{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3243.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3243.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3243.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3243.html"}],"law_id":69073,"edition_id":1,"section_id":69073,"structure_id":14756,"section_number":"15.2-3243","catch_line":"Hearing and order upon such petition","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 15-160; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-1066; 1970, c. 751; 1978, c. 642; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"The special court shall fix a day on which the petition filed pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-3241 shall be heard and shall direct the clerk of the court to cause to be summoned the chairman of the board of supervisors of the county and the mayor of the town, who without formal pleadings shall make such defense against the prayer of the petition as they may have. One or more residents or landowners of the territory proposed to be abandoned may appear and set forth reasons why the same should not be done.\n\t\tIf the court is satisfied that it will be in the best interest of a majority of the people of the territory proposed to be abandoned and that the general good of the community will not be materially affected, it shall by an order entered in its common-law order book, reciting the fact of the due publication of the petition, that it is in the best interest of a majority of the people of that part of the town proposed to be abandoned, and that the general good of the community will not be materially affected by amendment of the charter, order that the charter of such town be amended accordingly. Whenever such an order is entered, a copy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe court in its order may make such disposition of the corporate property of the town as may seem to it just and equitable and shall also make such provision as to the payment of any debts or obligations of the town as between the county and the inhabitants of the town as to the court may seem just and equitable.\n\t\tAt the next session of the General Assembly following the final determination of such order, the town shall request that the General Assembly amend its charter in accordance with the court order. The effective date of the transfer of territory shall be the effective date of the court order and not the effective date of the Act of Assembly.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":250028,"text":"The special court shall fix a day on which the petition filed pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-3241 shall be heard and shall direct the clerk of the court to cause to be summoned the chairman of the board of supervisors of the county and the mayor of the town, who without formal pleadings shall make such defense against the prayer of the petition as they may have. One or more residents or landowners of the territory proposed to be abandoned may appear and set forth reasons why the same should not be done.\n\t\tIf the court is satisfied that it will be in the best interest of a majority of the people of the territory proposed to be abandoned and that the general good of the community will not be materially affected, it shall by an order entered in its common-law order book, reciting the fact of the due publication of the petition, that it is in the best interest of a majority of the people of that part of the town proposed to be abandoned, and that the general good of the community will not be materially affected by amendment of the charter, order that the charter of such town be amended accordingly. Whenever such an order is entered, a copy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe court in its order may make such disposition of the corporate property of the town as may seem to it just and equitable and shall also make such provision as to the payment of any debts or obligations of the town as between the county and the inhabitants of the town as to the court may seem just and equitable.\n\t\tAt the next session of the General Assembly following the final determination of such order, the town shall request that the General Assembly amend its charter in accordance with the court order. The effective date of the transfer of territory shall be the effective date of the court order and not the effective date of the Act of Assembly.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3243\/","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":false,"refers_to":[{"id":56506,"section_number":"15.2-3241","catch_line":"Petition for contraction of towns located in two or more counties; appointment of special court","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3241\/"}],"permalink":{"id":157207,"object_type":"law","relational_id":69073,"identifier":"15.2-3243","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3243","url":"\/15.2-3243\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3243\/","token":"15.2\/III\/32\/3\/15.2-3243","dublin_core":{"Title":"Hearing and order upon such petition","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3243","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The special court shall fix a day on which the petition<\/span> filed pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-3241<\/a> shall be heard and shall direct the clerk of the court to cause to be summoned the chairman of the board of supervisors<\/span> of the county<\/span> and the mayor of the town<\/span>, who without formal pleadings<\/span> shall make such defense against the prayer of the petition<\/span> as they may have. One or more residents or landowners of the territory proposed to be abandoned may appear and set forth reasons why the same should not be done.\n\t\tIf the court is satisfied that it will be in the best interest of a majority of the people of the territory proposed to be abandoned and that the general good of the community will not be materially affected, it shall by an order entered in its common-law<\/span> order book, reciting the fact<\/span> of the due publication of the petition<\/span>, that it is in the best interest of a majority of the people of that part of the town<\/span> proposed to be abandoned, and that the general good of the community will not be materially affected by amendment of the charter, order that the charter of such town<\/span> be amended accordingly. Whenever such an order is entered, a copy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe court in its order may make such disposition<\/span> of the corporate property of the town<\/span> as may seem to it just and equitable<\/span> and shall also make such provision as to the payment of any debts or obligations of the town<\/span> as between the county<\/span> and the inhabitants of the town<\/span> as to the court may seem just and equitable<\/span>.\n\t\tAt the next session of the General Assembly following the final determination of such order, the town<\/span> shall request that the General Assembly amend<\/span> its charter in accordance with the court order<\/span>. The effective date of the transfer of territory shall be the effective date of the court order<\/span> and not the effective date of the Act of Assembly.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nHEARING AND ORDER UPON SUCH PETITION (\u00a7 15.2-3243)\n\nThe special court shall fix a day on which the petition filed pursuant to \u00a7\n15.2-3241 shall be heard and shall direct the clerk of the court to cause to be\nsummoned the chairman of the board of supervisors of the county and the mayor of\nthe town, who without formal pleadings shall make such defense against the\nprayer of the petition as they may have. One or more residents or landowners of\nthe territory proposed to be abandoned may appear and set forth reasons why the\nsame should not be done.\n\t\tIf the court is satisfied that it will be in the best interest of a majority\nof the people of the territory proposed to be abandoned and that the general\ngood of the community will not be materially affected, it shall by an order\nentered in its common-law order book, reciting the fact of the due publication\nof the petition, that it is in the best interest of a majority of the people of\nthat part of the town proposed to be abandoned, and that the general good of the\ncommunity will not be materially affected by amendment of the charter, order\nthat the charter of such town be amended accordingly. Whenever such an order is\nentered, a copy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the\nCommonwealth.\n\t\tThe court in its order may make such disposition of the corporate property of\nthe town as may seem to it just and equitable and shall also make such provision\nas to the payment of any debts or obligations of the town as between the county\nand the inhabitants of the town as to the court may seem just and equitable.\n\t\tAt the next session of the General Assembly following the final determination\nof such order, the town shall request that the General Assembly amend its\ncharter in accordance with the court order. The effective date of the transfer\nof territory shall be the effective date of the court order and not the\neffective date of the Act of Assembly.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 15-160; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-1066; 1970, c. 751; 1978,\nc. 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}}