Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 9 > Chapter 139 - Discrimination; Public Accommodations; Rental and Sale of Real Estate

• Commodity in package form: means commodity put up or packaged in any manner in advance of sale in units suitable for either wholesale or retail sale, exclusive, however, of an auxiliary shipping container enclosing packages that individually conform to the requirements of this chapter. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• 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.
• Dwelling: means any building, structure, or portion thereof that is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a residence by one or more families and any vacant land that is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location thereon of any such building, structure, or portion thereof. See
• gender identity: means an individual's actual or perceived gender identity, or gender-related characteristics intrinsically related to an individual's gender or gender-identity, regardless of the individual's assigned sex at birth. See
• Harass: means to engage in unwelcome conduct that detracts from, undermines, or interferes with a person's:

• Intrastate commerce: means commerce or trade that is begun, carried on, and completed wholly within the limits of the State of Vermont, and the phrase "introduced into intrastate commerce" shall be construed to define the time and place at which the first sale and delivery being made either directly to the purchaser or to a common carrier for shipment to the purchaser. See
• introduced into intrastate commerce: shall be construed to define the time and place at which the first sale and delivery being made either directly to the purchaser or to a common carrier for shipment to the purchaser. See
• 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.
• 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}
• Owner: includes any person having a legal or beneficial interest in real estate that gives him or her the right to possession thereof. See
• Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
• physical or mental impairment: includes diseases and conditions such as orthopedic, visual, speech, and deafness or being hard of hearing, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, developmental disability, emotional disturbance, and substance use disorders, including drug addiction and alcoholism. See
• Place of public accommodation: means any school, restaurant, store, establishment, or other facility at which services, facilities, goods, privileges, advantages, benefits, or accommodations are offered to the general public. See
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Public accommodation: means an individual, organization, governmental, or other entity that owns, leases, leases to, or operates a place of public accommodation. See
• Public assistance: includes any assistance provided by federal, state, or local government, including medical and housing assistance. See
• Readily achievable: means easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense. See
• real estate: shall include lands, tenements, and hereditaments and all rights thereto and interests therein, and pews or slips in places of public worship shall be treated as real estate. See
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• sale: means barter and exchange. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets or his or her designee. See
• sexual orientation: means female or male homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality. See
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Undue burden: means significant difficulty or expense. See
• weight: as used in this chapter in connection with any commodity shall mean net weight. See
• Weights and measures: means all weights and measures of every kind, instruments and devices for weighing and measuring, and any appliances and accessories associated with any or all such instruments and devices including electric vehicle supply equipment available to the public, as defined in subdivision 2730(a)(14) of this title, but not including meters for the measurement of electricity, gas (natural or manufactured), or water when they are operated in a public utility system. See