{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-1015.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-1015.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-1015.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-1015.1.html"}],"law_id":69153,"edition_id":1,"section_id":69153,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1015.1","catch_line":"Civil penalties; attorney fees","history":"2020, c. 700.","full_text":"A\n\nIn addition to the penalties and liabilities set forth in &#xA7;&#xA7; 55.1-1009.1 and 55.1-1015, in any action brought under this chapter, if a court finds that a person has willfully engaged in an act or practice in violation of this chapter, the Attorney General may recover for the Literary Fund, upon petition to the court, a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 per violation. For purposes of this section, prima facie evidence of a willful violation may be shown when the Attorney General notifies the alleged violator by certified mail that an act or practice is a violation of this chapter and the alleged violator, after receipt of the notice, continues to engage in the act or practice.B\n\nThe Attorney General recovering a civil penalty under subsection A, or the appropriate licensing authority or the Commission instituting an enforcement action under &#xA7; 55.1-1015, may recover costs and reasonable expenses incurred by it in investigating and preparing the case and attorney fees.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":250242,"text":"In addition to the penalties and liabilities set forth in &#xA7;&#xA7; 55.1-1009.1 and 55.1-1015, in any action brought under this chapter, if a court finds that a person has willfully engaged in an act or practice in violation of this chapter, the Attorney General may recover for the Literary Fund, upon petition to the court, a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 per violation. For purposes of this section, prima facie evidence of a willful violation may be shown when the Attorney General notifies the alleged violator by certified mail that an act or practice is a violation of this chapter and the alleged violator, after receipt of the notice, continues to engage in the act or practice.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":250243,"text":"The Attorney General recovering a civil penalty under subsection A, or the appropriate licensing authority or the Commission instituting an enforcement action under &#xA7; 55.1-1015, may recover costs and reasonable expenses incurred by it in investigating and preparing the case and attorney fees.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15275,"edition_id":1,"name":"Real Estate Settlement Agents","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13524,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:31","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:31","permalink":{"id":245371,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15275,"identifier":"10","token":"55.1\/II\/10","url":"\/55.1\/II\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13524,"edition_id":1,"name":"Real Estate Settlements and Recordation","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","permalink":{"id":245369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13524,"identifier":"II","token":"55.1\/II","url":"\/55.1\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","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":244769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12707,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":80642,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1000","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/55.1-1000\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1000","metadata":false},{"id":83132,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1001","catch_line":"Limitation on applicability of chapter","url":"\/55.1-1001\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1001","metadata":false},{"id":79138,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1002","catch_line":"Scope of chapter; lay real estate settlement agents","url":"\/55.1-1002\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1002","metadata":false},{"id":77232,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1003","catch_line":"Persons who may act as a settlement agent","url":"\/55.1-1003\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1003","metadata":false},{"id":68373,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1004","catch_line":"Duties of settlement agents","url":"\/55.1-1004\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1004","metadata":false},{"id":69907,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1005","catch_line":"Persons prohibited from assisting or being employed by settlement agents","url":"\/55.1-1005\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1005","metadata":false},{"id":73624,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1006","catch_line":"Choice of settlement agent","url":"\/55.1-1006\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1006","metadata":false},{"id":58611,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1007","catch_line":"Disclosure","url":"\/55.1-1007\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1007","metadata":false},{"id":58141,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1008","catch_line":"Conditions for providing escrow, closing, or settlement services and for maintaining escrow accounts","url":"\/55.1-1008\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1008","metadata":false},{"id":82868,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1009","catch_line":"Falsifying settlement statements prohibited","url":"\/55.1-1009\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1009","metadata":false},{"id":72074,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1009.1","catch_line":"Prohibition against payment or receipt of settlement services kickbacks, rebates, commissions, and other payments","url":"\/55.1-1009.1\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1009.1","metadata":false},{"id":69513,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1010","catch_line":"Separate charge for reporting transactions limited","url":"\/55.1-1010\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1010","metadata":false},{"id":84855,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1011","catch_line":"Record retention requirements","url":"\/55.1-1011\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1011","metadata":false},{"id":71946,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1012","catch_line":"Regulations and orders","url":"\/55.1-1012\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1012","metadata":false},{"id":59279,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1013","catch_line":"Accounting by title insurance companies","url":"\/55.1-1013\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1013","metadata":false},{"id":70071,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1014","catch_line":"Settlement agent registration requirements and compliance with unauthorized practice of law guidelines; civil penalty","url":"\/55.1-1014\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1014","metadata":false},{"id":65576,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1015","catch_line":"Penalties and liabilities","url":"\/55.1-1015\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1015","metadata":false},{"id":69153,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1015.1","catch_line":"Civil penalties; attorney fees","url":"\/55.1-1015.1\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1015.1","metadata":false},{"id":79216,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1016","catch_line":"Confidentiality of information obtained by the Commission","url":"\/55.1-1016\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1016","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":65576,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1015","catch_line":"Penalties and liabilities","url":"\/55.1-1015\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1015","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79216,"structure_id":15275,"section_number":"55.1-1016","catch_line":"Confidentiality of information obtained by the Commission","url":"\/55.1-1016\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1016","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-1015.1\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 2020. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0700\">700<\/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":72074,"section_number":"55.1-1009.1","catch_line":"Prohibition against payment or receipt of settlement services kickbacks, rebates, commissions, and other payments","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1009.1\/"},{"id":65576,"section_number":"55.1-1015","catch_line":"Penalties and liabilities","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1015\/"}],"permalink":{"id":245441,"object_type":"law","relational_id":69153,"identifier":"55.1-1015.1","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1015.1","url":"\/55.1-1015.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-1015.1\/","token":"55.1\/II\/10\/55.1-1015.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Civil penalties; attorney fees","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-1015.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">A.<\/span> In addition to the penalties and liabilities set forth in &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Prohibition against payment or receipt of settlement services kickbacks, rebates, commissions, and other payments\" href=\"\/55.1-1009.1\/\">55.1-1009.1<\/a> and <a class=\"law\" title=\"Penalties and liabilities\" href=\"\/55.1-1015\/\">55.1-1015<\/a>, in any action brought under this chapter, if a <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> finds that a person has willfully engaged in an act or practice in violation of this chapter, the <span class=\"dictionary\">Attorney General<\/span> may recover for the Literary Fund, upon <span class=\"dictionary\">petition<\/span> to the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span>, a civil <span class=\"dictionary\">penalty<\/span> of not more than $5,000 per violation. For purposes of this section, prima facie <span class=\"dictionary\">evidence<\/span> of a willful violation may be shown when the <span class=\"dictionary\">Attorney General<\/span> notifies the alleged violator by certified mail that an act or practice is a violation of this chapter and the alleged violator, after receipt of the notice, continues to engage in the act or practice. <a id=\"paragraph-250242\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/55.1-1015.1\/#A\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">B.<\/span> The <span class=\"dictionary\">Attorney General<\/span> recovering a civil <span class=\"dictionary\">penalty<\/span> under subsection A, or the appropriate <span class=\"dictionary\">licensing authority<\/span> or the <span class=\"dictionary\">Commission<\/span> instituting an enforcement action under &#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Penalties and liabilities\" href=\"\/55.1-1015\/\">55.1-1015<\/a>, may recover costs and reasonable expenses incurred by it in investigating and preparing the case and attorney fees. <a id=\"paragraph-250243\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/55.1-1015.1\/#B\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCIVIL PENALTIES; ATTORNEY FEES (\u00a7 55.1-1015.1)\n\nA. In addition to the penalties and liabilities set forth in &#xA7;&#xA7;\n55.1-1009.1 and 55.1-1015, in any action brought under this chapter, if a court\nfinds that a person has willfully engaged in an act or practice in violation of\nthis chapter, the Attorney General may recover for the Literary Fund, upon\npetition to the court, a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 per violation.\nFor purposes of this section, prima facie evidence of a willful violation may be\nshown when the Attorney General notifies the alleged violator by certified mail\nthat an act or practice is a violation of this chapter and the alleged violator,\nafter receipt of the notice, continues to engage in the act or practice.\n\nB. The Attorney General recovering a civil penalty under subsection A, or the\nappropriate licensing authority or the Commission instituting an enforcement\naction under &#xA7; 55.1-1015, may recover costs and reasonable expenses\nincurred by it in investigating and preparing the case and attorney fees.\n\nHISTORY: 2020, c. 700.","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}}