Title GCN, General Construction

§ 1. Short title. This chapter shall be known as the "General\nConstruction Law."\n

§ 10. Acknowledge and acknowledgment. The terms acknowledge and\nacknowledgment, when used with reference to the execution of an\ninstrument or writing other than a deed of real property, include a\ncompliance with the provisions of the next section by either such proof\nor ackno…

§ 100. Effect of consolidation upon laws passed at same session or\nbefore consolidation takes effect. No provision of any chapter of the\nconsolidation of the general laws, of which this chapter is a part,\nshall supersede or repeal by implication any law passed at the same\nse…

§ 101. Effect of consolidated laws on penal law, criminal procedure\nlaw and civil practice law and rules. The consolidated laws shall not be\nconstrued to amend, repeal or otherwise affect any provision of the\npenal law, civil practice law and rules or criminal procedure law u…

§ 11. Acknowledgment or proof of instrument. When the execution of any\ninstrument or writing is authorized or required by law to be\nacknowledged, or to be proven so as to entitle it to be filed or\nrecorded in a public office, the acknowledgment may be taken or the\nproof made …

§ 11-a. Acquisition. The term "acquisition" means the act of acquiring\nany title to, right or interest in, real property through the exercise\nof the power of eminent domain pursuant to the provisions of the eminent\ndomain procedure law.\n

§ 11-b. Appropriation. The term "appropriation" when used in reference\nto the acquiring of any title to, right or interest in real property\nthrough the exercise of the power of eminent domain, shall be deemed to\nmean acquisition.\n

§ 110. Application of chapter. This chapter is applicable to every\nstatute unless its general object, or the context of the language\nconstrued, or other provisions of law indicate that a different meaning\nor application was intended from that required to be given by this\ncha…

§ 12. Affidavit. When an affidavit is authorized or required it may be\nsworn to before any officer authorized by law to take the acknowledgment\nof deeds in this state, unless a particular officer is specified before\nwhom it is to be taken.\n

§ 120. Laws repealed. Of the laws enumerated in the schedule hereto\nannexed, that portion specified in the last column is hereby repealed.\n

§ 121. When to take effect. This chapter shall take effect\nimmediately.\n

§ 13. Adjournment of meeting. Any meeting referred to in section\nforty-one of this chapter may be adjourned by a less number than a\nquorum.\n

§ 13-a. Armed forces of the United States. "Armed forces of the United\nStates" means the army, navy, marine corps, air force, space force and\ncoast guard including all components thereof, and the national guard\nwhen in the service of the United States pursuant to call as prov…

§ 13-b. Board of supervisors. The term "board of supervisors" means the\nelective governing body of a county, by whatever name designated.\n

§ 14. Bond and undertaking. A provision of law authorizing or requiring\na bond to be given shall be deemed to have been complied with by the\nexecution of an undertaking to the same effect.\n

§ 15. Chattels. The term chattels includes goods and chattels; and,\nwhere the term appears in any statute or rule pertaining to an action to\nrecover the same, it also includes all specific personal property, such\nas, but not limited to, certificates of stock, bonds, notes, or …

§ 16. Choose. The term choose includes elect and appoint.\n

§ 16-a. Civil action. The term "civil action" means any action except\nwhen prosecuted in the name of the people of the state of New York, as\nplaintiffs against a party charged with crime.\n

§ 16-b. Condemnation. The term "condemnation" when used in reference to\nthe acquiring of any title to, right or interest in, real property\nthrough the exercise of the power of eminent domain, shall be deemed to\nmean acquisition.\n

§ 17. Criminal code. The term criminal code means the code of criminal\nprocedure.\n

§ 18. Consolidated laws. The term Consolidated Laws shall mean the\ncompilation of the statutes prepared by the board of statutory\nconsolidation and the amendments thereof.\n

§ 18-a. Criminal action. A "criminal action" is prosecuted in the name\nof the people of the state of New York, as plaintiffs, against a party\ncharged with crime.\n

§ 19. Day, calendar. A calendar day includes the time from midnight to\nmidnight. Sunday or any day of the week specifically mentioned means a\ncalendar day.\n

§ 20. Day, computation. A number of days specified as a period from a\ncertain day within which or after or before which an act is authorized\nor required to be done means such number of calendar days exclusive of\nthe calendar day from which the reckoning is made. If such perio…

§ 20-a. Distinct parcel. "Distinct parcel" of real property is a part\nof the property which is or may be set off by boundary lines as\ndistinguished from an undivided share or interest therein.\n

§ 22. Gender. Whenever words of the masculine or feminine gender\nappear in any law, rule, regulation, or resolution unless the sense of\nthe sentence indicates otherwise, they shall be deemed to refer to\npersons of any gender. This construction shall apply to gender\nindicativ…

§ 23. Heretofore and hereafter. Each of the terms, heretofore, and\nhereafter, in any provision of a statute, relates to the time such\nprovision takes effect.\n

§ 24. Public holidays; half-holidays. The term public holiday includes\nthe following days in each year: the first day of January, known as New\nYear's day; the third Monday of January, known as Dr. Martin Luther\nKing, Jr. day; the twelfth day of February, known as Lincoln's bi…

§ 24-a. Closing of banking organizations on Saturday; Sunday, public\nholiday or Saturday afternoon banking transactions; emergency bank\nholidays. 1. Any banking organization lawfully doing business within the\nstate of New York may be closed on any one or more Saturdays upon t…

§ 25. Public holiday, Saturday or Sunday in contractual obligations;\nextension of time where performance of act authorized or required by\ncontract is due on Saturday, Sunday or public holiday. 1. Where a\ncontract by its terms authorizes or requires the payment of money or the…

§ 25-a. Public holiday, Saturday or Sunday in statutes; extension of\ntime where performance of act is due on Saturday, Sunday or public\nholiday. 1. When any period of time, computed from a certain day, within\nwhich or after which or before which an act is authorized or requir…

§ 25-b. Injury to property. "Injury to property" is an actionable act,\nwhereby the estate of another is lessened, other than a personal injury,\nor the breach of a contract.\n

§ 25-c. Investment in bond and mortgage or note and mortgage. The\nterm bond and mortgage or the term note and mortgage as heretofore or\nhereafter used in any statute which prescribes or authorizes investment\ntherein, with or without a specified ratio of real property security…

§ 26. Judge. The term "judge" includes every judicial officer\nauthorized, alone or with others, to hold or preside over a court of\nrecord. It also includes a justice, surrogate, recorder, Town Justice,\nVillage Justice, City Justice or other judicial officer authorized or\nreq…

§ 26-a. Judgment creditor. "Judgment creditor" signifies the person\nwho is entitled to collect or otherwise enforce, in his own right, a\njudgment for a sum of money, or directing the payment of a sum of money.\n

§ 26-b. Just compensation as including loss of mortgage financing.\nNotwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of law, whenever property is\ntaken pursuant to the power of eminent domain (whether denominated\ncondemnation, appropriation or otherwise) just compensation required …

§ 27. Last, preceding, next and following. A reference to the last or\npreceding section, or other provision of a statute, means the section or\nother division immediately preceding, and a reference to the next or\nfollowing section or other division of a statute means the secti…

§ 28. Mental disability, mental illness, developmental disability,\naddictive disorder and addiction disorder. The terms mental disability,\nmental illness, developmental disability, addictive disorder and\naddiction disorder shall have the same meaning as they are defined\npurs…

§ 28-a. Mandate. "Mandate" includes a writ, process or other written\ndirection, issued pursuant to law, out of a court, or made pursuant to\nlaw, by a court, a judge or person acting as a judicial officer, and\ncommanding a court, board or other body, or an officer or other per…

§ 28-b. Magistrate. A magistrate is a judge of any court of this\nstate.\n

§ 28-c. Down's syndrome. 1. On and after the effective date of this\nsection, the term "mongolism" or "mongoloid" used as a synonym for the\ngenetic disorder known as Down's syndrome shall not be utilized in any\nstatute, local law, ordinance, charter, or rule or regulation\npro…

§ 29. Men. The term men includes boys.\n

§ 30. Month, computation. A number of months after or before a certain\nday shall be computed by counting such number of calendar months from\nsuch day, exclusive of the calendar month in which such day occurs, and\nshall include the day of the month in the last month so counted…

§ 31. Month in statute, contract and public or private instrument. In\na statute, contract or public or private instrument, unless otherwise\nprovided in such contract or instrument or by law, the term month means\na calendar month and not a lunar month.\n

§ 32. Municipal officers. A reference to several officers of a\nmunicipal corporation holding the same office, or to a board of such\nofficers, shall be deemed to refer to the single officer holding such\noffice, when but one person is chosen to fill such office in pursuance\nof…

§ 33. Notice. When a notice is required to be given to a board or\nbody, service of such notice upon the clerk or chairman thereof shall be\nsufficient.\n

§ 33-a. Notify. "Notify" is used with respect to procuring the\nattendance of a juror, is equivalent to the word "summon" as used in the\nlike connection, in the constitution and laws of the state.\n

§ 34. Now. The term now in any provision of a statute referring to\nother laws in force, or to persons in office, or to any facts or\ncircumstances as existing, relates to the laws in force, or to the\nperson in office, or to the facts or circumstances existing,\nrespectively, i…

§ 35. Number, singular and plural. Words in the singular number\ninclude the plural, and in the plural number include the singular.\n

§ 36. Oath, affidavit and swear. The terms oath and affidavit include\nevery mode authorized by law of attesting the truth of that which is\nstated. The term swear includes every mode authorized by law for\nadministering an oath.\n