Terms Used In Texas Government Code Chapter 71 > Subchapter C - Powers and Duties

• Affiliate: means a person who controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another person. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• 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 a person, means:
  (A) a domestic or foreign entity or organization for which the person:
  (i) is an officer or governing person; or
  (ii) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, either individually or through an affiliate, 10 percent or more of a class of voting ownership interests or similar securities of the entity or organization;
  (B) a trust or estate in which the person has a substantial beneficial interest or for which the person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity;
  (C) the person's spouse or a relative of the person related by consanguinity or affinity who resides with the person; or
  (D) a governing person or an affiliate or officer of the person. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Association: means an entity governed as an association under Title 6 or 7. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• Business: means a trade, occupation, profession, or other commercial activity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Certificate of formation: means :
  (A) the document required to be filed with the filing officer under Chapter 3 to form a filing entity; and
  (B) if appropriate, a restated certificate of formation and all amendments of an original or restated certificate of formation. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• cooperative association: means an association governed as a cooperative association under Chapter 251. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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 an entity governed as a corporation under Title 2 or 7. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• Domestic: means , with respect to an entity, that the entity is formed under this code or the entity's internal affairs are governed by this code. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Domestic entity: means an organization formed under or the internal affairs of which are governed by this code. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Entity: means a domestic entity or foreign entity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• For-profit corporation: means a corporation governed as a for-profit corporation under Chapter 21. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Foreign: means , with respect to an entity, that the entity is formed under, and the entity's internal affairs are governed by, the laws of a jurisdiction other than this state. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Governing authority: means a person or group of persons who are entitled to manage and direct the affairs of an entity under this code and the governing documents of the entity, except that if the governing documents of the entity or this code divide the authority to manage and direct the affairs of the entity among different persons or groups of persons according to different matters, "governing authority" means the person or group of persons entitled to manage and direct the affairs of the entity with respect to a matter under the governing documents of the entity or this code. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Governing documents: means :
  (A) in the case of a domestic entity:
  (i) the certificate of formation for a domestic filing entity or the document or agreement under which a domestic nonfiling entity is formed; and
  (ii) the other documents or agreements adopted by the entity under this code to govern the formation or the internal affairs of the entity; or
  (B) in the case of a foreign entity, the instruments, documents, or agreements adopted under the law of its jurisdiction of formation to govern the formation or the internal affairs of the entity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Individual: means a natural person. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• Justice: when applied to a magistrate, means justice of the peace. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Law: means , unless the context requires otherwise, both statutory and common law. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• License: means a license, certificate of registration, or other legal authorization. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Limited liability company: means an entity governed as a limited liability company under Title 3 or 7. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Limited partnership: means a partnership that is governed as a limited partnership under Title 4 and that has one or more general partners and one or more limited partners. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Manager: means a person designated as a manager of a limited liability company that is not managed by members of the company. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Member: means :
  (A) in the case of a limited liability company, a person who has become, and has not ceased to be, a member in the limited liability company as provided by its governing documents or this code;
  (B) in the case of a nonprofit corporation, a person who has membership rights in the nonprofit corporation under its governing documents;
  (C) in the case of a cooperative association, a member of a nonshare or share association;
  (D) in the case of a nonprofit association, a person who has membership rights in the nonprofit association under its governing documents; or
  (E) in the case of a professional association, a person who has membership rights in the professional association under its governing documents. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Nonprofit corporation: means a corporation governed as a nonprofit corporation under Chapter 22. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• Organization: means a corporation, limited or general partnership, limited liability company, business trust, real estate investment trust, joint venture, joint stock company, cooperative, association, bank, insurance company, credit union, savings and loan association, or other organization, regardless of whether the organization is for-profit, nonprofit, domestic, or foreign. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Parent: means an organization that, directly or indirectly through or with one or more of its subsidiaries:
  (A) owns at least 50 percent of the outstanding ownership or membership interests of another organization; or
  (B) possesses at least 50 percent of the voting power of the owners or members of another organization. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Partner: means a limited partner or general partner. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Person: means an individual or a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, trust, association, or other organization, estate, government or governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal entity, or a protected series or registered series of a domestic limited liability company or foreign entity. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
• Property: includes tangible and intangible property and an interest in that property. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Real estate investment trust: means an entity governed as a real estate investment trust under Title 5. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• Rule: includes regulation. See Texas Government Code 311.005
• Signature: includes the mark of a person unable to write, and "subscribe" includes the making of such a mark. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subsidiary: means an organization for which another organization, either directly or indirectly through or with one or more of its other subsidiaries:
  (A) owns at least 50 percent of the outstanding ownership or membership interests of the organization; or
  (B) possesses at least 50 percent of the voting power of the owners or members of the organization. See Texas Business Organizations Code 1.002
• 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.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005