{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/8.01-538.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/8.01-538.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/8.01-538.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/8.01-538.html"}],"law_id":87187,"edition_id":1,"section_id":87187,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-538","catch_line":"Attachment of ships, boats and other vessels of more than twenty tons","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 8-524.1; 1954, c. 254; 1977, c. 617.","full_text":"No attachment against any ship, boat, or other vessel of more than twenty tons, shall issue unless the plaintiff or someone in his behalf, shall first establish, to the satisfaction of the court in which he files his petition for attachment that he has a reasonable expectation of recovering an amount exclusive of all costs, equal to at least one-half the damages demanded in the petition for attachment. Reasonable notice of appearance before the court shall be given the owner, agent or master of said vessel, and at the time of the appearance the court shall determine the amount of such reasonable expectation of recovery and the amount of bond necessary to secure the release of the vessel if and when a writ be levied in accordance with this section.\n\t\tNo attachment issued in violation of the provisions of this section shall create a valid lien upon the property sought to be attached, and no levy made under authority thereof shall be of any effect.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":312193,"text":"No attachment against any ship, boat, or other vessel of more than twenty tons, shall issue unless the plaintiff or someone in his behalf, shall first establish, to the satisfaction of the court in which he files his petition for attachment that he has a reasonable expectation of recovering an amount exclusive of all costs, equal to at least one-half the damages demanded in the petition for attachment. Reasonable notice of appearance before the court shall be given the owner, agent or master of said vessel, and at the time of the appearance the court shall determine the amount of such reasonable expectation of recovery and the amount of bond necessary to secure the release of the vessel if and when a writ be levied in accordance with this section.\n\t\tNo attachment issued in violation of the provisions of this section shall create a valid lien upon the property sought to be attached, and no levy made under authority thereof shall be of any effect.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14790,"edition_id":1,"name":"Attachments Generally","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12873,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:54","permalink":{"id":278567,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14790,"identifier":"1","token":"8.01\/20\/1","url":"\/8.01\/20\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12873,"edition_id":1,"name":"Attachments and Bail in Civil Cases","identifier":"20","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12747,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":278565,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12873,"identifier":"20","token":"8.01\/20","url":"\/8.01\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12747,"edition_id":1,"name":"Civil Remedies and Procedure","identifier":"8.01","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":277029,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12747,"identifier":"8.01","token":"8.01","url":"\/8.01\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":84946,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-533","catch_line":"Who may sue out attachment","url":"\/8.01-533\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-533","metadata":false},{"id":76538,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-534","catch_line":"Grounds of action for pretrial levy or seizure of attachment","url":"\/8.01-534\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-534","metadata":false},{"id":61296,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-535","catch_line":"Jurisdiction of attachments; trial or hearing of issues","url":"\/8.01-535\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-535","metadata":false},{"id":86249,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-536","catch_line":"Pleadings in attachment","url":"\/8.01-536\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-536","metadata":false},{"id":77594,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-537","catch_line":"Petition for attachment; costs, fees and taxes","url":"\/8.01-537\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-537","metadata":false},{"id":57245,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-537.1","catch_line":"Plaintiff to file bond","url":"\/8.01-537.1\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-537.1","metadata":false},{"id":87187,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-538","catch_line":"Attachment of ships, boats and other vessels of more than twenty tons","url":"\/8.01-538\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-538","metadata":false},{"id":77506,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-539","catch_line":"Who made defendants","url":"\/8.01-539\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-539","metadata":false},{"id":56751,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-540","catch_line":"Issuance of attachment; against what attachment to issue","url":"\/8.01-540\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-540","metadata":false},{"id":62291,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-541","catch_line":"To whom attachments directed; when and where returned","url":"\/8.01-541\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-541","metadata":false},{"id":56579,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-542","catch_line":"Issue and execution of attachment on any day","url":"\/8.01-542\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-542","metadata":false},{"id":84996,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-543","catch_line":"Issue of other attachments on original petition","url":"\/8.01-543\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-543","metadata":false},{"id":74420,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-544","catch_line":"When attachment not served other attachments may issue; order of publication","url":"\/8.01-544\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-544","metadata":false},{"id":66495,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-545","catch_line":"Amendments; formal defects","url":"\/8.01-545\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-545","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":57245,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-537.1","catch_line":"Plaintiff to file bond","url":"\/8.01-537.1\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-537.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":77506,"structure_id":14790,"section_number":"8.01-539","catch_line":"Who made defendants","url":"\/8.01-539\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-539","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-538\/","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 1954, chapter 254; in 1977, chapter 617.<\/p>","references":[{"id":56751,"section_number":"8.01-540","catch_line":"Issuance of attachment; against what attachment to issue","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-540\/"},{"id":84996,"section_number":"8.01-543","catch_line":"Issue of other attachments on original petition","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-543\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":278593,"object_type":"law","relational_id":87187,"identifier":"8.01-538","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-538","url":"\/8.01-538\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-538\/","token":"8.01\/20\/1\/8.01-538","dublin_core":{"Title":"Attachment of ships, boats and other vessels of more than twenty tons","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-538","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No attachment<\/span> against any ship, boat, or other vessel of more than twenty tons, shall issue<\/span> unless the plaintiff<\/span> or someone in his behalf, shall first establish, to the satisfaction of the court<\/span> in which he files his petition<\/span> for attachment<\/span> that he has a reasonable expectation of recovering an amount exclusive of all costs, equal to at least one-half the damages<\/span> demanded in the petition<\/span> for attachment<\/span>. Reasonable notice of appearance<\/span> before the court<\/span> shall be given the owner, agent or master of said vessel, and at the time of the appearance<\/span> the court<\/span> shall determine the amount of such reasonable expectation of recovery and the amount of bond<\/span> necessary to secure the release of the vessel if and when a writ<\/span> be levied in accordance with this section.\n\t\tNo attachment<\/span> issued in violation of the provisions of this section shall create a valid lien<\/span> upon the property sought to be attached, and no levy<\/span> made under authority thereof shall be of any effect.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nATTACHMENT OF SHIPS, BOATS AND OTHER VESSELS OF MORE THAN TWENTY TONS (\u00a7\n8.01-538)\n\nNo attachment against any ship, boat, or other vessel of more than twenty tons,\nshall issue unless the plaintiff or someone in his behalf, shall first\nestablish, to the satisfaction of the court in which he files his petition for\nattachment that he has a reasonable expectation of recovering an amount\nexclusive of all costs, equal to at least one-half the damages demanded in the\npetition for attachment. Reasonable notice of appearance before the court shall\nbe given the owner, agent or master of said vessel, and at the time of the\nappearance the court shall determine the amount of such reasonable expectation\nof recovery and the amount of bond necessary to secure the release of the vessel\nif and when a writ be levied in accordance with this section.\n\t\tNo attachment issued in violation of the provisions of this section shall\ncreate a valid lien upon the property sought to be attached, and no levy made\nunder authority thereof shall be of any effect.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 8-524.1; 1954, c. 254; 1977, c. 617.","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}}