{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-4120.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-4120.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-4120.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-4120.html"}],"law_id":63691,"edition_id":1,"section_id":63691,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4120","catch_line":"Court granting transition to town status to exist for 10 years","history":"1988, c. 881, \u00a7 15.1-965.27; 1997, c. 587; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 489.","full_text":"A\n\nThe special court created pursuant to § 15.2-4101 shall not be dissolved after rendering a decision granting any motion or petition for transition to town status, but shall remain in existence for a period of 10 years from the effective date of any transition order entered, or from the date of any decision of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals affirming such an order. Vacancies occurring in the court during such 10-year period shall be filled by designation of another judge from the panel provided for in Chapter 30 (§ 15.2-3000 et seq.) of this title.B\n\nThe court may be reconvened at any time during the 10-year period on its own motion, or on motion of the governing body of the county, or of the town, or on petition of not less than 15 percent of the registered voters of the town.C\n\nThe court shall have power and it shall be its duty, at any time during such period, to enforce the performance of the terms and conditions under which town status was granted, and to issue appropriate process to compel such performance. The court may, in its discretion, award attorney fees, court and other reasonable costs to the party or parties on whose motion the court is reconvened.D\n\nAny such action of the court shall be subject to review by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals in the same manner as is provided with respect to the original decision of the court.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":231985,"text":"The special court created pursuant to § 15.2-4101 shall not be dissolved after rendering a decision granting any motion or petition for transition to town status, but shall remain in existence for a period of 10 years from the effective date of any transition order entered, or from the date of any decision of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals affirming such an order. Vacancies occurring in the court during such 10-year period shall be filled by designation of another judge from the panel provided for in Chapter 30 (§ 15.2-3000 et seq.) of this title.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":231986,"text":"The court may be reconvened at any time during the 10-year period on its own motion, or on motion of the governing body of the county, or of the town, or on petition of not less than 15 percent of the registered voters of the town.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":231987,"text":"The court shall have power and it shall be its duty, at any time during such period, to enforce the performance of the terms and conditions under which town status was granted, and to issue appropriate process to compel such performance. The court may, in its discretion, award attorney fees, court and other reasonable costs to the party or parties on whose motion the court is reconvened.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":231988,"text":"Any such action of the court shall be subject to review by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals in the same manner as is provided with respect to the original decision of the court.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14654,"edition_id":1,"name":"Transition of City to Town Status","identifier":"41","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:10","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:10","permalink":{"id":157807,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14654,"identifier":"41","token":"15.2\/III\/41","url":"\/15.2\/III\/41\/","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":78761,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4100","catch_line":"City may change to town status","url":"\/15.2-4100\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4100","metadata":false},{"id":73202,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4101","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court for town status; notice of motion","url":"\/15.2-4101\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4101","metadata":false},{"id":83698,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4102","catch_line":"Citizen petition for town status","url":"\/15.2-4102\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4102","metadata":false},{"id":86293,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4103","catch_line":"Parties","url":"\/15.2-4103\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4103","metadata":false},{"id":78957,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4104","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","url":"\/15.2-4104\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4104","metadata":false},{"id":59306,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4105","catch_line":"Pretrial conference; matters considered","url":"\/15.2-4105\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4105","metadata":false},{"id":63501,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4106","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","url":"\/15.2-4106\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4106","metadata":false},{"id":69319,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4107","catch_line":"Assistance of state agencies","url":"\/15.2-4107\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4107","metadata":false},{"id":57092,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4108","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/15.2-4108\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4108","metadata":false},{"id":65172,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4109","catch_line":"Declining a grant of town status","url":"\/15.2-4109\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4109","metadata":false},{"id":81033,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4110","catch_line":"Proceedings final for five years","url":"\/15.2-4110\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4110","metadata":false},{"id":79862,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4111","catch_line":"Effective date of transition","url":"\/15.2-4111\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4111","metadata":false},{"id":81773,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4112","catch_line":"Charter for resulting town","url":"\/15.2-4112\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4112","metadata":false},{"id":75673,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4113","catch_line":"Restriction on subsequent change in status","url":"\/15.2-4113\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4113","metadata":false},{"id":56234,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4114","catch_line":"Liabilities and assets of such city","url":"\/15.2-4114\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4114","metadata":false},{"id":58758,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4115","catch_line":"Effect when city becomes town; officers","url":"\/15.2-4115\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4115","metadata":false},{"id":62423,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4115.1","catch_line":"Disposition of police department or sheriff's department motorcycles","url":"\/15.2-4115.1\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4115.1","metadata":false},{"id":63233,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4116","catch_line":"Library aid continued","url":"\/15.2-4116\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4116","metadata":false},{"id":68768,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4117","catch_line":"Temporary restriction on annexation","url":"\/15.2-4117\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4117","metadata":false},{"id":58976,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4118","catch_line":"Effect on pending suits","url":"\/15.2-4118\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4118","metadata":false},{"id":72824,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4119","catch_line":"Effect on jurisdiction of courts","url":"\/15.2-4119\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4119","metadata":false},{"id":63691,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4120","catch_line":"Court granting transition to town status to exist for 10 years","url":"\/15.2-4120\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4120","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":72824,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4119","catch_line":"Effect on jurisdiction of courts","url":"\/15.2-4119\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4119","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-4120\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1988. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 881 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. Unfortunately, the 1988 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. 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 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":85081,"section_number":"15.2-3000","catch_line":"Special court to hear certain cases","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3000\/"},{"id":73202,"section_number":"15.2-4101","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court for town status; notice of motion","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-4101\/"}],"permalink":{"id":157893,"object_type":"law","relational_id":63691,"identifier":"15.2-4120","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4120","url":"\/15.2-4120\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-4120\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4120","dublin_core":{"Title":"Court granting transition to town status to exist for 10 years","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-4120","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The special court<\/span> created pursuant to § 15.2-4101<\/a> shall not be dissolved after rendering a decision granting any motion<\/span> or petition<\/span> for transition to town<\/span> status, but shall remain in existence for a period of 10 years from the effective date of any transition order<\/span> entered, or from the date of any decision of the Supreme Court<\/span> or the Court<\/span> of Appeals<\/span> affirming such an order<\/span>. Vacancies occurring in the court<\/span> during such 10-year period shall be filled by designation of another judge<\/span> from the panel<\/span> provided for in Chapter 30 (§ 15.2-3000<\/a> et seq.) of this title. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The court<\/span> may be reconvened at any time during the 10-year period on its own motion<\/span>, or on motion<\/span> of the governing body<\/span> of the county<\/span>, or of the town<\/span>, or on petition<\/span> of not less than 15 percent of the registered voters<\/span> of the town<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The court<\/span> shall have power and it shall be its duty, at any time during such period, to enforce the performance of the terms and conditions under which town<\/span> status was granted, and to issue<\/span> appropriate process to compel such performance. The court<\/span> may, in its discretion, award attorney fees, court<\/span> and other reasonable costs to the party<\/span> or parties on whose motion<\/span> the court<\/span> is reconvened. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> Any such action of the court<\/span> shall be subject to review by the Supreme Court<\/span> and the Court<\/span> of Appeals<\/span> in the same manner as is provided with respect to the original decision of the court<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCOURT GRANTING TRANSITION TO TOWN STATUS TO EXIST FOR 10 YEARS (\u00a7 15.2-4120)\n\nA. The special court created pursuant to § 15.2-4101 shall not be dissolved\nafter rendering a decision granting any motion or petition for transition to\ntown status, but shall remain in existence for a period of 10 years from the\neffective date of any transition order entered, or from the date of any decision\nof the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals affirming such an order. Vacancies\noccurring in the court during such 10-year period shall be filled by designation\nof another judge from the panel provided for in Chapter 30 (§ 15.2-3000 et\nseq.) of this title.\n\nB. The court may be reconvened at any time during the 10-year period on its own\nmotion, or on motion of the governing body of the county, or of the town, or on\npetition of not less than 15 percent of the registered voters of the town.\n\nC. The court shall have power and it shall be its duty, at any time during such\nperiod, to enforce the performance of the terms and conditions under which town\nstatus was granted, and to issue appropriate process to compel such performance.\nThe court may, in its discretion, award attorney fees, court and other\nreasonable costs to the party or parties on whose motion the court is\nreconvened.\n\nD. Any such action of the court shall be subject to review by the Supreme Court\nand the Court of Appeals in the same manner as is provided with respect to the\noriginal decision of the court.\n\nHISTORY: 1988, c. 881, \u00a7 15.1-965.27; 1997, c. 587; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 489.","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}}