(a) For the purposes of this chapter, when any of the following words or terms are used herein they shall have the meaning or construction ascribed to them in this section:
(1) “City” means the City of Cleveland, Ohio.
(2) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses or his or her authorized representative.
(3) “Division” means the Division of Assessments and Licenses of the City of Cleveland.
(4) “Leasing” or any similar term means any transfer of the possession (regardless of whether or not such possession is exclusive) or the right to possession of a motor vehicle to a user for a valuable consideration.
(5) “Lessor” means any person who, in connection with a trade or business conducted by such person, leases a motor vehicle directly to lessee. In a multiparty transaction, the lessor is the person who transfers the motor vehicle to the lessee. A person who merely finances or underwrites a leasing transaction, without doing more, is not a lessor for purposes of this chapter.
(6) “Limousine for hire” means any motor vehicle which is used in the business of operating for hire as a chauffeur-driven vehicle that secures or accepts passengers within the City and that does not secure or accept passengers for hire on the public streets or in public or quasi-public places.
(7) “Motor vehicle” means any motor vehicle as defined in division (B) of RC 4501.01, except motor vehicles of gross weight of six thousand (6,000) pounds or greater.
(8) “Public hack” means any motor vehicle whose owner or driver secures or accepts passengers for hire within the City on the public streets or quasi- public places.
(9) “Rental period” means the term of the lease as specified in the lease. A lease renewal denotes an additional rental period. A lease extension does not denote an additional rental period.
(10) “Tax” means the motor vehicle license tax imposed pursuant to Section 198.03.
(b) In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular number include the plural, and in the plural include the singular, words of the masculine gender include the feminine and the neuter, and when the sense so indicates, words of the neuter gender may refer to any gender.
(Ord. No. 532-91. Passed 3-18-91, eff. 3-22-91)