{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/45.2-1304.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/45.2-1304.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/45.2-1304.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/45.2-1304.html"}],"law_id":71540,"edition_id":1,"section_id":71540,"structure_id":16297,"section_number":"45.2-1304","catch_line":" Adjacent owner to be permitted to survey mine; proceedings to compel entry for survey","history":"1997, c. 390, \u00a7 45.1-161.311:2; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","full_text":"A\n\nIf a person who is interested in or has title to any land or mineral rights coterminal with the land or mineral rights on or in which a mine is located has reason to believe his property is being trespassed upon, then the owner, tenant, or occupant of the land or minerals on or in which such mine is opened and worked, or his agent, shall permit such interested person to have ingress and egress with surveyors and assistants to explore and survey such mine for the purpose of ascertaining whether a violation of § 45.2-1203 has occurred. Such exploration and survey shall occur at the expense of the interested person, and such person shall not be entitled to enter the mine property more often than once each month.B\n\nIf such interested person is refused entry to such mine, he may file a complaint before the judge of the general district court of the county or city in which such mine is located. Such judge may issue a summons to such mine owner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer the complaint. Upon the return of the executed summons and the submission of proof that the complainant has right of entry and that such right of entry has been refused without sufficient cause, the judge shall designate a prompt and convenient time for such entry to be made and issue a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county or city to attend and prevent obstructions or impediments to such entry, exploration, and survey.C\n\nAny owner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses permission, exploration, or survey pursuant to subsection A shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person so refused. The costs of such summons and a fee of $3 to the sheriff executing the warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the complaint. If the court dismisses the complaint, the costs of such summons and execution shall be paid by the party making the complaint.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":257887,"text":"If a person who is interested in or has title to any land or mineral rights coterminal with the land or mineral rights on or in which a mine is located has reason to believe his property is being trespassed upon, then the owner, tenant, or occupant of the land or minerals on or in which such mine is opened and worked, or his agent, shall permit such interested person to have ingress and egress with surveyors and assistants to explore and survey such mine for the purpose of ascertaining whether a violation of § 45.2-1203 has occurred. Such exploration and survey shall occur at the expense of the interested person, and such person shall not be entitled to enter the mine property more often than once each month.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":257888,"text":"If such interested person is refused entry to such mine, he may file a complaint before the judge of the general district court of the county or city in which such mine is located. Such judge may issue a summons to such mine owner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer the complaint. Upon the return of the executed summons and the submission of proof that the complainant has right of entry and that such right of entry has been refused without sufficient cause, the judge shall designate a prompt and convenient time for such entry to be made and issue a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county or city to attend and prevent obstructions or impediments to such entry, exploration, and survey.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":257889,"text":"Any owner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses permission, exploration, or survey pursuant to subsection A shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person so refused. The costs of such summons and a fee of $3 to the sheriff executing the warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the complaint. If the court dismisses the complaint, the costs of such summons and execution shall be paid by the party making the complaint.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":16297,"edition_id":1,"name":"Rights of Owners of Land Adjacent to Mineral Mines","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":1,"parent_id":16296,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:12:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:12:54","permalink":{"id":224607,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16297,"identifier":"2","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/13\/2","url":"\/45.2\/III\/A\/13\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":16296,"edition_id":1,"name":"Mineral Mining Retaining Dams; Adjacent Owners","identifier":"13","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12950,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:12:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:12:54","permalink":{"id":224591,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16296,"identifier":"13","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/13","url":"\/45.2\/III\/A\/13\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12950,"edition_id":1,"name":"Mineral Mines Generally","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12949,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":224111,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12950,"identifier":"A","token":"45.2\/III\/A","url":"\/45.2\/III\/A\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12949,"edition_id":1,"name":"Mineral Mines","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12713,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":224109,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12949,"identifier":"III","token":"45.2\/III","url":"\/45.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12713,"edition_id":1,"name":"Mines, Minerals, and Energy","identifier":"45.2","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":222539,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12713,"identifier":"45.2","token":"45.2","url":"\/45.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":66304,"structure_id":16297,"section_number":"45.2-1303","catch_line":" Consent required before working mine near land of another","url":"\/45.2-1303\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/13\/2\/45.2-1303","metadata":false},{"id":71540,"structure_id":16297,"section_number":"45.2-1304","catch_line":" Adjacent owner to be permitted to survey mine; proceedings to compel entry for survey","url":"\/45.2-1304\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/13\/2\/45.2-1304","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":66304,"structure_id":16297,"section_number":"45.2-1303","catch_line":" Consent required before working mine near land of another","url":"\/45.2-1303\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/13\/2\/45.2-1303","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/45.2-1304\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1997. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 390<\/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.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":81599,"section_number":"45.2-1203","catch_line":"Exemption for restricted mining","order_by":null,"url":"\/45.2-1203\/"}],"permalink":{"id":224613,"object_type":"law","relational_id":71540,"identifier":"45.2-1304","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/13\/2\/45.2-1304","url":"\/45.2-1304\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/45.2-1304\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/13\/2\/45.2-1304","dublin_core":{"Title":" Adjacent owner to be permitted to survey mine; proceedings to compel entry for survey","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 45.2-1304","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> If a person who is interested in or has title to any land or mineral rights coterminal with the land or mineral rights on or in which a mine is located has reason to believe his property is being trespassed upon, then the owner, tenant, or occupant of the land or minerals on or in which such mine is opened and worked, or his agent, shall permit such interested person to have ingress and egress with surveyors and assistants to explore and survey such mine for the purpose of ascertaining whether a violation of § 45.2-1203<\/a> has occurred. Such exploration and survey shall occur at the expense of the interested person, and such person shall not be entitled to enter the mine property more often than once each month. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> If such interested person is refused entry to such mine, he may file a complaint before the judge<\/span> of the general district court<\/span> of the county or city in which such mine is located. Such judge<\/span> may issue<\/span> a summons<\/span> to such mine owner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer the complaint. Upon the return of the executed summons<\/span> and the submission of proof that the complainant has right of entry and that such right of entry has been refused without sufficient cause, the judge<\/span> shall designate a prompt and convenient time for such entry to be made and issue<\/span> a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county or city to attend and prevent obstructions or impediments to such entry, exploration, and survey. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Any owner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses permission, exploration, or survey pursuant to subsection A shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person so refused. The costs of such summons<\/span> and a fee of $3 to the sheriff executing the warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the complaint. If the court<\/span> dismisses the complaint, the costs of such summons<\/span> and execution shall be paid by the party<\/span> making the complaint. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n ADJACENT OWNER TO BE PERMITTED TO SURVEY MINE; PROCEEDINGS TO COMPEL ENTRY FOR\nSURVEY (\u00a7 45.2-1304)\n\nA. If a person who is interested in or has title to any land or mineral rights\ncoterminal with the land or mineral rights on or in which a mine is located has\nreason to believe his property is being trespassed upon, then the owner, tenant,\nor occupant of the land or minerals on or in which such mine is opened and\nworked, or his agent, shall permit such interested person to have ingress and\negress with surveyors and assistants to explore and survey such mine for the\npurpose of ascertaining whether a violation of § 45.2-1203 has occurred.\nSuch exploration and survey shall occur at the expense of the interested person,\nand such person shall not be entitled to enter the mine property more often than\nonce each month.\n\nB. If such interested person is refused entry to such mine, he may file a\ncomplaint before the judge of the general district court of the county or city\nin which such mine is located. Such judge may issue a summons to such mine\nowner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer the complaint. Upon the return of\nthe executed summons and the submission of proof that the complainant has right\nof entry and that such right of entry has been refused without sufficient cause,\nthe judge shall designate a prompt and convenient time for such entry to be made\nand issue a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county or city to attend and\nprevent obstructions or impediments to such entry, exploration, and survey.\n\nC. Any owner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses permission, exploration, or\nsurvey pursuant to subsection A shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person\nso refused. The costs of such summons and a fee of $3 to the sheriff executing\nthe warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the complaint. If\nthe court dismisses the complaint, the costs of such summons and execution shall\nbe paid by the party making the complaint.\n\nHISTORY: 1997, c. 390, \u00a7 45.1-161.311:2; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","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}}