{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-516.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-516.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-516.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-516.html"}],"law_id":78487,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78487,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-516","catch_line":"When possession of utility to be delivered; procedure upon refusal of possession","history":"1952, c. 696.","full_text":"Unless the management of the utility believes that the Governor is mistaken in his conclusion as to the curtailment, interruption or suspension of operation, actual possession of the utility, its properties and facilities, shall be delivered at the time stated in the executive proclamation. In the event of refusal of possession, upon application of the Governor any court of record of any county or city in which the utility’s main executive offices in this Commonwealth are located, or the judge thereof in vacation, shall issue a rule requiring the authorized representatives of such utility to show cause why possession should not be delivered at the time stated in the executive proclamation. The rule shall be given preference over all other matters pending before such court. After reasonable notice, the court or judge shall hear the parties and determine as promptly as possible the question of fact relating to the curtailment, interruption or suspension of the operation of the utility and whether the facts require the delivery of possession and render judgment requiring or denying delivery of possession as the case may be.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":281315,"text":"Unless the management of the utility believes that the Governor is mistaken in his conclusion as to the curtailment, interruption or suspension of operation, actual possession of the utility, its properties and facilities, shall be delivered at the time stated in the executive proclamation. In the event of refusal of possession, upon application of the Governor any court of record of any county or city in which the utility’s main executive offices in this Commonwealth are located, or the judge thereof in vacation, shall issue a rule requiring the authorized representatives of such utility to show cause why possession should not be delivered at the time stated in the executive proclamation. The rule shall be given preference over all other matters pending before such court. After reasonable notice, the court or judge shall hear the parties and determine as promptly as possible the question of fact relating to the curtailment, interruption or suspension of the operation of the utility and whether the facts require the delivery of possession and render judgment requiring or denying delivery of possession as the case may be.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14707,"edition_id":1,"name":"State Operation of Public Utilities","identifier":"17","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12881,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:26","permalink":{"id":250249,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14707,"identifier":"17","token":"56\/17","url":"\/56\/17\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12881,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":248473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12881,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":56358,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-509","catch_line":"Uninterrupted functioning and operation of essential public utilities","url":"\/56-509\/","token":"56\/17\/56-509","metadata":false},{"id":73501,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-510","catch_line":"Duty of Governor when there is threat of curtailment, interruption, etc., of operation","url":"\/56-510\/","token":"56\/17\/56-510","metadata":false},{"id":61223,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-511","catch_line":"Power of Governor to possess and operate utility","url":"\/56-511\/","token":"56\/17\/56-511","metadata":false},{"id":67658,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-512","catch_line":"Employment of utility employees by Commonwealth; information to be furnished","url":"\/56-512\/","token":"56\/17\/56-512","metadata":false},{"id":82132,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-513","catch_line":"Replacement of utility employees unwilling to work for Commonwealth","url":"\/56-513\/","token":"56\/17\/56-513","metadata":false},{"id":85186,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-514","catch_line":"Status as employee of utility unaffected by acceptance or refusal of employment by Commonwealth","url":"\/56-514\/","token":"56\/17\/56-514","metadata":false},{"id":74359,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-515","catch_line":"Entry upon property of utility after proclamation of intention to take possession","url":"\/56-515\/","token":"56\/17\/56-515","metadata":false},{"id":78487,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-516","catch_line":"When possession of utility to be delivered; procedure upon refusal of possession","url":"\/56-516\/","token":"56\/17\/56-516","metadata":false},{"id":61416,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-517","catch_line":"Interference with or obstruction of Governor, state representative or agent","url":"\/56-517\/","token":"56\/17\/56-517","metadata":false},{"id":79373,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-518","catch_line":"Expense of operation, etc.; payment of revenues, etc., into state treasury","url":"\/56-518\/","token":"56\/17\/56-518","metadata":false},{"id":73986,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-519","catch_line":"Previously established salaries, wages, conditions of employment, etc., to be observed; collective bargaining","url":"\/56-519\/","token":"56\/17\/56-519","metadata":false},{"id":69360,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-520","catch_line":"Collection and disposition of revenues accruing from utility","url":"\/56-520\/","token":"56\/17\/56-520","metadata":false},{"id":81570,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-521","catch_line":"Restoring possession to utility","url":"\/56-521\/","token":"56\/17\/56-521","metadata":false},{"id":64051,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-522","catch_line":"Compensation to utility","url":"\/56-522\/","token":"56\/17\/56-522","metadata":false},{"id":86625,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-523","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/56-523\/","token":"56\/17\/56-523","metadata":false},{"id":73606,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-524","catch_line":"Penalties","url":"\/56-524\/","token":"56\/17\/56-524","metadata":false},{"id":62983,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-525","catch_line":"Injunction against violation of chapter","url":"\/56-525\/","token":"56\/17\/56-525","metadata":false},{"id":81545,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-526","catch_line":"Duty of Commonwealth's attorneys and Attorney General; employment of special counsel","url":"\/56-526\/","token":"56\/17\/56-526","metadata":false},{"id":86351,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-527","catch_line":"Chapter not applicable to certain carriers","url":"\/56-527\/","token":"56\/17\/56-527","metadata":false},{"id":64842,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-528","catch_line":"Governor's powers as commander in chief not impaired","url":"\/56-528\/","token":"56\/17\/56-528","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":74359,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-515","catch_line":"Entry upon property of utility after proclamation of intention to take possession","url":"\/56-515\/","token":"56\/17\/56-515","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":61416,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-517","catch_line":"Interference with or obstruction of Governor, state representative or agent","url":"\/56-517\/","token":"56\/17\/56-517","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-516\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1952. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 696 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. Unfortunately, the 1952 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":[{"id":64051,"section_number":"56-522","catch_line":"Compensation to utility","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-522\/"},{"id":62983,"section_number":"56-525","catch_line":"Injunction against violation of chapter","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-525\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":250279,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78487,"identifier":"56-516","token":"56\/17\/56-516","url":"\/56-516\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-516\/","token":"56\/17\/56-516","dublin_core":{"Title":"When possession of utility to be delivered; procedure upon refusal of possession","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-516","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Unless the management of the utility believes that the Governor is mistaken in his conclusion as to the curtailment, interruption or suspension of operation, actual possession<\/span> of the utility, its properties and facilities, shall be delivered at the time stated in the executive proclamation. In the event of refusal of possession<\/span>, upon application of the Governor any court<\/span> of record of any county or city in which the utility’s main executive offices in this Commonwealth are located, or the judge<\/span> thereof in vacation, shall issue<\/span> a rule requiring the authorized representatives of such utility to show cause why possession<\/span> should not be delivered at the time stated in the executive proclamation. The rule shall be given preference over all other matters pending before such court<\/span>. After reasonable notice, the court<\/span> or judge<\/span> shall hear the parties and determine as promptly as possible the question of fact<\/span> relating to the curtailment, interruption or suspension of the operation of the utility and whether the facts<\/span> require the delivery of possession<\/span> and render judgment<\/span> requiring or denying delivery of possession<\/span> as the case may be.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHEN POSSESSION OF UTILITY TO BE DELIVERED; PROCEDURE UPON REFUSAL OF POSSESSION\n(\u00a7 56-516)\n\nUnless the management of the utility believes that the Governor is mistaken in\nhis conclusion as to the curtailment, interruption or suspension of operation,\nactual possession of the utility, its properties and facilities, shall be\ndelivered at the time stated in the executive proclamation. In the event of\nrefusal of possession, upon application of the Governor any court of record of\nany county or city in which the utility’s main executive offices in this\nCommonwealth are located, or the judge thereof in vacation, shall issue a rule\nrequiring the authorized representatives of such utility to show cause why\npossession should not be delivered at the time stated in the executive\nproclamation. The rule shall be given preference over all other matters pending\nbefore such court. After reasonable notice, the court or judge shall hear the\nparties and determine as promptly as possible the question of fact relating to\nthe curtailment, interruption or suspension of the operation of the utility and\nwhether the facts require the delivery of possession and render judgment\nrequiring or denying delivery of possession as the case may be.\n\nHISTORY: 1952, c. 696.","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}}