Legal Terms

Come back each month for a new listing of legal terms.

Legal Terms:

Word Definition

alienation clause a paragraph in a document giving a person the right to transfrer or forbidding him from transferring the property which is the subject of the document.
bad faith a design to mislead or deceive another or a neglect or refusal to fulfill a duty or obligation.
chain of title "the ""family tree"" of the title to land or property; a list of every owner or holder of title to land or property."
debenture a promissory note or bond backed by the general credit and earning history of a corporation and usually not secured by a mortgage or loan on any property.
encroachment "an illegal intrusion in a highway or navigable river, an obstruction that blocks a portion or diminishes capacity but does not prohibit public travel."
facsimile signature one that has been prepared in advance and reproduced by some mechanical or photographic process.
gerrymander "the process of dividing a state or other territory intot he authoized civil or political divisions, but with such a geographical arrangement as to accomplish an unlawful purpose."
goods and chattels this phrase generally denotes personal property as distinguished from real property.
homestead the dwelling house and the attached land where the head of the family lives.
implied "the intention is not spelled out directly, yet it is gathered by implication or deduction from the circumstances."
J.N.O.V. judgment notwithstanding the verdict; when a judge rules opposite of what the jury decided.
kiting "the wrongful practice of taking advantage of the ""float"", the time that elapses between the deposit of a check in one bank and its collection at another bank."
mandatory statutes generic term describing statutes which require and not merely permit a course of action.
negotiated plea basically a plea bargaining where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for less severe punishment.
petitioner one who present a suit to the court for hearing.
ratio decidendi the grounds or reasons for a decision
separation of jury "this is the rule that says that, once a case has been handed to the jury for deliberation, the jury must be held separate until such time as the decision is made."
tax base the total of all assessed property value in a given area which determines the individual property tax in the same area
unequivocal able to be understood in only one way
vacatio "exempt from the burden of holding office, immunity"
wanton act an act done with complete disregard for the rights of others

Word	Definition
alienation clause	a paragraph in a document giving a person the right to transfrer or forbidding him from transferring the property which is the subject of the document.
bad faith	a design to mislead or deceive another or a neglect or refusal to fulfill a duty or obligation.
chain of title	"the ""family tree"" of the title to land or property; a list of every owner or holder of title to land or property."
debenture	a promissory note or bond backed by the general credit and earning history of a corporation and usually not secured by a mortgage or loan on any property.
encroachment	"an illegal intrusion in a highway or navigable river, an obstruction that blocks a portion or diminishes capacity but does not prohibit public travel."
facsimile signature	one that has been prepared in advance and reproduced by some mechanical or photographic process.
gerrymander	"the process of dividing a state or other territory intot he authoized civil or political divisions, but with such a geographical arrangement as to accomplish an unlawful purpose."
goods and chattels	this phrase generally denotes personal property as distinguished from real property.
homestead	the dwelling house and the attached land where the head of the family lives.
implied	"the intention is not spelled out directly, yet it is gathered by implication or deduction from the circumstances."
J.N.O.V.	judgment notwithstanding the verdict; when a judge rules opposite of what the jury decided.
kiting	"the wrongful practice of taking advantage of the ""float"", the time that elapses between the deposit of a check in one bank and its collection at another bank."
mandatory statutes	generic term describing statutes which require and not merely permit a course of action.
negotiated plea	basically a plea bargaining where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for less severe punishment.
petitioner	one who present a suit to the court for hearing.
ratio decidendi	the grounds or reasons for a decision
separation of jury	"this is the rule that says that, once a case has been handed to the jury for deliberation, the jury must be held separate until such time as the decision is made."
tax base	the total of all assessed property value in a given area which determines the individual property tax in the same area
unequivocal	able to be understood in only one way
vacatio	"exempt from the burden of holding office, immunity"
wanton act	an act done with complete disregard for the rights of others