{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-2805.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-2805.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-2805.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-2805.html"}],"law_id":83294,"edition_id":1,"section_id":83294,"structure_id":15396,"section_number":"55.1-2805","catch_line":"Proceeding to declare stream of water or canal a lawful fence","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 8-870, 8-871; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7\u00a7 55-300, 55-301; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"A\n\nThe circuit court of any county, upon a petition of any owner or tenant of lands on any stream of water or canal, may declare and establish such stream or canal, or any part of either within the limits and jurisdiction of the county, a lawful fence as to any domesticated livestock. Notice of the application shall be given by posting a copy of the petition at the front door of the courthouse and at two or more public places at or near the stream or canal to which the petition applies, for 30 days, and by publishing such notice once a week for four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in such county. At or before the trial of the cause, any person interested may enter himself a defendant.B\n\nThe court may, upon petition and notice of any person interested, revoke or alter any order made under subsection A, but such order shall not be made within one year from the date of the original and shall not take effect until six months after it is made.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":298445,"text":"The circuit court of any county, upon a petition of any owner or tenant of lands on any stream of water or canal, may declare and establish such stream or canal, or any part of either within the limits and jurisdiction of the county, a lawful fence as to any domesticated livestock. Notice of the application shall be given by posting a copy of the petition at the front door of the courthouse and at two or more public places at or near the stream or canal to which the petition applies, for 30 days, and by publishing such notice once a week for four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in such county. At or before the trial of the cause, any person interested may enter himself a defendant.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":298446,"text":"The court may, upon petition and notice of any person interested, revoke or alter any order made under subsection A, but such order shall not be made within one year from the date of the original and shall not take effect until six months after it is made.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15396,"edition_id":1,"name":"What Constitutes Lawful Fence","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14623,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:37","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:37","permalink":{"id":248207,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15396,"identifier":"2","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2","url":"\/55.1\/V\/28\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14623,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trespasses; Fences","identifier":"28","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12708,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:57","permalink":{"id":248187,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14623,"identifier":"28","token":"55.1\/V\/28","url":"\/55.1\/V\/28\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12708,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous","identifier":"V","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":247771,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12708,"identifier":"V","token":"55.1\/V","url":"\/55.1\/V\/","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":70258,"structure_id":15396,"section_number":"55.1-2804","catch_line":"Description of lawful fence","url":"\/55.1-2804\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2804","metadata":false},{"id":83294,"structure_id":15396,"section_number":"55.1-2805","catch_line":"Proceeding to declare stream of water or canal a lawful fence","url":"\/55.1-2805\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2805","metadata":false},{"id":73734,"structure_id":15396,"section_number":"55.1-2806","catch_line":"Boundary lines of certain low grounds on James River a lawful fence","url":"\/55.1-2806\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2806","metadata":false},{"id":58637,"structure_id":15396,"section_number":"55.1-2807","catch_line":"Statutes declaring watercourses lawful fences continued","url":"\/55.1-2807\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2807","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":70258,"structure_id":15396,"section_number":"55.1-2804","catch_line":"Description of lawful fence","url":"\/55.1-2804\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2804","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":73734,"structure_id":15396,"section_number":"55.1-2806","catch_line":"Boundary lines of certain low grounds on James River a lawful fence","url":"\/55.1-2806\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2806","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-2805\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1977, chapter 624; in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":248213,"object_type":"law","relational_id":83294,"identifier":"55.1-2805","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2805","url":"\/55.1-2805\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-2805\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/2\/55.1-2805","dublin_core":{"Title":"Proceeding to declare stream of water or canal a lawful fence","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-2805","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of any county, upon a petition<\/span> of any owner or tenant of lands on any stream of water or canal, may declare and establish such stream or canal, or any part of either within the limits and jurisdiction<\/span> of the county, a lawful fence as to any domesticated livestock. Notice of the application shall be given by posting a copy of the petition<\/span> at the front door of the courthouse and at two or more public places at or near the stream or canal to which the petition<\/span> applies, for 30 days, and by publishing such notice once a week for four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in such county. At or before the trial<\/span> of the cause, any person interested may enter himself a defendant<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The court<\/span> may, upon petition<\/span> and notice of any person interested, revoke or alter any order<\/span> made under subsection A, but such order<\/span> shall not be made within one year from the date of the original and shall not take effect until six months after it is made. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROCEEDING TO DECLARE STREAM OF WATER OR CANAL A LAWFUL FENCE (\u00a7 55.1-2805)\n\nA. The circuit court of any county, upon a petition of any owner or tenant of\nlands on any stream of water or canal, may declare and establish such stream or\ncanal, or any part of either within the limits and jurisdiction of the county, a\nlawful fence as to any domesticated livestock. Notice of the application shall\nbe given by posting a copy of the petition at the front door of the courthouse\nand at two or more public places at or near the stream or canal to which the\npetition applies, for 30 days, and by publishing such notice once a week for\nfour successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in such county. At\nor before the trial of the cause, any person interested may enter himself a\ndefendant.\n\nB. The court may, upon petition and notice of any person interested, revoke or\nalter any order made under subsection A, but such order shall not be made within\none year from the date of the original and shall not take effect until six\nmonths after it is made.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 8-870, 8-871; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7\u00a7 55-300, 55-301; 2019,\nc. 712.","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}}