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 City Council or the context clearly requires otherwise.
BOND. When a bond is required, an undertaking in writing shall be sufficient.
CITY. The City of Mount Holly, North Carolina.
CITY LIMITS; CORPORATE LIMITS. The legal boundary of the City of Mount Holly, North Carolina.
CITY MANAGER. The City Manager of the City of Mount Holly, North Carolina.
CODE. The Code of Mount Holly, unless otherwise explained in the text.
COMPUTATION OF TIME. 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 be Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday, that shall be excluded.
COUNCIL. The City Council of the City of Mount Holly, North Carolina, or the governing body thereof.
COUNTY. The County of Gaston, North Carolina.
DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY. Whenever a provision appears requiring the head of a department of the city to do some act or make certain inspections, it is to be construed to authorize subordinates to perform the required inspection unless the terms of the provision or section designate otherwise.
GENDER. Words importing the masculine, gender shall include the feminine and neuter.
INTERPRETATION. In the interpretation and application of any provision of this code, it shall be held to the minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. Where any provision of this code imposes greater restrictions upon the subject matter than the general provision imposed by the code, the provision imposing the greater restriction or regulation shall be deemed to be controlling.
JOINT AUTHORITY. 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.
KEEPER; PROPRIETOR. Includes person, firm, association, corporation, club and partnership, whether acting by themselves or a servant, agent or employee.
MAYOR. The mayor of the City of Mount Holly, North Carolina.
MONTH. A calendar month.
NONTECHNICAL AND TECHNICAL WORDS. Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of 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.
NUMBER. Words used in the singular include the plural, and the plural includes the singular number.
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 words AFFIRM and AFFIRMED shall be equivalent to the words SWEAR and SWORN.
OFFICER. The officer whose duties are being prescribed or regulated in the section or chapter.
OR; AND. OR may be read AND and AND may be read OR if the sense requires it.
OWNER. When applied to a building or land, shall include any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common, joint tenant or tenant by the entirety, or the holder of the title in fee simple of record of the whole. or part of such building or land.
PERSON. The word PERSON shall include a corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization and any other group acting as a unit, as well as an individual.
PERSONAL PROPERTY. Includes every species of property except real property as herein defined.
PRECEDING; FOLLOWING. The next before and next after, respectively.
PROPERTY. Includes real and personal property.
REAL PROPERTY. Includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
RESIDENCE. The place adopted by a person as his or her place of habitation and to which, whenever he or she is absent, he or she has the intention of returning. When a person eats at one place and sleeps at another, the place where such person sleeps shall be deemed his or her RESIDENCE.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. The privilege of the immediate use of the roadway and shall include the use of the entire width of the land between the property lines so dedicated to public use.
SEAL. The city seal, corporate seal, seal of the city corporation or seal of the City of Mount Holly, North Carolina.
SIDEWALK. Any portion of a street between the curb line and the adjacent property line, intended for the use of pedestrians.
SIGNATURE or SUBSCRIPTION. Includes a mark when the person cannot write.
STATE. The words STATE, THE STATE or THIS STATE shall be construed to mean the State of North Carolina.
STREET. Includes any public way, road, highway, street, avenue, boulevard, parkway, alley, lane, path, viaduct, bridge or other public place and the approaches thereto within the city when any part thereof is open to the use of the public and established for purposes of vehicular traffic.
TENANT; OCCUPANT. When applied to a building or land shall include any person who occupies the whole or part of such building or land, whether alone or with others.
TENSE. Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
TITLE OF OFFICE. The title of any office shall be construed to include the words “of the City of Mount Holly, North Carolina”.
VEHICLE. Every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices moved by human or animal power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks is a VEHICLE.
WRITING; WRITTEN. Include printing and any other mode of representing words and letters.
YEAR. A calendar year.
(Code 2019, § 1-2) (Code 1961, § 1-2)
Statutory reference:
Computation of time, see G.S. § 1-593
State law containing similar rules of construction, see G.S. § 12-3