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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>55396</law_id><section_number>15.2-2208.2</section_number><catch_line>Damages for an enforcement action undertaken by a locality with willful disregard for applicable law</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="22">Planning, Subdivision of Land and Zoning</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Notwithstanding any other provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span>, general or special, any person against whom an enforcement action is carried out by a <span class="dictionary">locality</span>, of any <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or regulation developed pursuant to the authority of the provisions of this chapter, where the enforcement action was based upon a willful disregard for applicable <span class="dictionary">law</span>, regulation, or <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>, shall be entitled to an award of compensatory <span class="dictionary">damages</span> and to an <span class="dictionary">order</span> remanding the matter to the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> with a direction to carry out any further enforcement in a manner consistent with the <span class="dictionary">law</span>, regulation, or <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> and may be entitled to reasonable attorney fees and <span class="dictionary">court</span> costs. <a id="paragraph-203104" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2208.2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any action brought pursuant to this section may be filed with the general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the <span class="dictionary">locality</span>, and the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall hear and determine the case as soon as practical. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate a claim of qualified immunity. <a id="paragraph-203105" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2208.2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2023, c. 553.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
