For the purposes of this chapter, the term:

(1) “Action” means a judicial proceeding or arbitration in which a payment in money may be awarded or enforced with respect to a foreign-money claim.

(2) “Bank-offered spot rate” means the spot rate of exchange at which a bank will sell foreign money at a spot rate.

(3) “Conversion date” means the banking day next preceding the date on which money, in accordance with this chapter, is:

(A) Paid to a claimant in an action or distribution proceeding;

(B) Paid to the official designated by law to enforce a judgment or award on behalf of a claimant; or

(C) Used to recoup, set off, or counterclaim in different moneys in an action or distribution proceeding.

(4) “Distribution proceeding” means a judicial or nonjudicial proceeding for the distribution of a fund in which one or more foreign-money claims is asserted and includes an accounting, an assignment for the benefit of creditors, a foreclosure, the liquidation or rehabilitation of a corporation or other entity, and the distribution of an estate, trust, or other fund.

(5) “Foreign money” means money other than money of the United States of America.

(6) “Foreign-money claim” means a claim upon an obligation to pay, or a claim for recovery of a loss, expressed in, or measured by, a foreign money.

(7) “Money” means a medium of exchange for the payment of obligations or a store of value authorized or adopted by a government or by an intergovernmental agreement.

(8) “Money of the claim” means the money determined as proper pursuant to section 15-904.

(9) “Person” means an individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, joint venture, partnership, association, 2 or more persons having a joint or common trust, or any other legal or commercial entity.

(10) “Rate of exchange” means the rate at which money of one country may be converted into money of another country in a free financial market convenient to, or reasonably usable by, a person obligated to pay or to state a rate of conversion. If separate rates of exchange apply to different kinds of transactions, the term means the rate applicable to the particular transactions giving rise to the foreign-money claim.

(11) “Spot rate” means the rate of exchange at which foreign money is sold by a bank or other dealer in foreign exchange for immediate or next day availability or for settlement by immediate payment in cash or equivalent, by charge to an account, or by an agreed delayed settlement not exceeding 2 days.

(12) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(Feb. 10, 1996, D.C. Law 11-85, § 2, 42 DCR 6791; Mar. 13, 2004, D.C. Law 15-105, § 101, 51 DCR 881; Apr. 13, 2005, D.C. Law 15-354, § 85(e), 52 DCR 2638.)

1981 Ed., § 15-901.

D.C. Law 15-105, in the introductory language, substituted “this chapter” for “this act”.

D.C. Law 15-354, in the introductory language, substituted “this chapter” for “this subchapter”.

Uniform Law: This section is based upon § 1 of the Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act.