The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Trade fixtures are pieces of property that a tenant affixes to a leased building or land for the purpose of conducting business. An examples of trade fixtures include a display counter, or a piece of equipment that is used specifically for bartending purposes. Even though it was installed by the tenant, trade fixtures must meet certain requirements to be removable. […]
Read moreThe term castle doctrine refers to the legal right of a person to defend himself against an intruder in his home or other property, even should the use of deadly force be required. Under this legal theory, the homeowner is not required to retreat, but may stand his ground to defend himself, his home, or his property. To explore this […]
Read moreSpecial damages are awarded in a civil lawsuit in order to compensate a plaintiff for significant financial losses. For example, special damages would be awarded to a victim who is forced to be out of work as the result of a personal injury, and loses wages as a result. Special damages are calculated based on the fair market values at […]
Read moreThe legal term self defense refers to a type of affirmative defense used to explain one person’s use of force against another person. For example, self defense describes a situation wherein one person reasonably uses force to defend himself against an attack by another person on the subway. A person might use non-deadly force, or deadly force, to defend himself, […]
Read moreThe term superseding cause refers to some event that occurs after the initial act that caused an accident, or some other injury. A superseding cause, also known as an “intervening cause,” may be proven to have substantially caused the accident. This has an effect on who should be held liable for the damages caused by the accident. To explore this […]
Read moreThe legal term quiet title refers to a lawsuit that is brought to resolve issues with a title to real property, or personal property that has a title, making it possible to sell or buy the property. It is called an action to “quiet” title because, in establishing who the proper owner of the title is, the lawsuit “quiets” any […]
Read moreThe term “fine” can be defined in several ways. For example, a fine can be a sum of money that is ordered to be paid as part of a punishment for an offense. This is the more common definition of the term. However, the term “fine” can also be used to describe a fee that is paid by a tenant […]
Read moreProperty damage is defined as some harm that is inflicted upon someone’s property as the result of another person’s negligence, willful destruction of that person’s property, or by an act of nature. Flooding caused by a hurricane is an example of property damage caused by an act of nature. Unlike damages that are incurred from acts of nature, damages that […]
Read moreThe term reasonable reliance refers to, in the law, a person’s belief in a fact, which any reasonable person would believe as well. Reasonable reliance has its place primarily in contract law, though it applies in other situations in which one person took another’s word as true. To explore this concept, consider the following reasonable reliance definition. Definition of Reasonable […]
Read moreThe term “probable cause” refers to the right that a police officer has to make an arrest, search a person or his property, or obtain a warrant. Probable cause requires that facts and evidence presented in a case are of the type that would lead any reasonable person to believe that the suspect had committed a crime. As an example […]
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