{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-39.21.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-39.21.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-39.21.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-39.21.html"}],"law_id":67473,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67473,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.21","catch_line":"Duty to file declaration of land use restriction","history":"1996, c. 957.","full_text":"The owner of any land used or to be used as a pet cemetery shall file in the office of the clerk of the circuit court for the locality where the land is located a declaration restricting the use of the land to use as a pet cemetery. The owner shall execute the declaration in the same manner and with the same effect as a conveyance of an interest in land. The clerk shall record the declaration in the deed book and index it in the name of the owner. The restriction established in such a recorded declaration may be removed only as provided in \u00a7 57-39.24. Unless a restriction is so removed, no person shall use land restricted pursuant to this section for any purpose other than as a pet cemetery.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":244496,"text":"The owner of any land used or to be used as a pet cemetery shall file in the office of the clerk of the circuit court for the locality where the land is located a declaration restricting the use of the land to use as a pet cemetery. The owner shall execute the declaration in the same manner and with the same effect as a conveyance of an interest in land. The clerk shall record the declaration in the deed book and index it in the name of the owner. The restriction established in such a recorded declaration may be removed only as provided in \u00a7 57-39.24. Unless a restriction is so removed, no person shall use land restricted pursuant to this section for any purpose other than as a pet cemetery.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16373,"edition_id":1,"name":"Pet Cemeteries","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13325,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:15:34","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:15:34","permalink":{"id":251805,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16373,"identifier":"8","token":"57\/3\/8","url":"\/57\/3\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13325,"edition_id":1,"name":"Cemeteries","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13324,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251625,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13325,"identifier":"3","token":"57\/3","url":"\/57\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13324,"edition_id":1,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251501,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13324,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":84041,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.20","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/57-39.20\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.20","metadata":false},{"id":67473,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.21","catch_line":"Duty to file declaration of land use restriction","url":"\/57-39.21\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.21","metadata":false},{"id":70345,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.22","catch_line":"Certain representations unlawful; perpetual care trust fund required","url":"\/57-39.22\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.22","metadata":false},{"id":78284,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.23","catch_line":"Change of address required from owner of burial right","url":"\/57-39.23\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.23","metadata":false},{"id":85441,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.24","catch_line":"Removal of restriction on land","url":"\/57-39.24\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.24","metadata":false},{"id":84788,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.25","catch_line":"Violation a misdemeanor","url":"\/57-39.25\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.25","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":84041,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.20","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/57-39.20\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.20","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":70345,"structure_id":16373,"section_number":"57-39.22","catch_line":"Certain representations unlawful; perpetual care trust fund required","url":"\/57-39.22\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.22","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-39.21\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1996. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 957<\/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":[{"id":85441,"section_number":"57-39.24","catch_line":"Removal of restriction on land","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-39.24\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":85441,"section_number":"57-39.24","catch_line":"Removal of restriction on land","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-39.24\/"}],"permalink":{"id":251811,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67473,"identifier":"57-39.21","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.21","url":"\/57-39.21\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-39.21\/","token":"57\/3\/8\/57-39.21","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duty to file declaration of land use restriction","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-39.21","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The owner of any land used or to be used as a pet cemetery<\/span> shall file in the office of the clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> for the locality where the land is located a declaration restricting the use of the land to use as a pet cemetery<\/span>. The owner shall execute the declaration in the same manner and with the same effect as a conveyance of an interest in land. The clerk shall record the declaration in the deed book and index it in the name of the owner. The restriction established in such a recorded declaration may be removed only as provided in \u00a7 57-39.24<\/a>. Unless a restriction is so removed, no person shall use land restricted pursuant to this section for any purpose other than as a pet cemetery<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTY TO FILE DECLARATION OF LAND USE RESTRICTION (\u00a7 57-39.21)\n\nThe owner of any land used or to be used as a pet cemetery shall file in the\noffice of the clerk of the circuit court for the locality where the land is\nlocated a declaration restricting the use of the land to use as a pet cemetery.\nThe owner shall execute the declaration in the same manner and with the same\neffect as a conveyance of an interest in land. The clerk shall record the\ndeclaration in the deed book and index it in the name of the owner. The\nrestriction established in such a recorded declaration may be removed only as\nprovided in \u00a7 57-39.24. Unless a restriction is so removed, no person shall use\nland restricted pursuant to this section for any purpose other than as a pet\ncemetery.\n\nHISTORY: 1996, c. 957.","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}}