N.C. Gen. Stat. § 133-7 — NC Code / Chapter 133 / Section 133-7
§ 133-7. Definitions
Status: in_force

As used in this Article:

(1) “Agency” means the State of North Carolina or any board, bureau, commission, institution, or other agency of the State, or any board or governing body of a political subdivision of the State, or an agency, commission, or authority of a political subdivision of the State.

(2) “Business” means any lawful activity, excepting a farm operation, conducted primarily:

a. For the purchase, sale, lease and rental of personal and real property, and for the manufacture, processing, or marketing of products, commodities, or any other personal property;

b. For the sale of services to the public;

c. By a nonprofit organization; or

d. Solely for the purposes of G.S. 133-8(a) , for assisting in the purchase, sale, resale, manufacture, processing, or marketing of products, commodities, personal property, or services by the erection and maintenance of an outdoor advertising display or displays, whether or not such display or displays are located on the premises on which any of the above activities are conducted.

(3)a. “Displaced person” means, except as provided in subdivision (a)(ii)--

(i) Any person who moves from real property, or moves his personal property from real property--(A) as a direct result of a written notice of intent to acquire or the acquisition of such real property in whole or in part for a program or project undertaken by an agency; or (B) on which such person is a residential tenant or conducts a small business, a farm operation, or business defined in G.S. 133-7(2)(d) as a direct result of rehabilitation, demolition, or such other displacing activity as the agency may prescribe, under a program or project undertaken by an agency in any case in which the agency determines that such displacement is permanent; and

(ii) Solely for the purposes of G.S. 133-8(a) and (b) and G.S. 133-11 , any person who moves from real property, or moves his personal property from real property--(A) as a direct result of a written notice of intent to acquire or the acquisition of other real property, in whole or in part, on which such person conducts a business or farm operation, for a program or project undertaken by an agency; or (B) as a direct result of rehabilitation, demolition, or such other displacing activity as the agency may prescribe, of other real property on which such person conducts a business or farm operation, under a program or project undertaken by an agency where the agency determines that such displacement is permanent.

b. The term “displaced person” does not include--

(i) A person who has been determined, according to criteria established by the agency, to be either unlawfully occupying the displacement dwelling or to have occupied such dwelling for the purpose of obtaining assistance under this Article;

(ii) In any case in which the agency acquires property for a program or project, any person (other than a person who was an occupant of such property at the time it was acquired) who occupies such property on a rental basis for a short term or a period subject to termination when the property is needed for the program or project.

(4) “Farm operation” means any activity conducted solely or primarily for the production of one or more agricultural products or commodities, including timber, for sale or home use, and customarily producing such products or commodities in sufficient quantity to be capable of contributing materially to the operator's support.

(5) “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation or association.

(6) “Program or project” for the purpose of this Article shall mean any construction or rehabilitation project undertaken by an agency, as herein defined or the utilization of real property by an agency for any other public purposes, and to which program or project the agency makes this Article applicable.

(7) “Relocation officer” means the head of the department delegated the authority to carry out relocation policies by the agency.

(8) “Comparable replacement dwelling” means any dwelling that is (i) decent, safe, and sanitary; (ii) adequate in size to accommodate the occupants; (iii) within the financial means of the displaced person; (iv) functionally equivalent; (v) in an area not subject to unreasonably adverse environmental conditions; and (vi) in a location generally not less desirable than the location of the displaced person's dwelling with respect to public utilities, facilities, services, and the displaced person's place of employment.

(9) “Appraisal” means a written statement independently and impartially prepared by a qualified appraiser setting forth an opinion of defined value of an adequately described property as of a specific date, supported by the presentation and analysis of relevant market information.

(10) “Lead agency” means the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The lead agency shall issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out this Article and to comply with federal aid regulations.