{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-1812.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-1812.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-1812.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-1812.1.html"}],"law_id":80918,"edition_id":1,"section_id":80918,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1812.1","catch_line":"Action for damage to memorials for war veterans","history":"2000, c. 812; 2020, cc. 1100, 1101.","full_text":"A\n\nIf any monument or memorial for war veterans as designated in \u00a7 15.2-1812 is damaged or defaced, an action for the recovery of damages may be commenced as follows:1\n\nFor a publicly owned monument or memorial, such action may be commenced against a person other than a locality or its duly authorized officers, employees, or agents by the attorney for the locality in which it is located with the consent of the governing body or public officer having control of the monument or memorial; and2\n\nFor a privately owned monument or memorial on a locality’s public property, such action may be commenced by the private owner of such monument or memorial. No locality or its officers, employees, or agents shall be liable for damages pursuant to this section when taking action pursuant to § 15.2-1812 except for gross negligence by a duly authorized officer, employee, or agent of the locality.\n\t\t\t\tDamages may be awarded in such amounts as necessary for the purposes of rebuilding, repairing, preserving, and restoring such memorials or monuments. Damages other than those litigation costs recovered from any such action shall be used exclusively for said purposes.B\n\nPunitive damages may be recovered for reckless, willful, or wanton conduct resulting in the defacement of, malicious destruction of, unlawful removal of, or placement of improper markings, monuments, or statues on memorials for war veterans.C\n\nThe party who initiates and prevails in an action authorized by this section shall be entitled to an award of the cost of the litigation, including reasonable attorney fees. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit the rights of any person, organization, society, or museum to pursue any additional civil remedy otherwise allowed by law.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":290071,"text":"If any monument or memorial for war veterans as designated in \u00a7 15.2-1812 is damaged or defaced, an action for the recovery of damages may be commenced as follows:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":290072,"text":"For a publicly owned monument or memorial, such action may be commenced against a person other than a locality or its duly authorized officers, employees, or agents by the attorney for the locality in which it is located with the consent of the governing body or public officer having control of the monument or memorial; and","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":290073,"text":"For a privately owned monument or memorial on a locality’s public property, such action may be commenced by the private owner of such monument or memorial. No locality or its officers, employees, or agents shall be liable for damages pursuant to this section when taking action pursuant to § 15.2-1812 except for gross negligence by a duly authorized officer, employee, or agent of the locality.\n\t\t\t\tDamages may be awarded in such amounts as necessary for the purposes of rebuilding, repairing, preserving, and restoring such memorials or monuments. Damages other than those litigation costs recovered from any such action shall be used exclusively for said purposes.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"B"},"3":{"id":290074,"text":"Punitive damages may be recovered for reckless, willful, or wanton conduct resulting in the defacement of, malicious destruction of, unlawful removal of, or placement of improper markings, monuments, or statues on memorials for war veterans.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"C"},"4":{"id":290075,"text":"The party who initiates and prevails in an action authorized by this section shall be entitled to an award of the cost of the litigation, including reasonable attorney fees. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit the rights of any person, organization, society, or museum to pursue any additional civil remedy otherwise allowed by law.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14774,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14773,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:49","permalink":{"id":154069,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14774,"identifier":"3","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3","url":"\/15.2\/II\/18\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14773,"edition_id":1,"name":"Buildings, Monuments and Lands Generally","identifier":"18","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12733,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:49","permalink":{"id":153991,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14773,"identifier":"18","token":"15.2\/II\/18","url":"\/15.2\/II\/18\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12733,"edition_id":1,"name":"Powers of Local Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":152369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12733,"identifier":"II","token":"15.2\/II","url":"\/15.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":76258,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1812","catch_line":"Memorials for war veterans","url":"\/15.2-1812\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1812","metadata":false},{"id":80918,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1812.1","catch_line":"Action for damage to memorials for war veterans","url":"\/15.2-1812.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1812.1","metadata":false},{"id":79991,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1812.2","catch_line":"Willful and malicious damage to or defacement of public or private facilities; penalty","url":"\/15.2-1812.2\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1812.2","metadata":false},{"id":60170,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1813","catch_line":"Notice when public hearing required","url":"\/15.2-1813\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1813","metadata":false},{"id":56543,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1814","catch_line":"Acquisition authorized by chapter declared to be for public use","url":"\/15.2-1814\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1814","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":76258,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1812","catch_line":"Memorials for war veterans","url":"\/15.2-1812\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1812","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79991,"structure_id":14774,"section_number":"15.2-1812.2","catch_line":"Willful and malicious damage to or defacement of public or private facilities; penalty","url":"\/15.2-1812.2\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1812.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1812.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2000. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 812<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2020, chapters 1100<\/a> and 1101<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":76258,"section_number":"15.2-1812","catch_line":"Memorials for war veterans","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1812\/"}],"permalink":{"id":154075,"object_type":"law","relational_id":80918,"identifier":"15.2-1812.1","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1812.1","url":"\/15.2-1812.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1812.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/18\/3\/15.2-1812.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Action for damage to memorials for war veterans","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1812.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> If any monument or memorial for war veterans as designated in \u00a7 15.2-1812<\/a> is damaged or defaced, an action for the recovery of damages<\/span> may be commenced as follows: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> For a publicly owned monument or memorial, such action may be commenced against a person other than a locality<\/span> or its duly authorized officers, employees, or agents by the attorney for the locality<\/span> in which it is located with the consent of the governing body<\/span> or public officer having control of the monument or memorial; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> For a privately owned monument or memorial on a locality<\/span>’s public property, such action may be commenced by the private owner of such monument or memorial. No locality<\/span> or its officers, employees, or agents shall be liable for damages<\/span> pursuant to this section when taking action pursuant to § 15.2-1812<\/a> except for gross negligence<\/span> by a duly authorized officer, employee, or agent of the locality<\/span>.\n\t\t\t\tDamages<\/span> may be awarded in such amounts as necessary for the purposes of rebuilding, repairing, preserving, and restoring such memorials or monuments. Damages<\/span> other than those litigation<\/span> costs recovered from any such action shall be used exclusively for said purposes. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Punitive damages<\/span> may be recovered for reckless, willful, or wanton conduct resulting in the defacement of, malicious<\/span> destruction of, unlawful removal of, or placement of improper markings, monuments, or statues on memorials for war veterans. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The party<\/span> who initiates and prevails in an action authorized by this section shall be entitled to an award of the cost of the litigation<\/span>, including reasonable attorney fees. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit the rights of any person, organization, society, or museum to pursue any additional civil remedy otherwise allowed by law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nACTION FOR DAMAGE TO MEMORIALS FOR WAR VETERANS (\u00a7 15.2-1812.1)\n\nA. If any monument or memorial for war veterans as designated in \u00a7 15.2-1812 is\ndamaged or defaced, an action for the recovery of damages may be commenced as\nfollows:\n\n 1. For a publicly owned monument or memorial, such action may be commenced\n against a person other than a locality or its duly authorized officers,\n employees, or agents by the attorney for the locality in which it is located\n with the consent of the governing body or public officer having control of the\n monument or memorial; and\n\n 2. For a privately owned monument or memorial on a locality’s public\n property, such action may be commenced by the private owner of such monument\n or memorial. No locality or its officers, employees, or agents shall be liable\n for damages pursuant to this section when taking action pursuant to §\n 15.2-1812 except for gross negligence by a duly authorized officer, employee,\n or agent of the locality.\n \t\t\t\tDamages may be awarded in such amounts as necessary for the purposes of\n rebuilding, repairing, preserving, and restoring such memorials or monuments.\n Damages other than those litigation costs recovered from any such action shall\n be used exclusively for said purposes.\n\nB. Punitive damages may be recovered for reckless, willful, or wanton conduct\nresulting in the defacement of, malicious destruction of, unlawful removal of,\nor placement of improper markings, monuments, or statues on memorials for war\nveterans.\n\nC. The party who initiates and prevails in an action authorized by this section\nshall be entitled to an award of the cost of the litigation, including\nreasonable attorney fees. The provisions of this section shall not be construed\nto limit the rights of any person, organization, society, or museum to pursue\nany additional civil remedy otherwise allowed by law.\n\nHISTORY: 2000, c. 812; 2020, cc. 1100, 1101.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}