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betterment tax.A tax for the improvement of highways. BETTING betting. See PARIMUTUEL[Blacks Law 8th]

betterment act.A statute requiring a landowner to compensate an occupant who improves the land under a mistaken belief that the occupant is the real owner. • The compensation usu. equals the increase in the land’s value generated by the improvements. — Also termed occupying-claimant act; occupant statute. [Cases: Improvements  4. C.J.S. Improvements § 5.][Blacks Law…

betterment. 1. An improvement that increases the value of real property; esp., an enhancement in the nature of an alteration or addition that goes beyond repair or restoration to a former condition. [Cases: Improvements  1.C.J.S. Improvements §§ 2, 4.] 2. An improvement of a highway, railroad, or building that goes beyond repair or restoration. 3.…

betrothment. See BETROTHAL(1). [Blacks Law 8th]

betrothal. 1.Eccles. law. A religious ceremony confirming an agreement to marry. • Historically, a betrothal was performed months or years before the parties wedded. It was in theory as legally binding as a marriage and created an impediment to marriage with any other person, but not an insurmountable impediment. In modern form, the betrothal is…

beta testing.Intellectual property. The process of testing products and services, esp. software, under real-life conditions. • Consumers often engage in beta testing at no cost in exchange for reporting to the developer how satisfied they are, any problems they encounter, and any suggested improvements. To protect a trade secret or to avoid a statutory bar,…

beta-test agreement.Intellectual property. A software license agreement, usu. between a software developer and a customer, permitting the customer to use the software program in a “live” environment before its release to the general public. • Beta-test agreements differ from more conventional software licenses in that they typically (1) have more significant limitations on liability; (2)…

bet,n. Something (esp. money) staked or pledged as a wager. [Cases: Gaming  1.] — bet,vb. — betting,n. — bettor,n. layoff bet.A bet placed by a bookmaker to protect against excessive losses or to equalize the total amount placed on each side of the wager. See LAYOFF BETTOR. [Cases: Gaming  73.][Blacks Law 8th]

best use.See highest and best use under USE(1). [Blacks Law 8th]

bestow,vb. To convey as a gift <bestow an honor on another>. — bestowal,n. [Blacks Law 8th]