{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/21-126.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/21-126.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/21-126.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/21-126.html"}],"law_id":57041,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57041,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-126","catch_line":"Inquiry into election and returns","history":"1946, p. 181; Michie Suppl. 1946, \u00a7 1560z5.","full_text":"Whenever the sense of the qualified voters of the district shall be taken on the question whether the governing body shall issue bonds for one or more of the purposes for which the sanitary district was created, election and returns shall be subject to the inquiry, determination and judgment of the circuit court of the county upon the written complaint of twenty-five or more of the qualified voters of the district, of an undue election or false returns, two of whom shall take an oath that the facts set forth in such complaint are true to the best of their knowledge and belief, and the court shall, in judging of such election and returns, proceed upon the merits thereof and determine concerning the same according to the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, but such complaint shall not be valid unless it shall have been filed within thirty days after the election in the office of the clerk of the court. The governing body of the county shall be made a defendant by summons or notice to its chairman of the filing of the complaint, and after such service of notice on the chairman of such governing body, either party, upon reasonable notice to the other, shall be at liberty to take depositions to sustain or invalidate such election. Service of notice on any three of the complainants shall be sufficient. The court shall proceed at its next term after such service of summons or notice to determine the contest without a jury on the evidence, oral or written, unless good cause be shown for a continuance, and shall make a proper record of its judgment. If the judgment be that the election was a valid one in favor of the issuance of bonds in the district, the court shall make an order in conformity with \u00a7 21-125.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":208939,"text":"Whenever the sense of the qualified voters of the district shall be taken on the question whether the governing body shall issue bonds for one or more of the purposes for which the sanitary district was created, election and returns shall be subject to the inquiry, determination and judgment of the circuit court of the county upon the written complaint of twenty-five or more of the qualified voters of the district, of an undue election or false returns, two of whom shall take an oath that the facts set forth in such complaint are true to the best of their knowledge and belief, and the court shall, in judging of such election and returns, proceed upon the merits thereof and determine concerning the same according to the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, but such complaint shall not be valid unless it shall have been filed within thirty days after the election in the office of the clerk of the court. The governing body of the county shall be made a defendant by summons or notice to its chairman of the filing of the complaint, and after such service of notice on the chairman of such governing body, either party, upon reasonable notice to the other, shall be at liberty to take depositions to sustain or invalidate such election. Service of notice on any three of the complainants shall be sufficient. The court shall proceed at its next term after such service of summons or notice to determine the contest without a jury on the evidence, oral or written, unless good cause be shown for a continuance, and shall make a proper record of its judgment. If the judgment be that the election was a valid one in favor of the issuance of bonds in the district, the court shall make an order in conformity with \u00a7 21-125.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14396,"edition_id":1,"name":"Bonds of Sanitary Districts","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14018,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:59","permalink":{"id":179589,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14396,"identifier":"2","token":"21\/2\/2","url":"\/21\/2\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14018,"edition_id":1,"name":"Sanitary Districts","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13075,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:37","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:37","permalink":{"id":179473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14018,"identifier":"2","token":"21\/2","url":"\/21\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13075,"edition_id":1,"name":"Drainage, Soil Conservation, Sanitation and Public Facilities Districts","identifier":"21","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:14","permalink":{"id":179465,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13075,"identifier":"21","token":"21","url":"\/21\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":64870,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-122","catch_line":"Authority to issue bonds; limitation of amount","url":"\/21-122\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-122","metadata":false},{"id":72055,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-122.1","catch_line":"Bonds for special purpose; no election required","url":"\/21-122.1\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-122.1","metadata":false},{"id":75145,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-123","catch_line":"Order requiring election","url":"\/21-123\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-123","metadata":false},{"id":62396,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-124","catch_line":"Conduct of election; canvass of returns, etc","url":"\/21-124\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-124","metadata":false},{"id":58972,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-125","catch_line":"Procedure after election","url":"\/21-125\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-125","metadata":false},{"id":57041,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-126","catch_line":"Inquiry into election and returns","url":"\/21-126\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-126","metadata":false},{"id":84759,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-127","catch_line":"Amount of bonds","url":"\/21-127\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-127","metadata":false},{"id":62430,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-127.1","catch_line":"Borrowing in anticipation of bond issue","url":"\/21-127.1\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-127.1","metadata":false},{"id":59799,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-128","catch_line":"Failure or refusal to issue bonds","url":"\/21-128\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-128","metadata":false},{"id":55737,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-129","catch_line":"Agents for sale of bonds","url":"\/21-129\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-129","metadata":false},{"id":76341,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-130","catch_line":"Form of bonds","url":"\/21-130\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-130","metadata":false},{"id":66811,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-130.1","catch_line":"Bonds mutilated, lost or destroyed","url":"\/21-130.1\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-130.1","metadata":false},{"id":69155,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-131","catch_line":"Delivery to treasurer","url":"\/21-131\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-131","metadata":false},{"id":84547,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-132","catch_line":"Liability of treasurer","url":"\/21-132\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-132","metadata":false},{"id":71406,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-133","catch_line":"Cost of giving surety on additional bond or bonds required","url":"\/21-133\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-133","metadata":false},{"id":85655,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-134","catch_line":"Deposit of proceeds","url":"\/21-134\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-134","metadata":false},{"id":65359,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-134.01","catch_line":"Allocation of county funds to sanitary districts","url":"\/21-134.01\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-134.01","metadata":false},{"id":77717,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-134.1","catch_line":"Reimbursement of county for advances to sanitary district","url":"\/21-134.1\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-134.1","metadata":false},{"id":75106,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-134.2","catch_line":"Validation of advances to sanitary district","url":"\/21-134.2\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-134.2","metadata":false},{"id":62493,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-135","catch_line":"Insolvency of depository","url":"\/21-135\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-135","metadata":false},{"id":78774,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-136","catch_line":"Bond of depository","url":"\/21-136\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-136","metadata":false},{"id":62511,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-137","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/21-137\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-137","metadata":false},{"id":80554,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-137.1","catch_line":"Payment of interest on and maintenance of sinking fund for term bonds; tax levy; what constitutes \"term bonds\" and \"serial bonds.\"","url":"\/21-137.1\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-137.1","metadata":false},{"id":80422,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-137.2","catch_line":"Payment of interest on serial bonds; no sinking fund required; tax levy; use of excess revenues","url":"\/21-137.2\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-137.2","metadata":false},{"id":56731,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-138","catch_line":"Same; levy of tax","url":"\/21-138\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-138","metadata":false},{"id":83137,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-139","catch_line":"Laws continued in effect","url":"\/21-139\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-139","metadata":false},{"id":87164,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-140","catch_line":"Validation of proceedings","url":"\/21-140\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-140","metadata":false},{"id":61476,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-140.1","catch_line":"Further validation of proceedings","url":"\/21-140.1\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-140.1","metadata":false},{"id":80685,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-140.2","catch_line":"Additional validation of proceedings","url":"\/21-140.2\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-140.2","metadata":false},{"id":80939,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-140.3","catch_line":"Validation of certain bonds","url":"\/21-140.3\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-140.3","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":58972,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-125","catch_line":"Procedure after election","url":"\/21-125\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-125","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":84759,"structure_id":14396,"section_number":"21-127","catch_line":"Amount of bonds","url":"\/21-127\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-127","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/21-126\/","history_text":false,"references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":58972,"section_number":"21-125","catch_line":"Procedure after election","order_by":null,"url":"\/21-125\/"}],"permalink":{"id":179611,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57041,"identifier":"21-126","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-126","url":"\/21-126\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/21-126\/","token":"21\/2\/2\/21-126","dublin_core":{"Title":"Inquiry into election and returns","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 21-126","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Whenever the sense of the qualified voters of the district shall be taken on the question whether the governing body shall <span class=\"dictionary\">issue<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">bonds<\/span> for one or more of the purposes for which the sanitary district was created, election and returns shall be subject to the inquiry, determination and <span class=\"dictionary\">judgment<\/span> of the <span class=\"dictionary\">circuit<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> of the county upon the written complaint of twenty-five or more of the qualified voters of the district, of an undue election or false returns, two of whom shall take an <span class=\"dictionary\">oath<\/span> that the <span class=\"dictionary\">facts<\/span> set forth in such complaint are true to the best of their knowledge and belief, and the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall, in judging of such election and returns, proceed upon the merits thereof and determine concerning the same according to the Constitution and <span class=\"dictionary\">laws<\/span> of this Commonwealth, but such complaint shall not be valid unless it shall have been filed within thirty days after the election in the office of the clerk of the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span>. The governing body of the county shall be made a <span class=\"dictionary\">defendant<\/span> by <span class=\"dictionary\">summons<\/span> or notice to its chairman of the filing of the complaint, and after such service of notice on the chairman of such governing body, either <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span>, upon reasonable notice to the other, shall be at liberty to take <span class=\"dictionary\">depositions<\/span> to <span class=\"dictionary\">sustain<\/span> or invalidate such election. Service of notice on any three of the complainants shall be sufficient. The <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall proceed at its next term after such service of <span class=\"dictionary\">summons<\/span> or notice to determine the contest without a <span class=\"dictionary\">jury<\/span> on the <span class=\"dictionary\">evidence<\/span>, oral or written, unless good cause be shown for a <span class=\"dictionary\">continuance<\/span>, and shall make a proper record of its <span class=\"dictionary\">judgment<\/span>. If the <span class=\"dictionary\">judgment<\/span> be that the election was a valid one in favor of the issuance of <span class=\"dictionary\">bonds<\/span> in the district, the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall make an <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span> in conformity with \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Procedure after election\" href=\"\/21-125\/\">21-125<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINQUIRY INTO ELECTION AND RETURNS (\u00a7 21-126)\n\nWhenever the sense of the qualified voters of the district shall be taken on the\nquestion whether the governing body shall issue bonds for one or more of the\npurposes for which the sanitary district was created, election and returns shall\nbe subject to the inquiry, determination and judgment of the circuit court of\nthe county upon the written complaint of twenty-five or more of the qualified\nvoters of the district, of an undue election or false returns, two of whom shall\ntake an oath that the facts set forth in such complaint are true to the best of\ntheir knowledge and belief, and the court shall, in judging of such election and\nreturns, proceed upon the merits thereof and determine concerning the same\naccording to the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, but such complaint\nshall not be valid unless it shall have been filed within thirty days after the\nelection in the office of the clerk of the court. The governing body of the\ncounty shall be made a defendant by summons or notice to its chairman of the\nfiling of the complaint, and after such service of notice on the chairman of\nsuch governing body, either party, upon reasonable notice to the other, shall be\nat liberty to take depositions to sustain or invalidate such election. Service\nof notice on any three of the complainants shall be sufficient. The court shall\nproceed at its next term after such service of summons or notice to determine\nthe contest without a jury on the evidence, oral or written, unless good cause\nbe shown for a continuance, and shall make a proper record of its judgment. If\nthe judgment be that the election was a valid one in favor of the issuance of\nbonds in the district, the court shall make an order in conformity with \u00a7\n21-125.\n\nHISTORY: 1946, p. 181; Michie Suppl. 1946, \u00a7 1560z5.","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}}