Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 28.2 > Subtitle II > Chapter 2 - General Provisions

• 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.
• 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
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Bank: means a corporation authorized by statute to accept deposits and to hold itself out to the public as engaged in the banking business in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 6.2-800
• Bank holding company: means any corporation (i) that directly or indirectly owns, controls, or holds with power to vote, 25 percent or more of the voting shares of one or more banks or of a corporation that is or becomes a bank holding company by virtue of this definition, (ii) that controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of one or more banks, or (iii) for the benefit of whose shareholders or members 25 percent or more of the voting shares of one or more banks or bank holding companies is held by trustees. See Virginia Code 6.2-800
• Board: means the Commonwealth Transportation Board. See Virginia Code 56-536
• Board: means the State Board of Elections. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• Certificate: means the certificate of authority awarded pursuant to this chapter which allows operation of a roadway. See Virginia Code 56-536
• City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
• Commission: means the "State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 56-531
• Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 56-536
• Commission: means the Marine Resources Commission. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
• Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 56-1
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Marine Resources. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Financial Institutions. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
• company: includes all corporations created by acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, or under the general incorporation laws of this Commonwealth, or doing business therein, and shall exclude all municipal corporations, other political subdivisions, and public institutions owned or controlled by the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 56-1
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal 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.
• Covered voter: means :

  a. See Virginia Code 24.2-452

• 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 state agency headed by the Commissioner of Elections. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• Department: means the Virginia Department of Transportation. See Virginia Code 56-536
• Dependent: means an individual recognized as a dependent by a uniformed service. See Virginia Code 24.2-452
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Election: means a general, primary, or special election. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• Entity: means any corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
• 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.
• Federal postcard application: means the application prescribed under § 101(b)(2) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, Virginia Code 24.2-452
• Federal write-in absentee ballot: means the ballot described in § 103 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, Virginia Code 24.2-452
• Financial institution: means any bank, trust company, savings institution, industrial loan association, consumer finance company, or credit union. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
• 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.
• General election: means an election held in the Commonwealth on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November or on the first Tuesday in May for the purpose of filling offices regularly scheduled by law to be filled at those times. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• General registrar: means the person appointed by the electoral board of a county or city pursuant to § Virginia Code 24.2-101
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Habitat: means those state-owned bottomlands, tidal wetlands and coastal primary sand dunes which are subject to regulation under Subtitle III of this title. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place of whatever nature open to the use of the public under the provisions of this chapter for purposes of vehicular travel in this Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 56-536
• in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Virginia Code 1-257
• Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• intrastate telephone service: means telephone calls that originate and terminate within the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 56-508.15
• 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.
• Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
• marine fish: means those finfish species which spend a major portion of their lives in marine or estuarine waters. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• Marine organisms: means those species other than marine finfish or marine shellfish which inhabit marine or estuarine waters. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• Military-overseas ballot: means :

  a. See Virginia Code 24.2-452

• Month: means a calendar month and "year" means a calendar year. See Virginia Code 1-223
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• municipal corporation: shall include an authority created by a governmental unit exempt from the referendum requirement of § Virginia Code 56-1
• 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.
• Officer: means a member of the Virginia Marine Police. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• Operation: means all functions and pursuits of the operator of any roadway under this chapter which are directly or indirectly related to acquisition, approval, construction, enlargement, maintenance, patrolling, toll collections, or connections of the roadway or highway with any other highway or with any street, road or alley. See Virginia Code 56-536
• Operator: means the person who submits to the Commission an application for authority to construct, operate or enlarge a roadway, and which, after issuance of a certificate of authority, is responsible for operation of any roadway under the provisions of this chapter. See Virginia Code 56-536
• Overseas voter: means a United States citizen who is outside the United States. See Virginia Code 24.2-452
• 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: includes any natural person, corporation, partnership, joint venture, and any other business entity; however, "person" shall not include the state or any local government or agency thereof, or any municipal corporation or other corporate body. See Virginia Code 56-536
• Person: includes individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. See Virginia Code 56-1
• Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
• Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
• Pound net: means any net having a funnel mouth, round mouth or square mouth with the head exposed above the water. See Virginia Code 28.2-200
• Precinct: means the territory designated by the governing body of a county, city, or town to be served by one polling place. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• primary election: means an election held for the purpose of selecting a candidate to be the nominee of a political party for election to office. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
• public utilities: when used in this chapter shall be construed to mean any person, partnership, association or corporation, engaged in the business of furnishing electric power, water, light, heat, gas, transportation or communication, or any one or more of them, to the people of Virginia. See Virginia Code 56-523
• Railroad: includes all railroad or railway lines, whether operated by steam, electricity, or other motive power, except when otherwise specifically designated. See Virginia Code 56-1
• Rate: means rate charged for any service rendered or to be rendered. See Virginia Code 56-1
• Referendum: means any election held pursuant to law to submit a question to the voters for approval or rejection. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• Registered voter: means any person who is maintained on the Virginia voter registration system. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• Registration records: means all official records concerning the registration of qualified voters and shall include all records, lists, applications, and files, whether maintained in books, on cards, on automated data bases, or by any other legally permitted record-keeping method. See Virginia Code 24.2-101
• regulation: include joint rates, joint charges and joint regulations, respectively. See Virginia Code 56-1
• 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.
• Resident: means any person who maintains his principal place of abode in Virginia with the intent to make Virginia his domicile. See Virginia Code 28.2-200
• Roadway: as used in this chapter , shall include only privately owned or operated highways for use of which a toll or similar single-use charge is imposed. See Virginia Code 56-536
• Small investor-owned telephone utility: means any investor-owned public utility (other than a cooperative) which serves fewer than 100,000 access lines in Virginia and which owns, manages, or controls any plant or equipment or any part of a plant or equipment within the Commonwealth for the conveyance of telephone messages, either directly or indirectly, to or for the public. See Virginia Code 56-531
• State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Virginia Code 24.2-452
• State bank: means a bank incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth and that has its principal place of business in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 6.2-800
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Supreme Court: means the Supreme Court of Virginia. See Virginia Code 1-249
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Tidewater Virginia: means the following counties: Accomack, Arlington, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Essex, Fairfax, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Prince George, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Westmoreland, and York; and the Cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Colonial Heights, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• to fish: means all operations involved in (i) taking or catching, (ii) using, setting or operating apparatus employed in killing, taking or catching, or (iii) transporting or preparing for market marine fish, shellfish, and marine organisms. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Uniformed service: means :

  a. See Virginia Code 24.2-452

• Uniformed-service voter: means an individual who is qualified to vote and is:

  a. See Virginia Code 24.2-452

• United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
• voter registration system: means the automated central record-keeping system for all voters registered within the Commonwealth that is maintained as provided in Article 2 (§ Virginia Code 24.2-101