1.020. Definitions.
Definitions.
1.020. As used in the statutory laws of this state, unless otherwisespecially provided or unless plainly repugnant to the intent of thelegislature or to the context thereof:
(1) "Certified mail" or "certified mail with return receiptrequested", includes certified mail carried by the United States PostalService, or any parcel or letter carried by an overnight, express, orground delivery service that allows a sender or recipient to electronicallytrack its location and provides record of the signature of the recipient;
(2) "County or circuit attorney" means prosecuting attorney;
(3) "Executor" includes administrator where the subject matterapplies to an administrator;
(4) "General election" means the election required to be held on theTuesday succeeding the first Monday of November, biennially;
(5) "Guardian", if used in a section in a context relating toproperty rights or obligations, means conservator of the estate as definedin chapter 475, RSMo. "Guardianship", if used in a section in a contextrelating to rights and obligations other than property rights orobligations, means guardian of the person as defined in chapter 475, RSMo;
(6) "Handicap" means a mental or physical impairment thatsubstantially limits one or more major life activities, whether theimpairment is congenital or acquired by accident, injury, or disease, andwhere the impairment is verified by medical findings;
(7) "Heretofore" means any time previous to the day when the statutecontaining it takes effect; and "hereafter" means the time after thestatute containing it takes effect;
(8) "In vacation" includes any adjournment of court for more than oneday whenever any act is authorized to be done by or any power given to acourt, or judge thereof in vacation, or whenever any act is authorized tobe done by or any power given to a clerk of any court in vacation;
(9) "Incompetent", if used in a section in a context relating toactual occupational ability without reference to a court adjudication ofincompetency, means the actual ability of a person to perform in thatoccupation. "Incompetent", if used in a section in a context relating tothe property rights and obligations of a person, means a disabled person asdefined in chapter 475, RSMo. "Incompetent", if used in a section in acontext relating to the rights and obligations of a person other thanproperty rights and obligations, means an incapacitated person as definedin chapter 475, RSMo;
(10) "Justice of the county court" means commissioner of the countycommission;
(11) "Month" and "year". "Month" means a calendar month, and "year"means a calendar year unless otherwise expressed, and is equivalent to thewords year of our Lord;
(12) The word "person" may extend and be applied to bodies politicand corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations;
(13) "Personal property" includes money, goods, chattels, things inaction and evidences of debt;
(14) "Place of residence" means the place where the family of anyperson permanently resides in this state, and the place where any personhaving no family generally lodges;
(15) "Preceding" and "following", when used by way of reference toany section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or nextfollowing that in which the reference is made, unless some other section isexpressly designated in the reference;
(16) "Property" includes real and personal property;
(17) "Real property" or "premises" or "real estate" or "lands" iscoextensive with lands, tenements and hereditaments;
(18) "State", when applied to any of the United States, includes theDistrict of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States"includes such district and territories;
(19) "Under legal disability" includes persons within the age ofminority or of unsound mind or imprisoned;
(20) "Ward", if used in a section in a context relating to theproperty rights and obligations of a person, means a protectee as definedin chapter 475, RSMo. "Ward", if used in a section in a context relatingto the rights and obligations of a person other than property rights andobligations, means a ward as defined in chapter 475, RSMo;
(21) "Will" includes the words testament and codicil;
(22) "Written" and "in writing" and "writing word for word" includesprinting, lithographing, or other mode of representing words and letters,but in all cases where the signature of any person is required, the properhandwriting of the person, or his mark, is intended.
(RSMo 1939 §§ 649, 650, 653, 655, A. 1949 S.B. 1001, A.L. 1957 p. 587, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971, H.B. 1634, A.L. 1983 S.B. 44 & 45, A.L. 1988 S.B. 655, A.L. 2009 H.B. 652)Prior revisions: 1929 §§ 649, 650, 653, 655; 1919 §§ 7052, 7053, 7056, 7058; 1909 §§ 8051, 8052, 8055, 8057
CROSS REFERENCE:
Criminal code definitions, RSMo 556.061