<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 1-2. - Definitions and rules of construction.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Interpretation.</span> Unless otherwise provided in this Code or by law or implication required, the same
               rules of construction, definition, and application shall govern the interpretation
               of this Code as those governing the interpretation of state law.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Definitions.</span> Words and phrases shall be taken in their plain or ordinary and usual sense. However,
               technical words and phrases having a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall
               be understood according to their technical import. For the purpose of this Code, the
               following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires
               a different meaning:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Board of county commissioners, board of commissioners</span> and <span class="ital">board.</span> The terms "board of county commissioners," "board of commissioners" and "board" mean
               the board of commissioners of Catawba County, North Carolina.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Code</span> and <span class="ital">this Code.</span> The terms "Code" and "this Code" mean this county Code as modified by amendment,
               revision, and adoption of new titles, chapters, or sections and as designated in <a href="" data-chunk-id="COOR_CH1GEPR_S1-1DECICO" class="section-link" data-product-id="13891">section 1-1</a>.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">County.</span> The term "county" means Catawba County, North Carolina.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">G.S.</span> The abbreviation "G.S." means the latest edition of the General Statutes of North
               Carolina, as amended.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Highway.</span> The term "highway" means any street, alley, highway, avenue or public square, bridge,
               viaduct, tunnel, causeway, and sidewalk lying within the highway right-of-way, dedicated
               or devoted to public use.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Joint authority.</span> All words giving a joint authority to three or more persons or officers shall be
               construed as giving such authority to a majority of such persons or officers.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Laws of the county.</span> The term "laws of the county" refers to:
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (1)
                  </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  All ordinances and resolutions of a general policy nature adopted by the board of
                  commissioners;
                  </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (2)
                  </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  The ordinances and resolutions adopted by the county board of health (established
                  July 1, 1973), and other boards as deemed applicable by county officials; and
                  </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (3)
                  </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  Special acts of the legislature, relating to the county. See the table of special
                  acts set forth in appendix A to this Code.
                  </p>
               		
               
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">May.</span> The term "may" means the act referred to is permissive.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Month.</span> The term "month" means a calendar month.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Nontechnical and technical words.</span> Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of
               the language, but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired
               a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according
               to such meaning.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Oath.</span> The term "oath" means an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation
               may be substituted for an oath. In such cases the terms "swear" and "sworn" shall
               be equivalent to the terms "affirm" and "affirmed."
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Officer, office, employee, commission, or department.</span> Any reference to an officer, an office, an employee, a commission, or a department
               is to an officer, an office, an employee, a commission, or a department of this county,
               unless the context clearly requires otherwise. Where reference is made to any department,
               officer or agency, it shall be construed as if followed by the phrase "of Catawba
               County, North Carolina."
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Official time.</span> The official time, as established by applicable state/federal laws, shall be the
               official time within this county for the transaction of all county business.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Owner.</span> The term "owner," applied to a building or land, shall include any part owner, joint
               owner, tenant in common, tenant in partnership, joint tenant or tenant by the entirety,
               of the whole or a part of such building or land.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Person.</span> The term "person" extends to and includes a person, firm, corporation, copartnership,
               trustee, lessee, or receiver. Whenever used in any clause prescribing and imposing
               a penalty, the term "person" or "whoever," as applied to any unincorporated entity,
               shall mean the partners or members thereof, and as applied to corporations, the officers
               or agents thereof.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Personal property.</span> The term "personal property" means every species of property except real property
               as defined in this subsection.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Preceding</span> and <span class="ital">following.</span> The terms "preceding" and "following" mean next before or next after, respectively.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Property.</span> The term "property" means real and personal property.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Real property.</span> The term "real property" means lands, tenements and hereditaments.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Reasonable time.</span>
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (1)
                  </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  In all cases where a section of this Code or an ordinance requires an act to be done
                  in a reasonable time or requires reasonable notice to be given, reasonable time or
                  notice shall be deemed to mean the time which is necessary for a prompt performance
                  of such act or the giving of such notice.
                  </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (2)
                  </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  The time within which an act is to be done, as provided in this Code, shall be computed
                  by excluding the first day and including the last. If the last day is a Saturday,
                  Sunday or a holiday, it shall be excluded.
                  </p>
               		
               
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Shall.</span> The term "shall" means the act referred to is mandatory.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Signature</span> and <span class="ital">subscription.</span> The terms "signature" and "subscription" include a mark properly witnessed when a
               person cannot write.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">State.</span> The term "state" shall mean the State of North Carolina.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Street.</span> The term "street" mean streets, avenues, boulevards, roads, alleys, lanes, squares,
               bridges, viaducts, tunnels, causeways, sidewalks lying within the street right-of-way,
               and all other public highways.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Tenant</span> and <span class="ital">occupant.</span> The terms "tenant" and "occupant," applied to a building or land, include any person
               who occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, whether alone or with others.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Written.</span> The term "written" means any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether
               by printing or otherwise.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Year.</span> The term "year" means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed; equivalent to
               the term "year of our Lord."
               </p>
            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Rules of interpretation.</span> The construction of this Code and all ordinances of this county shall be by the following
               rules, unless such construction is plainly repugnant to the intent of the board of
               commissioners or of the context of the same ordinance:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               <span class="ital">And, or.</span> Either conjunction shall include the other as if written "and/or," if the sense requires
               it.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               <span class="ital">Acts by assistants.</span> When a statute or ordinance requires an act to be done which, by law, an agent or
               deputy as well may do as the principal, such requisition shall be satisfied by the
               performance of such act by an authorized agent or deputy.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (3)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               <span class="ital">Gender; singular and plural; tenses.</span> Words denoting the masculine gender shall be deemed to include the feminine and neuter
               genders; words in the singular shall include the plural, and words in the plural shall
               include the singular; the use of a verb in the present tense shall include the future,
               if applicable.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (4)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               <span class="ital">General term.</span> A general term following a specific enumeration of terms is not to be limited to
               the class enumerated unless expressly so limited.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Code 1995, Â§Â§ 10.02, 10.06, 10.11, 10.12)
               </p>
            <p class="refstatelaw0" block_type="hang"><b>State Law referenceâ€” </b>
               Similar statutory rules of construction, G.S. 12-3
               </p></div>