{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3238.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3238.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3238.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3238.html"}],"law_id":85424,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85424,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3238","catch_line":"What court may do","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 15-155; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-1061; 1970, c. 751; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 1; 1978, c. 642; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"If the special court is satisfied that: (i) such contraction of the corporate limits will not leave the bonded debt of the city or town in excess of ten percent of the assessed valuation of the real estate that will be left in the city or town after the proposed contraction, which debt shall be determined as is provided in Article VII, Section 10 of the Constitution of Virginia; (ii) less than three fourths of the landowners in that territory oppose the contraction; (iii) no substantial damage to persons owning real estate in the territory proposed to be abandoned, or to the county of which it will become a part, will be caused by the contraction; and (iv) the abandonment of such territory will be in the best interest of the city or town, the court shall render an order confirming the ordinance contracting the limits of the city or town and declaring the territory abandoned to be a part of the contiguous county designated in the order. Such contraction shall thereupon become final and be taken cognizance of by all public officers, and the territory abandoned shall become a part of the county so designated. Whenever such an order is rendered, a copy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":306019,"text":"If the special court is satisfied that: (i) such contraction of the corporate limits will not leave the bonded debt of the city or town in excess of ten percent of the assessed valuation of the real estate that will be left in the city or town after the proposed contraction, which debt shall be determined as is provided in Article VII, Section 10 of the Constitution of Virginia; (ii) less than three fourths of the landowners in that territory oppose the contraction; (iii) no substantial damage to persons owning real estate in the territory proposed to be abandoned, or to the county of which it will become a part, will be caused by the contraction; and (iv) the abandonment of such territory will be in the best interest of the city or town, the court shall render an order confirming the ordinance contracting the limits of the city or town and declaring the territory abandoned to be a part of the contiguous county designated in the order. Such contraction shall thereupon become final and be taken cognizance of by all public officers, and the territory abandoned shall become a part of the county so designated. Whenever such an order is rendered, a copy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14756,"edition_id":1,"name":"Contraction of Corporate Limits","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14196,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:45","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:45","permalink":{"id":157177,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14756,"identifier":"3","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3","url":"\/15.2\/III\/32\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14196,"edition_id":1,"name":"Boundary Changes of Towns and Cities","identifier":"32","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:14","permalink":{"id":157027,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14196,"identifier":"32","token":"15.2\/III\/32","url":"\/15.2\/III\/32\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13062,"edition_id":1,"name":"Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","permalink":{"id":156919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13062,"identifier":"III","token":"15.2\/III","url":"\/15.2\/III\/","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":64025,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3236","catch_line":"Council may enact ordinance","url":"\/15.2-3236\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3236","metadata":false},{"id":86007,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3237","catch_line":"Application to be made to circuit court; appointment of special court; who may appear against","url":"\/15.2-3237\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3237","metadata":false},{"id":85424,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3238","catch_line":"What court may do","url":"\/15.2-3238\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3238","metadata":false},{"id":77475,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3239","catch_line":"Certification of real estate list","url":"\/15.2-3239\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3239","metadata":false},{"id":57375,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3240","catch_line":"Transfer of registration records","url":"\/15.2-3240\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3240","metadata":false},{"id":56506,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3241","catch_line":"Petition for contraction of towns located in two or more counties; appointment of special court","url":"\/15.2-3241\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3241","metadata":false},{"id":63040,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3242","catch_line":"Parties defendant and publication of such petition","url":"\/15.2-3242\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3242","metadata":false},{"id":69073,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3243","catch_line":"Hearing and order upon such petition","url":"\/15.2-3243\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3243","metadata":false},{"id":64686,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3244","catch_line":"Appeal from such order","url":"\/15.2-3244\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3244","metadata":false},{"id":56584,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3245","catch_line":"Validation of proceedings","url":"\/15.2-3245\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3245","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":86007,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3237","catch_line":"Application to be made to circuit court; appointment of special court; who may appear against","url":"\/15.2-3237\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3237","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":77475,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3239","catch_line":"Certification of real estate list","url":"\/15.2-3239\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3239","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3238\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1962, chapter 623; in 1970, chapter 751; in 1978, chapter 642; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":77475,"section_number":"15.2-3239","catch_line":"Certification of real estate list","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3239\/"},{"id":57375,"section_number":"15.2-3240","catch_line":"Transfer of registration records","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3240\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":157187,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85424,"identifier":"15.2-3238","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3238","url":"\/15.2-3238\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3238\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3238","dublin_core":{"Title":"What court may do","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3238","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

If the special court<\/span> is satisfied that: (i) such contraction of the corporate limits will not leave the bonded debt of the city<\/span> or town<\/span> in excess of ten percent of the assessed valuation of the real estate that will be left in the city<\/span> or town<\/span> after the proposed contraction, which debt shall be determined as is provided in Article VII, Section 10 of the Constitution of Virginia; (ii) less than three fourths of the landowners in that territory oppose the contraction; (iii) no substantial damage to persons owning real estate in the territory proposed to be abandoned, or to the county<\/span> of which it will become a part, will be caused by the contraction; and (iv) the abandonment of such territory will be in the best interest of the city<\/span> or town<\/span>, the court<\/span> shall render an order<\/span> confirming the ordinance<\/span> contracting the limits of the city<\/span> or town<\/span> and declaring the territory abandoned to be a part of the contiguous county<\/span> designated in the order<\/span>. Such contraction shall thereupon become final and be taken cognizance of by all public officers, and the territory abandoned shall become a part of the county<\/span> so designated. Whenever such an order<\/span> is rendered, a copy of the order<\/span> shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHAT COURT MAY DO (\u00a7 15.2-3238)\n\nIf the special court is satisfied that: (i) such contraction of the corporate\nlimits will not leave the bonded debt of the city or town in excess of ten\npercent of the assessed valuation of the real estate that will be left in the\ncity or town after the proposed contraction, which debt shall be determined as\nis provided in Article VII, Section 10 of the Constitution of Virginia; (ii)\nless than three fourths of the landowners in that territory oppose the\ncontraction; (iii) no substantial damage to persons owning real estate in the\nterritory proposed to be abandoned, or to the county of which it will become a\npart, will be caused by the contraction; and (iv) the abandonment of such\nterritory will be in the best interest of the city or town, the court shall\nrender an order confirming the ordinance contracting the limits of the city or\ntown and declaring the territory abandoned to be a part of the contiguous county\ndesignated in the order. Such contraction shall thereupon become final and be\ntaken cognizance of by all public officers, and the territory abandoned shall\nbecome a part of the county so designated. Whenever such an order is rendered, a\ncopy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 15-155; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-1061; 1970, c. 751; 1971,\nEx. Sess., c. 1; 1978, c. 642; 1997, c. 587.","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}}