<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 1-2. - Definitions and rules of construction.</div>
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            <p class="p0">
               In the construction of this Code and of all ordinances, the following definitions
               and rules of construction shall be observed unless inconsistent with the manifest
               intent of the board of commissioners or the context clearly requires otherwise:
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Charter.</span> The term "Charter" shall mean the Charter of the County of New Hanover, North Carolina.
               
               <p class="refstatelaw0" block_type="hang"><b>State Law referenceâ€” </b>
                  Definitions and rules of construction, G.S. 153A-1 et seq.
                  </p>
               
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               <span class="ital">Code.</span> The term "Code" shall mean the Code of Ordinances, County of New Hanover, North Carolina,
               as designated in <a href="" data-chunk-id="COOR_CH1GEPR_S1-1DECICO" class="section-link" data-product-id="11337">section 1-1</a>.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Commissioners</span> and <span class="ital">board of commissioners.</span> The terms "commissioners" and "board of commissioners" shall mean the members of
               the governing body of the County of New Hanover, North Carolina.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Computation of time.</span> The time within which an act is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first
               and including the last day; and if the last day is Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday,
               that day shall be excluded.
               
               <p class="refstatelaw0" block_type="hang"><b>State Law referenceâ€” </b>
                  Computation of time, G.S. 1-593.
                  </p>
               
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               <span class="ital">County.</span> The term "county" shall mean the County of New Hanover, in the State of North Carolina,
               except as otherwise provided.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Gender.</span> Words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">G.S.</span> and <span class="ital">General Statutes.</span> The abbreviation "G.S." or the term "General Statutes" shall mean the latest edition
               of the General Statutes of North Carolina, as amended.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Governor</span> and <span class="ital">the governor.</span> The terms "governor" and "the governor" shall mean the Governor of North Carolina.
               </p>
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               <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>
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               <span class="ital">May, shall.</span> The term "may" is permissive; the term "shall" is mandatory.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Month.</span> The term "month" shall mean a calendar month.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Number.</span> Words used in the singular include the plural, and the plural includes the singular
               number.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Oath.</span> The term "oath" shall be construed to include an affirmation in all cases in which,
               by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath; and in such cases the terms
               "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the terms "affirm" and "affirmed."
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Official time standard.</span> The term "official time standard" means that whenever certain hours are named in
               this Code, they shall mean standard time or daylight savings time as may be in current
               use in this county.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Officials, boards, commissions, etc.</span> Whenever reference is made to officials, boards, commissions, committees and the
               like, by title only, they shall be construed as if followed by the words "of the County
               of New Hanover, North Carolina."
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Owner.</span> The term "owner," applied to any property, shall include any part owner, joint owner,
               tenant in common, joint tenant or tenant by the entirety, of the whole or a part of
               such property.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Person.</span> The term "person" shall include a corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization
               and any other group acting as a unit, as well as an individual.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Personal property.</span> The term "personal property" includes every species of property except real property.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Preceding</span> and <span class="ital">following.</span> The terms "preceding" and "following" shall mean next before and next after, respectively.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Property.</span> The term "property" shall include real and personal property.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Real property.</span> The term "real property" shall include lands, tenements and hereditaments.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Sidewalk.</span> The term "sidewalk" shall mean any portion of a street, between the curbline and
               the adjacent property line, intended for the use of pedestrians.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Signature</span> and <span class="ital">subscription.</span> The terms "signature" and "subscription" include a mark when the person cannot write.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">State.</span> The term "state" or "this state" shall be construed to mean the State of North Carolina,
               except as otherwise provided.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Street.</span> The term "street" shall mean and include any public way, road, highway, street, avenue,
               boulevard, parkway, alley, lane, viaduct, bridge, and their approaches within the
               county and shall mean the entire width of the right-of-way between abutting property
               lines.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Tenant</span> and <span class="ital">occupant.</span> The terms "tenant" and "occupant," applied to a building or land, shall include any
               person who occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, whether alone or
               with others.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Tense.</span> Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and
               present.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Writing</span> and <span class="ital">written.</span> The terms "writing" and "written" shall include printing and any other mode of representing
               words and letters.
               </p>
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               <span class="ital">Year.</span> The term "year" shall mean a calendar year unless otherwise specified.
               </p>
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Code 1978, Â§ 1-2)
               </p></div>