(A) General rule. Words and phrases shall be taken in their plain, 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.
(B) For the purpose of this code the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
CODE or THIS CODE OF ORDINANCES. The Town Code as modified by amendment, revision, and adoption of new titles, chapters, or sections.
COUNCIL or TOWN COUNCIL. Town Council of the Town of Clayton.
COUNTY. Johnston County, North Carolina.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
KEEPER and PROPRIETOR. Persons, firms, associations, corporations, clubs, and co- partnerships, whether acting by themselves or through a servant, agent, or employee.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
LAND and REAL ESTATE. Includes rights and easements of an incorporeal nature.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
MAY. The act referred to is permissive.
MONTH. A calendar month.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
OATH. An affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in such cases, the words “swear” and “sworn” shall be equivalent to the words “affirm” and “affirmed.”
OWNER. Applied to a building or land, shall include any part-owner, joint owner, tenant-in- common, tenant by the entireties, tenant in partnership, or joint tenant of the whole or of a part of the building or land.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
PERSON. Includes person, persons, firm, corporation, copartnership, trustee, lessee, or receiver.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
PERSONAL PROPERTY. Every species of property, except real property.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
PRECEDING and FOLLOWING. Next before and next after, respectively.
PROPERTY. Real and personal property.
REAL PROPERTY. Lands, tenements, and hereditaments.
SIDEWALK. Any portion of a street between the curb line and the adjacent property line, intended for the use of pedestrians.
SIGNATURE or SUBSCRIPTION. A mark when the person cannot write.
SHALL. The act referred to is mandatory.
STATE. The State of North Carolina.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
STREET. Any dedicated and maintained public way, road, highway, street, avenue, boulevard, parkway, alley, lane, viaduct, bridge, and the approaches thereto within the town.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
TENANT or OCCUPANT. Applied to a building or land, shall include tenants at sufferance and tenants at will and shall include any person holding a written or oral lease of, or who occupies the whole or a part of, the building or land, either alone or with others.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
TOWN. The Town of Clayton, North Carolina.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
WRITING and WRITTEN. Printing and any other mode of representing words and letters.
YEAR. A calendar year, unless other-wise expressed.
('71 Code, § 1-2)
Statutory reference:
Similar statutory definitions, see G.S. § 12-3