Define: demurrer

demurrer is a formal objection to the legal sufficiency of an opponent's pleading. It asks for a judgment in the demurring party's favor due to a failure to state a cause of action.

Define: writ of mandate

A petition for writ of mandate, also commonly known as a petition for a writ of mandamus, is a document filed with a court that requests an order directing a governmental agency or representative to perform a required function. In the alternative, a petition for writ of mandate can be filed seeking a court to order a governmental agency or representative to stop doing something that it has no legal authority to do in the first instance.

Define: appurtenant

appurtenant adj. pertaining to something that attaches. In real property law this describes any right or restriction which goes with that property, such as an easement to gain access across the neighbor's parcel, or a covenant (agreement) against blocking the neighbor's view.