Title 55.1, Property and Conveyances

Any person having an easement of right-of-way across the lands of another may, at his own expense, replace any gate thereon with a substantial cattle guard sufficient to turn livestock. Such cattle guards shall be maintained by the owner of the easement, who shall be responsible …

A. If any domesticated livestock enters into any grounds enclosed by a lawful fence, as defined in §§ 55.1-2804 through 55.1-2807, the owner or manager of any such animal shall be liable for the actual damages sustained. B. Punitive damages may be awarded but shall not exceed $20…

If the court enters judgment for the owner or tenant of the grounds enclosed by a lawful fence pursuant to § 55.1-2810, the landowner shall have a lien upon such animal. Upon entry of the judgment, the court shall issue a writ of fieri facias pursuant to § 8.01-478, and the anima…

Whenever any animal is found trespassing upon any grounds enclosed by a lawful fence, the owner or tenant of such enclosed grounds shall have the right to take up and impound such animal until the damages provided for pursuant to this article have been paid, or until such animal …

An owner or tenant of lands trespassed upon by any domesticated livestock, within three days after the taking up and impounding such animal unless the damages are otherwise settled, shall apply to a person authorized to issue warrants of the county or city in which such land is s…

The board of supervisors or other governing body in any county, after publishing notice as required by subsection F of § 15.2-1427, may, by ordinance, declare the boundary line of each lot or tract of land or any stream in such county, any magisterial district of such county, or …

A declaration made by ordinance adopted pursuant to § 55.1-2814 shall not apply to relieve the adjoining landowners from making and maintaining their division fences, as defined by § 55.1-2804; however, Article 6 (§ 55.1-2821 et seq.) shall apply to such division fences.

No action taken under the provisions of § 55.1-2814 shall relieve any railroad company of any duty or obligation imposed on every such company by § 56-429, or imposed by any other statute now in force, in reference to fencing their lines of railway and rights-of-way.

Nothing in § 55.1-2814 shall authorize or require the boards of supervisors or other governing bodies of counties to declare a more stringent fence as a lawful fence for any county, magisterial district, or selected portion of any county than as prescribed by § 55.1-2804.

Nothing in § 55.1-2814 shall repeal the existing fence laws in any county, magisterial district, or selected portion of any county, until changed by the board of supervisors or other governing body, by ordinance and in accordance with the provisions thereof, nor shall the provisi…

The boundary line of each lot or tract of land in any county in the Commonwealth that is under quarantine shall be a lawful fence as to any and all domesticated livestock.

It is unlawful for the owner or manager of any domesticated livestock to permit any such animal, as to which the boundaries of lots or tracts of land have been or may be constituted a lawful fence, to run at large beyond the limits of his own lands within the county, magisterial …

Adjoining landowners shall build and maintain, at their joint and equal expense, division fences between their lands, unless one of them chooses to let his land lie open or unless they agree otherwise.

If no division fence has been built, either one of the adjoining landowners may give notice in writing of his desire and intention to build such fence to the landowner of the adjoining land, or to his agent, and require him to build his half of such fence. The landowner so notifi…

When any fence (i) that has been built and used by adjoining landowners as a division fence, or any fence that has been built by one landowner and the other landowner is afterwards required to pay half of the value or expense of such fence under the provisions contained in this a…

Any sum that may be due and payable by one adjoining landowner to another in pursuance of any of the provisions of §§ 55.1-2822 and 55.1-2823 may be recovered by action or warrant in debt, according to the jurisdictional amount.

No agreement made between adjoining landowners, with respect to the construction or maintenance of the division fence between their lands, shall be binding on their successors in title unless it (i) is in writing and specifically so state, (ii) is recorded in the deed book in the…

Any notice required to be given pursuant to this article shall be given to the landowner, if he resides in the county in which the land lies; otherwise, it may be given to such person as, under the laws of the Commonwealth, would be his agent or to any person occupying such land …

The circuit court of any county in which is situated any village or unincorporated community having within defined boundaries a population of 300 or more shall have jurisdiction to fix the boundaries of such village or unincorporated community for the purpose of preventing domest…

Twenty or more landowners residing within the boundaries referred to in § 55.1-2827 may file a petition signed by them requesting that the boundaries of such village or unincorporated community be fixed for the purposes of § 55.1-2827. Notice of the intention to file such petitio…

A petition filed pursuant to § 55.1-2828, if verified by the oath of one or more of the petitioners, shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein, and the court without further evidence shall proceed to enter the order fixing the boundaries of the village or unincorp…

Any person having a lawful interest in any land within the boundaries referred to in any petition to fix the boundaries of a village or unincorporated community who wishes to contest such petition may intervene in such action as a defendant. In case of such contest, the judge sha…

The court shall enter an order fixing the boundaries of any village or unincorporated community having within defined boundaries a population of 300 or more for the purpose of preventing domesticated livestock from running at large within such boundaries if (i) in the case of a c…

After the expiration of 10 days from the date of entering an order pursuant to § 55.1-2831, it is unlawful for any domesticated livestock to run at large within such boundaries, and any person owning or having charge of any such animal who permits such livestock to run at large w…

If the petition is uncontested, the costs shall be borne by the petitioner; if it is contested, costs shall be awarded to the prevailing party.

If any domesticated livestock, as to which the boundaries of the lots or tracts of land in any county, magisterial district, or selected portion of such county constitute a lawful fence, are found going at large within such county, district, or portion of such county, or upon the…

If any person, firm, or corporation encroaches and cuts timber, except when acting prudently and under bona fide claim of right, the owner of such timber shall, in addition to all other remedies afforded by law, have the benefit of a right to, and a summary remedy for recovery of…

A. The owner of the land on which a trespass as described in § 55.1-2835 was committed shall have the right, within 90 days after the discovery of such trespass and the identity of the trespasser, to notify the trespasser and to appoint an experienced timber estimator to determin…

If the amount specified in subsection B of § 55.1-2836 is not paid within 30 days after rendition of statement, the person upon whose land the trespass occurred may proceed for judgment in the amount of payment as specified in § 55.1-2836. If upon receiving notice of the alleged …

A. Any person who knowingly and willfully takes, steals, and removes from the lands of another any timber growing, standing, or lying on the lands is guilty of larceny. Any person so convicted shall be ordered to pay restitution calculated pursuant to § 55.1-2836. B. In a crimina…

A. Any person who buys timber directly from the owner of the land on which the timber is grown shall make payment in full to the owner by the date specified in the written timber sales agreement or, if there is no such written agreement, within 60 days from the date that the buye…

A. Whenever a timber buyer acquires timber and the load is sold by weight, cord, or measure of board feet, such buyer shall, upon request of the owner of the land from which the timber is removed, furnish such landowner within 30 days of the request or 30 days from the date that …

Nothing in this article shall have the effect of precluding any compromise or agreed settlement that the parties in dispute may effect as to the civil remedies provided by this article, nor of barring any other remedy provided for by law.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Default" means the failure to perform on time any obligation or duty set forth in the rental agreement or this chapter. "Last known address" means that address or electronic mail address provided by the oc…

A. The owner shall have a lien on all personal property stored within each leased space for rent, labor, or other charges, and for expenses reasonably incurred in its sale pursuant to this chapter. Such lien shall attach as of the date the personal property is stored within each …

A. 1. If any occupant is in default under a rental agreement, the owner shall notify the occupant of such default by regular mail at his last known address, or, if expressly provided for in the rental agreement, such notice may be given by electronic means. If such default is not…

The provisions of this chapter shall not preempt or limit the owner's use of any additional remedy otherwise allowed by law.

A. If any items of an occupant's personal property are left in a leased space or on the property of a self-service storage facility after the termination or nonrenewal of a rental agreement, the owner may consider such property to be abandoned. Before disposing of such abandoned …

Unless the rental agreement specifically provides otherwise, the exclusive care, custody, and control of all personal property stored in the leased space shall remain vested in the occupant.

All rental agreements, entered into prior to July 1, 1981, that have not been extended or renewed after that date, shall remain valid and may be enforced or terminated in accordance with their terms or as permitted by any other statute or law of the Commonwealth.

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all rental agreements entered into or extended or renewed after July 1, 1981.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Notice" means notice given in writing by either regular mail or hand delivery, with the sender retaining sufficient proof of having given such notice in the form of a certificate of service confirming such…

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to residential executory real estate contracts where the vendor is: 1. A natural person, an estate, or a legal entity that owns no more than two single-family residential dwelling units in the Commonwealth unless the person or entity…

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a residential executory real estate contract shall be subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (§ 55.1-1200 et seq.). B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the following provisions shall be applicable to e…

The Board for Housing and Community Development shall develop and make available on its website best practice provisions for residential executory real estate contracts. Such best practice provisions shall include (i) the full names and current mailing addresses of all parties to…

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Date of notice" means the date the notice is dispatched by one of the enumerated methods of notice. "Judgment lien" includes a judgment lien pursuant to § 8.01-458 but does not include any lien in favor of…