{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/48-17.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/48-17.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/48-17.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/48-17.html"}],"law_id":70861,"edition_id":1,"section_id":70861,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-17","catch_line":"Enjoining nuisances involving illegal drug transactions","history":"2004, c. 462.","full_text":"The attorney for the Commonwealth, or any citizen of the county, city, or town, where such a nuisance as is described in \u00a7 18.2-258 exists, may, in addition to any other remedies and punishment, maintain a suit in equity in the name of the Commonwealth to enjoin the same. The attorney for the Commonwealth shall not be required to prosecute any suit brought by a citizen under this section. In every case where the bill charges, on the knowledge or belief of the complainant, and is sworn to by two witnesses, that a nuisance exists as described in \u00a7 18.2-258, a temporary injunction may be granted as soon as the bill is presented to the court provided reasonable notice has been given. The injunction shall enjoin and restrain any owners, tenants, their agents, employees, and any other person from contributing to or maintaining the nuisance and may impose such other requirements as the court deems appropriate. If, after a hearing, the court finds that the material allegations of the bill are true, although the premises complained of may not then be unlawfully used, it shall continue the injunction against such persons or premises for such period of time as it deems appropriate, with the right to dissolve the injunction upon a proper showing by the owner of the premises.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":255516,"text":"The attorney for the Commonwealth, or any citizen of the county, city, or town, where such a nuisance as is described in \u00a7 18.2-258 exists, may, in addition to any other remedies and punishment, maintain a suit in equity in the name of the Commonwealth to enjoin the same. The attorney for the Commonwealth shall not be required to prosecute any suit brought by a citizen under this section. In every case where the bill charges, on the knowledge or belief of the complainant, and is sworn to by two witnesses, that a nuisance exists as described in \u00a7 18.2-258, a temporary injunction may be granted as soon as the bill is presented to the court provided reasonable notice has been given. The injunction shall enjoin and restrain any owners, tenants, their agents, employees, and any other person from contributing to or maintaining the nuisance and may impose such other requirements as the court deems appropriate. If, after a hearing, the court finds that the material allegations of the bill are true, although the premises complained of may not then be unlawfully used, it shall continue the injunction against such persons or premises for such period of time as it deems appropriate, with the right to dissolve the injunction upon a proper showing by the owner of the premises.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14518,"edition_id":1,"name":"Houses of Prostitution, Etc.","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14256,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:29","permalink":{"id":233121,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14518,"identifier":"2","token":"48\/2","url":"\/48\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14256,"edition_id":1,"name":"Nuisances","identifier":"48","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:29","permalink":{"id":233093,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14256,"identifier":"48","token":"48","url":"\/48\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":78959,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-10","catch_line":"Contempt proceedings","url":"\/48-10\/","token":"48\/2\/48-10","metadata":false},{"id":66568,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-11","catch_line":"Punishment for contempt","url":"\/48-11\/","token":"48\/2\/48-11","metadata":false},{"id":58204,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-12","catch_line":"Order of abatement of nuisance; sale of furniture, etc.; closing of building","url":"\/48-12\/","token":"48\/2\/48-12","metadata":false},{"id":63164,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-13","catch_line":"Disposition of proceeds of sale","url":"\/48-13\/","token":"48\/2\/48-13","metadata":false},{"id":55947,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-14","catch_line":"When property to be delivered to owner on giving bond","url":"\/48-14\/","token":"48\/2\/48-14","metadata":false},{"id":62226,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-15","catch_line":"Immunity to witnesses","url":"\/48-15\/","token":"48\/2\/48-15","metadata":false},{"id":82351,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-16","catch_line":"Closure of nuisance involving illegal drug transactions","url":"\/48-16\/","token":"48\/2\/48-16","metadata":false},{"id":70861,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-17","catch_line":"Enjoining nuisances involving illegal drug transactions","url":"\/48-17\/","token":"48\/2\/48-17","metadata":false},{"id":69419,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-17.1","catch_line":"Temporary injunctions against alcoholic beverage sales","url":"\/48-17.1\/","token":"48\/2\/48-17.1","metadata":false},{"id":66210,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-7","catch_line":"Houses and contents are nuisances subject to abatement","url":"\/48-7\/","token":"48\/2\/48-7","metadata":false},{"id":79030,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-8","catch_line":"How nuisance enjoined","url":"\/48-8\/","token":"48\/2\/48-8","metadata":false},{"id":65523,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-9","catch_line":"When case to be tried; dismissal; substitution of complainant; costs","url":"\/48-9\/","token":"48\/2\/48-9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":82351,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-16","catch_line":"Closure of nuisance involving illegal drug transactions","url":"\/48-16\/","token":"48\/2\/48-16","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":69419,"structure_id":14518,"section_number":"48-17.1","catch_line":"Temporary injunctions against alcoholic beverage sales","url":"\/48-17.1\/","token":"48\/2\/48-17.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/48-17\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2004. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 462<\/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":57190,"section_number":"18.2-258","catch_line":"Certain premises deemed common nuisance; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-258\/"}],"permalink":{"id":233151,"object_type":"law","relational_id":70861,"identifier":"48-17","token":"48\/2\/48-17","url":"\/48-17\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/48-17\/","token":"48\/2\/48-17","dublin_core":{"Title":"Enjoining nuisances involving illegal drug transactions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 48-17","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The attorney for the Commonwealth, or any citizen of the county, city, or town, where such a nuisance as is described in \u00a7 18.2-258<\/a> exists, may, in addition to any other remedies and punishment, maintain a suit in equity<\/span> in the name of the Commonwealth to enjoin the same. The attorney for the Commonwealth shall not be required to prosecute<\/span> any suit brought by a citizen under this section. In every case where the bill charges, on the knowledge or belief of the complainant, and is sworn to by two witnesses, that a nuisance exists as described in \u00a7 18.2-258<\/a>, a temporary injunction<\/span> may be granted as soon as the bill is presented to the court<\/span> provided reasonable notice has been given. The injunction<\/span> shall enjoin and restrain any owners, tenants, their agents, employees, and any other person from contributing to or maintaining the nuisance and may impose such other requirements as the court<\/span> deems appropriate. If, after a hearing<\/span>, the court<\/span> finds that the material<\/span> allegations<\/span> of the bill are true, although the premises complained of may not then be unlawfully used, it shall continue the injunction<\/span> against such persons or premises for such period of time as it deems appropriate, with the right to dissolve the injunction<\/span> upon a proper showing by the owner of the premises.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nENJOINING NUISANCES INVOLVING ILLEGAL DRUG TRANSACTIONS (\u00a7 48-17)\n\nThe attorney for the Commonwealth, or any citizen of the county, city, or town,\nwhere such a nuisance as is described in \u00a7 18.2-258 exists, may, in addition to\nany other remedies and punishment, maintain a suit in equity in the name of the\nCommonwealth to enjoin the same. The attorney for the Commonwealth shall not be\nrequired to prosecute any suit brought by a citizen under this section. In every\ncase where the bill charges, on the knowledge or belief of the complainant, and\nis sworn to by two witnesses, that a nuisance exists as described in \u00a7\n18.2-258, a temporary injunction may be granted as soon as the bill is presented\nto the court provided reasonable notice has been given. The injunction shall\nenjoin and restrain any owners, tenants, their agents, employees, and any other\nperson from contributing to or maintaining the nuisance and may impose such\nother requirements as the court deems appropriate. If, after a hearing, the\ncourt finds that the material allegations of the bill are true, although the\npremises complained of may not then be unlawfully used, it shall continue the\ninjunction against such persons or premises for such period of time as it deems\nappropriate, with the right to dissolve the injunction upon a proper showing by\nthe owner of the premises.\n\nHISTORY: 2004, c. 462.","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}}