Articles of personal property installed, in rented buildings, by the tenant, to help carry out a trade or business. Trade fixtures are removable by the tenant before the lease expires and are not true fixtures.
Word, or group of words, that identifies a business or one of its products. The name is registered with the U.S. Patent Office and provides legal protection for an indefinite number of renewals for periods of 20 years each. In effect, the name has an unlimited life.
Also called financial leverage, borrowed funds are used to magnify returns. Trading profitably on the equity, also called favorable financial leverage, means that the borrowed funds generate a higher rate of return than the interest rate paid for the use of the money. The excess accrues to the benefit of the owner because it magnifies, or increases, his or her leverage.
A type of zoning ordinance that allows owners of property zoned for low-density development or conservation use to sell development rights to other property owners. The development rights purchased permit the landowners to develop their parcels at higher densities than otherwise. The system is designed to provide for low-density uses, such as historic preservation, without unduly penalizing some landowners.
An electrical component used to reduce voltage to a level safe for various devices. Transformers are used to reduce voltage from high-tension lines for use in residential and commercial structures. Smaller transformers are used to reduce voltage from the wall socket to a household electrical device such as a computer.