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- account
- A written statement of money transactions, such as credits,
- debits, deposits, withdrawals and the like.
-
- accrue
- To increase or accumulate, as with monetary payments.
-
- accrued interest
- Interest which has been earned but which has not yet been
- paid.
-
- agreement
- A coming together of two or more parties who assent to do
- something or incur some mutual obligation to one another.
-
- assignment
- Transfer by one person to another of the rights and duties
- described in a contract entered into by the first person.
-
-
- attestation
- Authenticating a document by signing it as a witness.
-
- attorney-in-fact
- A person authorized to act on behalf of someone else in
- business dealings or for other purposes. Authority is given
- through a power of attorney.
-
- beneficiary
- One who is named to receive money or other property, as in an
- insurance policy or will.
-
- bequest
- A gift of money or personal property given through a will.
-
- bill of sale
- Document indicating that ownership of property has been
- transferred from a seller to a buyer.
-
-
- binding
- Imposing a continuing obligation or duty, usually by contract.
-
- bond
- A type of insurance whereby a company or an individual agrees
- to provide reimbursement to another party for any loss suffered
- due to the actions of a third party.
-
- codicils
- An amendment to a will, made after the original document is
- signed and witnessed. Codicils must also be signed and
- witnessed before they are valid.
-
- community property
- Property acquired by a husband and/or wife during their
- marriage, with each holding a half interest. Only eight states
- use this method for determining the ownership of property.
-
-
-
- consideration
- Something of value offered as an inducement to enter into a
- contract.
-
- contest
- To challenge the validity of a matter or a document, such as a will.
-
- corporation
- A business organization formed by one or more parties, with rights
- and liabilities separate from those of the parties that formed it.
-
- covenant
- Any written agreement between two parties. In modern use,
- promises made in the conveyance of real estate.
-
- creditor
- One to whom money is owed.
-
- D/B/A
- An abbreviation for "Doing Business As".
- debtor
- One who owes money to another.
-
- default
- To fail to fulfill a contractual duty or obligation.
-
- delinquent
- Late in fulfilling a contractual obligation, such as falling
- behind on repayment of a loan.
-
- disinherit
- To deliberately exclude a person from taking anything under a
- will.
-
- durable power-of-attorney
- Authority of one person (the attorney-in-fact) to act on behalf
- of another (the principal) even if the principal is incompetent
- and unable to handle his or her own affairs.
-
-
- duress
- Undue force used to pressure a person to take some action he or
- she would not take otherwise.
-
- encumbrance
- Anything which lessens property value or hinders its sale, such
- as a lien or mortgage.
-
- equal shares
- Division of an estate into parts of identical size.
-
- equal monthly installments
- The amount of a loan's principal and total interest, repaid on
- a monthly basis and calculated by dividing principal and
- interest by the number of months between the date the loan is
- made and the date final payment is due.
-
- estate
- Everything a person owns when he or she dies.
-
- executor
- Person designated in a will to carry out its terms upon the
- death of the person making the will.
-
- fee simple
- Full and unrestricted ownership of real estate.
-
- gift
- Property transferred by one person to another gratuitously and
- without consideration.
-
- guardian
- Someone given legal custody of a person who has been found
- unable to care for himself or herself.
-
- heir
- Any person who takes part of an estate through a person's will.
-
-
-
- interest
- A charge for borrowing money, generally computed as a
- percentage of the amount borrowed.
-
- landlord
- The owner of property that is leased or rented to another.
-
- liable
- Legally obligated to perform some duty or take responsibility
- for failing to perform.
-
- lien
- A legal claim against property to insure repayment of a debt
- incurred by the property owner.
-
- maker
- One who borrows money on a promissory note.
-
-
-
- minor
- A person under the legal age of majority, usually under 18 or
- 21 years old, depending on state law.
-
- notary public
- An officer of the state who administers oaths and witnesses
- signatures on documents.
-
- note
- A written promise to pay money to another.
-
- occupant
- One who has actual use or possession of a property.
-
- partnership
- Agreement of two or more people to operate a business, sharing
- the profits and the losses.
-
- payee
- One to whom money is to be paid, as under a note.
- personal property
- Anything a person owns other than real estate.
-
- per stirpes
- "By the roots" inheritance which goes to the children of a
- deceased heir as his or her representative.
-
- personal representative
- Another term for executor (see executor earlier in this
- chapter).
-
- power of attorney
- Document giving one person (the attorney-in-fact) authority to
- act on behalf of another (the principal).
-
- pre-payment penalty
- Money charged to a borrower to compensate a lender for loss of
- anticipated interest when a loan is paid before it is due.
-
-
- premises
- The subject of a real estate conveyance or lease, such as a
- building, house or apartment.
-
- principal
- 1) One who gives authority to another to act on his or her
- behalf.
- 2) The amount of money loaned to another.
-
- probate
- The judicial determination that the will of a deceased person
- is valid and genuine.
-
- promissory note
- A written promise to pay a specified sum of money to another at
- some date in the future.
-
- real property
- Land and the things permanently fixed to the land, such as
- buildings and fences.
- residuary estate
- That part of an estate which remains after all the other
- provisions of a will have been met.
-
- revocation
- An act annulling an earlier act and making it void and
- unenforceable.
-
- sole proprietorship
- Business owned by one person who receives all its profits and
- is responsible for all its losses.
-
- statute
- A law enacted by the legislative branch of government.
-
- successor
- One who takes the place of another, assuming the rights and
- obligations of the first.
-
-
- tenant
- One who rents or leases from a landlord and is obligated to
- make rental payments.
-
- testator
- One who makes a will.
-
- usury
- Interest charged to a borrower in excess of a legally
- established maximum rate.
-
- VIN
- Vehicle Identification Number. Used to identify an automobile,
- truck or other motor vehicle.
-
- warrant
- A guarantee of title to property and a promise to defend claims
- made against the property by others.
-