venture or other unincorporated organization of which such person is an officer, director, manager or partner (either general or limited) or is, directly or indirectly, the beneficial owner of ten percent (10%) or more of any class of voting stock. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Associate: when used to indicate a relationship with any person means:
  (A) A person that directly or indirectly controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person specified or who is or intends to act jointly or in concert with such specified person. See Tennessee Code 48-103-302
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Beneficial owner: when used with respect to any class or series of shares or other securities, means a person that:
  (A) Individually, or with or through any of its affiliates or associates, beneficially owns such shares or other securities, directly or indirectly. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Benefits received basis: means the apportionment of the applicable costs according to an equitable determination by the legislative body of the municipality of the special benefit received by the individual parcel of property from the public facility, taking into account any of the following factors: square footage of parcels or anticipated improvements, or both, front footage, assessed value, type of use, business classification, property location, zones of benefit or a combination of such factors. See Tennessee Code 7-32-101
• board: means the board of directors or other similar governing body of the corporation. See Tennessee Code 13-30-103
• board of directors: means the governing board of a corporation, whether denominated the board of directors or otherwise, except that no person or group of persons is the board of directors because of powers delegated to that person or group pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Broker-dealer: includes "broker-dealer" as defined in §. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Business: includes every trade, occupation, profession, investment activity and other lawful purpose for gain or the preservation of assets whether or not carried on for profits. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Business combination: when used in reference to any resident domestic corporation and any interested shareholder of such resident domestic corporation or any affiliate or associate of such interested shareholder, means:
  (A) Any merger or consolidation of such resident domestic corporation or any subsidiary of such resident domestic corporation with:

  (i) An interested shareholder or any affiliate or associate of such interested shareholder. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Bylaws: means the code or codes of rules (other than the charter) adopted pursuant to chapters 51-68 of this title for the regulation or management of the affairs of the corporation irrespective of the name or names by which such rules are designated. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Charter: includes amended and restated charters and articles of merger. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• city: means any town, city, metropolitan government or county. See Tennessee Code 7-32-101
• Class: when used with reference to membership interests, means a category of membership interests that differs in one (1) or more rights or preferences from another category of membership interests of the LLC. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Collector: includes any person entrusted with the collection of public revenue. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of commerce and insurance. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuing shares: means shares held continuously of record in the name of the beneficial owner or the beneficial owner's trustee, guardian, administrator, executor, conservator or similar fiduciary on behalf of such beneficial owner, on the resident domestic corporation's stock transfer records or reported to the securities and exchange commission on a Schedule 13D or 13G or Form 3 or 4 filing pursuant to the Exchange Act for one (1) year or more prior to the date of the shareholders' meeting at which the charter or bylaw amendment is considered. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• control: means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Control: means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a person whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. See Tennessee Code 48-103-302
• Control share acquisition: means the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person of ownership of, or the power to direct the exercise of voting power with respect to, issued and outstanding control shares. See Tennessee Code 48-103-302
• control shares: includes such shares only to the extent to which their acquisition causes the acquiring person to exceed any threshold of voting power set forth above for which approval has not been obtained previously pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-103-302
• 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.
• Corporation: means a corporation created pursuant to this chapter to operate a land bank. See Tennessee Code 13-30-103
• Corporation: means a corporation organized under the laws of Tennessee which has become subject to this part pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-103-302
• Court: includes every court and judge having jurisdiction in the case. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• 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 delivery by hand, mail, commercial delivery, and, if authorized in accordance with §. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Directors: means natural persons, designated in the charter or bylaws or elected or appointed by the incorporators, and their successors and natural persons elected or appointed to act as members of the board, irrespective of the names or titles by which such persons are described. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Dissolution: means that the LLC has incurred an event under §. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Distribution: means a direct or indirect transfer of money or other property (except its own membership interests) with or without consideration, or an incurrence or issuance of indebtedness, (whether directly or indirectly, including through a guaranty) by an LLC to or for the benefit of any of its members in respect of membership interests. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• domestic corporation: means a corporation for profit, which is not a foreign corporation, incorporated under or subject to the Tennessee Business Corporation Act, compiled in chapters 11-27 of this title, as amended. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Employee: includes an officer but not a director. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Employer: means a person, private business, or governmental entity employing one (1) or more persons within this state. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Entity: includes the following, whether foreign or domestic: LLCs. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• 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}
• Equity security: means any share of stock or similar securities, or any securities convertible into such securities, or carrying any warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase such securities, or any such warrant or right, or any other security which the commissioner shall consider necessary or appropriate, by such rules and regulations as the commissioner may prescribe in the public interest or for the protection of investors, to deem to be an equity security. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• 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.
• Exchange: means any share exchange whether pursuant to a plan of exchange under §. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Exchange Act: means the Act of Congress known as the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ( 15 U. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Face covering: means a protective covering designed to be worn over the nose and mouth to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but "face covering" does not include an industry required mask. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Fair basis: means assessed value basis, square foot basis, or benefits received basis. See Tennessee Code 7-32-101
• 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.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation for profit incorporated under a law other than the laws of this state. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• 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.
• Healthcare provider: means a healthcare practitioner, person, or facility licensed, authorized, certified, registered, or regulated under title 33, title 63, title 68, federal law or order, or an executive order of the governor, including but not limited to any employees, agents, or contractors of such a practitioner, person, or facility, and residents, interns, students, fellows, or volunteers of an accredited school or of such school's affiliated teaching or training hospitals or programs in this state. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Highway: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Individual: includes the estate of an incompetent or deceased individual. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Industry required mask: means a face covering, protective cover, or prophylactic device designed to be worn over the nose and mouth for a particular industry that may prevent the spread of COVID-19, but that would be used in the particular industry regardless of the risk of exposure to COVID-19. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Interest: means either or both of the following rights under the organic law of an unincorporated entity:
  (A) The right to receive distributions from the entity either in the ordinary course or upon liquidation. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Interested shareholder: when used in reference to any resident domestic corporation, means any person (other than such resident domestic corporation or any subsidiary of such resident domestic corporation) that:
  (A)

  (i) Is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent (10%) or more of the voting power of any class or series of the then outstanding voting stock of such resident domestic corporation. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Interested shares: means the shares of a corporation which are owned, or with respect to which an irrevocable proxy is held, by:
  (A) An acquiring person. See Tennessee Code 48-103-302
• 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.
• Land bank: means real property, however obtained or acquired and held by a corporation, created pursuant to this chapter, with the intent of acquiring and holding onto the real property so acquired until such a time as the corporation is able to find a willing and able buyer to acquire the real property from the corporation. See Tennessee Code 13-30-103
• Lands: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Local government: means :
  (A) Any home rule municipality. See Tennessee Code 13-30-103
• Manager: means a person elected, appointed, or otherwise designated as a manager by the governing body, and any other person considered elected as a manager pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Market value: when used in reference to property of any resident domestic corporation, means:
  (A) In the case of shares, the highest closing sale price during the thirty-day period immediately preceding the date in question of a share of such shares on the composite tape for New York Stock Exchange-listed stocks, or, if such shares are not quoted on such composite tape or if such shares are not listed on such exchange, on the principal United States securities exchange registered under the Exchange Act on which such shares are listed or, if such shares are not listed on any such exchange, the highest closing sale price (or bid quotation if no such sale price exists) with respect to such shares during the thirty-day period preceding the date in question on the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Member: means a person reflected in the required records of an LLC as the owner of some governance rights of a membership interest of the LLC. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Merger: means any merger whether pursuant to a plan of merger under §. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Metropolitan government: means the political entity created by consolidation of all, or substantially all, of the political and corporate functions of a county and a city or cities. See Tennessee Code 7-1-101
• Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• 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.
• Offeree: means the record holder and beneficial owner of equity securities which an offeror acquires or offers to acquire in connection with a takeover offer. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Offeree company: means a corporation or other issuer of equity securities which is incorporated or organized under the laws of this state or has its principal office in this state, which has substantial assets located in this state, and which is or may be involved in a takeover offer relating to any class of its equity securities. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Offeror: means a person who makes or in any way participates in making a takeover offer, and includes all affiliates and associates of that person and all persons acting jointly or in concert for the purpose of acquiring, holding or disposing of or exercising any voting rights attaching to the equity securities for which a takeover offer is made. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Owners: means members in the case of an LLC, shareholders in the case of a corporation, partners in the case of general or limited partnerships and the equivalent with respect to other entities. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• 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 an individual. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Person: means any individual, partnership, limited partnership, syndicate, corporation, joint-stock company, unincorporated organization, trust or association. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Person: means any individual, domestic or foreign corporation, partnership (general or limited), syndicate, joint venture, trust estate, unincorporated association or other entity. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity and any "associate" (as defined in subdivision (1)) of such individual or entity. See Tennessee Code 48-103-302
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Principal office: means the office (in or out of this state) so designated in the annual report where the principal executive offices of a domestic or foreign corporation are located. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Private business: means a person, sole proprietorship, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, association, nonprofit organization described in §. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Proof of vaccination: means physical documentation or digital storage of a person's receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Public facility: means roads, streets, sidewalks, utilities, including electrical, gas, water and wastewater improvements, related improvements, parking facilities, parks and greenways and any improvements for public safety, including police and fire stations. See Tennessee Code 7-32-101
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real estate: means an identified parcel or tract of land, including improvements, if any. See Tennessee Code 13-30-103
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Real property: means one (1) or more defined parcels or tracts of land or interests, benefits and rights inherent in the ownership of real estate. See Tennessee Code 13-30-103
• real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Record date: means the date established under chapter 16 or 17 on which a corporation determines the identity of its shareholders for purposes of chapters 11-27 of this title. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Registered office: means the place in this state designated in the articles as the registered office of the LLC. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• 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.
• 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).
• Resident domestic corporation: means an issuer of voting stock which, as of the share acquisition date in question, is organized under the laws of Tennessee and meets two (2) or more of the following requirements:
  (A)

  (i) The corporation has more than either ten thousand (10,000) or ten percent (10%) of its shareholders resident in Tennessee or more than ten percent (10%) of its outstanding shares held by resident Tennessee shareholders. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• School: means :
  (A) A public elementary or secondary school operated by a local education agency or by the state with public funds, including a charter school. See Tennessee Code 14-1-101
• Secretary: means the corporate officer to whom the bylaws or the board of directors has delegated responsibility under §. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Secretary of state: means the person who holds the office of secretary of state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Series: means a category of membership interests, within a class of membership interests, that have some of the same rights and preferences as other membership interests within the same class, but that differ in one (1) or more rights and preferences from another category of membership interests within that class. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Share: means the unit into which the proprietary interests in a corporation are divided. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Shareholder: means the person in whose name shares are registered in the records of a corporation or the beneficial owner of shares to the extent of the rights granted by a nominee certificate on file with a corporation. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• shares: means :
  (A) Any stock or other equity interest in any class or series of stock designated in the charter of the resident domestic corporation or its subsidiaries, any certificate of interest, any participation in any profit sharing agreement, any voting trust certificate, or any certificate of deposit for stock in any class or series. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Square foot basis: means the apportionment of the applicable costs according to the ratio that the square footage of the individual parcels of property or the buildings expected to be constructed on the property bears to the square footage of all the property or the buildings expected to be constructed on the property. See Tennessee Code 7-32-101
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subsidiary: means a corporation more than fifty percent (50%) of whose outstanding voting shares are owned by its parent and/or the parent's other wholly-owned subsidiaries. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• Takeover offer: means the offer to acquire or the acquisition of any equity security of an offeree company, pursuant to a tender offer or request or invitation for tenders, if after the acquisition thereof the offeror would be directly or indirectly a beneficial owner of more than ten percent (10%) of any class of the outstanding equity securities of the offeree company. See Tennessee Code 48-103-102
• Treasurer: includes the finance director or other chief financial officer of the municipality. See Tennessee Code 7-32-101
• 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.
• under common control with: means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract or otherwise. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• United States: includes district, authority, bureau, commission, department, and any other agency of the United States. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
• Voting power: means the total number of votes entitled to be cast for the election of directors at the time the determination of voting power is made, excluding a vote which is contingent upon the happening of a condition or event that has not occurred at the time. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
• Voting stock: means all shares of the resident domestic corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. See Tennessee Code 48-103-203
• written: means any information in the form of a document. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105