An electrical device which has taken the place of the fuse in most buildings. The circuit is broken (electricity shut-off) when there is an overload. The circuit breaker can be reset rather than replaced as a fuse must be.

The regular traffic pattern, as from a residential area to a business district and back.

A highway which arcs around the central business district of a city. Also called a belt highway or by-pass.

A tank used for storing rain water for use in areas where there is no water brought to the property by plumbing.

Technically, a municipal corporation having voting by represen-tatives to operate its functions, rather than direct voting, as in a town. Commonly, any large incorporated town is called a city.

See; Master Plan .

Any action which is not a criminal action.

(1) Roman Law. The legal system derived from the Romans which is prevalent in most of the non-English speaking countries, and, to some degree, in Louisiana. Differs from Common Law of England, from which United States Law is derived. (2) Any laws which are not criminal laws.

An act passed to strengthen the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The act, among other things, prohibits discrimination in housing.

An assertion of some right or demand.

Narrow boards used as siding for frame houses, and having one edge thicker than the other. The boards run horizontally with the thicker edge overlapping the thinner edge.

Underground system of tanks with filters or chemical agents designed to remove or neutralize harmful wastes from water before emptying said water into a sewer or septic tank.

An action brought on behalf of a group of people having a similar claim. Has become increasingly popular in the consumer movement, and is a strong weapon against unfair pricing when the price of overcharging in one instance would be too minor to bring suit.

A substandard loan which a bank should not have made.

Property tax which varies in rate depending on the use (zoning classification) of the property.

A room specially designed to have a controlled atmosphere, for health reasons or experimentation accuracy, such as a germ free room or a dust free room.

A federal act, first adopted in 1977, to stop pollution of waterways and protect wildlife and recreational areas.

The height of the lowest overhead framing member (usually the top of the door frame) as measured from the floor.

High quality lumber “clear” of most defects, particularly knots.

An interior area which does not use columns or posts to hold up the roof, thereby creating a large, open area with maximum visibility and use of the floor space.

See: Free and Clear.