# Virginia SB77: Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property, petition for entry.

Virginia SB77, Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property, petition for entry., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0429)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB77-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB77
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property, petition for entry.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-12-23
- Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0429)
- Sponsor: Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 7 (179 yes, 33 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property; petition for entry. Allows an owner of real property who seeks to repair or maintain the exterior of his property to petition the circuit court for a right of entry to an adjoining property for the purpose of performing the repairs or maintenance when the property is so situated that it is impossible to perform the repairs or maintenance without entering such adjoining property and permission to enter such adjoining property has been denied. The bill requires the petition and affidavits to contain specific information including the nature of the repairs and what efforts were made by the owner to obtain permission. The bill also provides that the petitioner shall be required to return the adjoining property to its previous condition and shall be liable to the adjoining owner or his lessee for actual damages occurring as a result of the entry. This bill is identical to HB 803.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Court-approved entry to neighbor's property for repairs: mixed, medium. The law lets a property owner ask the circuit court to enter a neighbor’s land to do exterior repairs or maintenance. This applies when the work is impossible without entry and the neighbor denied permission or set unreasonable conditions. Your petition must list the repairs, your efforts to get co…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-23 | House | Passed House | pass | 74 | 22 |   |
| 2026-02-18 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 18 | 4 |   |
| 2026-01-22 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 34 | 5 |   |
| 2026-01-21 | Senate | Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-20 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-20 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-19 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute | pass | 13 | 2 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0429) (Governor)
- 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 429 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB77) (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB77ER) (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-23: Passed House (74-Y 22-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-23: Read third time (House)
- 2026-02-20: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-18: Reported from Courts of Justice (18-Y 4-N) (House)
- 2026-02-03: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2026-02-03: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-28: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB77) (Senate)
- 2026-01-22: Read third time and passed Senate (34-Y 5-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Committee substitute printed 26105696D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 2-N) (Senate)
- 2025-12-23: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2025-12-23: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100177D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218039.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218038.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-02-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177058.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177057.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092071.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092070.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090155.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090154.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-12-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082140.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082139.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218039.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218038.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177058.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177057.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092071.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092070.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090155.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090154.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082140.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082139.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB77-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).