- private
- Affecting or belonging to private individuals, as distinct from the public generally. Not official; not clothed with office. People v. Powell, 280 Mich. 699, 274 N.W. 372, 373.As to private act- private agent- private bill- private business- private carrier- private chapel- private detective- private dwelling- private easement- private examination- private ferry- private nuisance- private pond- private prosecutor- private rights- private road- private school- private seal- private statute- private stream- private trust- private water- private war- private way- private wharf- private wrong, see those titles@ private bankAn unincorporrted banking institution owned by an individual or partnership and, depending upon state statutes, subject to or free from state regulation@- private bill@ privateer/prayvatir/ A vessel owned, equipped, and armed by one or more private individuals, and duly commissioned by a belligerent power to go on cruises and make war upon the enemy, usually by preying on his commerce. A private vessel commissioned by a nation by the issue of a letter of marque to its owner to carry on all hostilities by sea, presumably according to the laws of war. Formerly a state issued letters of marque to its own subjects, and to those of neutral states as well, but a privateersman who accepted letters of marque from both belligerents was regarded as a pirate. By the Declaration of Paris (April, 1856), privateering was abolished, but the United States, Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela did not accede to this declaration. It has been thought that the constitutional provision empowering Congress to issue letters of marque deprives it of the power to join in a permanent treaty abolishing privateering.See piracy.Piracy and privateering are federal offenses. 18 U.S. C.A. No. 1651 et seq@ private foundationsAn organization which is operated privately for the advancement of charitable or education projects. An organization generally exempt from taxation that is subject to additional statutory restrictions on its activities and on contributions thereto. Excise taxes may be levied on certain prohibited transactions, and the Internal Revenue Code places more stringent restrictions on the deductibility of contributions to private foundations. IRC No. 509.See also charitable organizations@ private international lawA name used by some writers to indicate that branch of the law which is now more commonly called "conflict of laws" (q.v.)@ private lawThat portion of the law which defines, regulates, enforces, and administers relationships among individuals, associations, and corporations. As used in contradistinction to public law, the term means all that part of the law which is administered between citizen and citizen, or which is concerned with the definition, regulation, and enforcement of rights in cases where both the person in whom the right inheres and the person upon whom the obligation is incident are private individuals.See also private billCompare public law@ private letter rulingA written statement issued to the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service in which interpretations of the tax laws are made and applied to a specific set of facts. Function of the letter ruling, usually sought by the taxpayer in advance of a contemplated transaction, is to advise the taxpayer regarding the tax treatment he can expect from the I.R.S. in the circumstances specified by the ruling. U. S. v. Wahlin, D.C.Wis., 384 F.Supp. 43, 47.See also letter ruling@ private nuisanceA private nuisance is generally anything that by its continuous use or existence works annoyance, harm, unreasonable interference, inconvenience or damage to another landowner in the enjoyment of his property. Robie v. Lillis, 112 N.H. 492, 299 A.2d 155, 158.A nuisance affecting a single individual or definite small number of persons in enjoyment of private rights not common to the public. Spur Industries, Inc. v. Del E. Webb Development Co., 108 Ariz. 178, 494 P.2d 700, 705.It is only a tort, and the remedy therefor lies exclusively with the individual whose rights have been disturbed. Philadelphia Elec. Co. v. Hercules, Inc., C.A.Pa., 762 F.2d 303, 315.See also nuisanceCompare public nuisance@ private offeringSee offering- private placement@ private personTerm sometimes used to refer to persons other than those holding public office or in military services@ private placementAdoption.In adoption cases, the placement of a child for adoption by the mother or parents themselves or by an intermediary like a lawyer or doctor, rather than by an adoption agency. Also sometimes called a "direct" placement.Securities.The sale of a stock or bond issued directly to private persons, institutional investors, etc., outside of a public offering. Securities Act (1933), No. 4(2).See also direct placement- offering@ private rulingSee letter ruling- private letter ruling@
Black's law dictionary. HENRY CAMPBELL BLACK, M. A.. 1990.
