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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>60575</law_id><section_number>15.2-2271</section_number><catch_line>Vacation of plat before sale of lot therein; ordinance of vacation</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-2265</reference><reference>15.2-2273</reference></referred_to_by><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="6">Land Subdivision and Development</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Where no lot has been sold, the recorded <span class="dictionary">plat</span>, or part thereof, may be vacated according to either of the following methods:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> With the consent of the <span class="dictionary">designated agent</span> of the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> where the land lies, by the owners, proprietors and trustees, if any, who signed the statement required by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Statement of consent to subdivision; execution; acknowledgment and recordation; notice to commissioner of the revenue or board of real estate assessors" href="/15.2-2264/">15.2-2264</a> at any time before the sale of any lot therein, by a written instrument, declaring the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> to be vacated, duly executed, acknowledged or proved and recorded in the same clerk&#x2019;s office wherein the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> to be vacated is recorded and the execution and recordation of such writing shall operate to destroy the force and effect of the recording of the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> so vacated and to divest all public rights in, and to reinvest the owners, proprietors and trustees, if any, with the title to the <span class="dictionary">streets</span>, alleys, easements for public passage and other public areas laid out or described in the <span class="dictionary">plat</span>; or <a id="paragraph-221419" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2271/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> By <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> of the <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> of the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> in which the property shown on the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> or part thereof to be vacated lies, provided that no facilities for which bonding is required pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Mandatory provisions of a subdivision ordinance" href="/15.2-2241/">15.2-2241</a> through <a class="law" title="Provisions for periodic partial and final release of certain performance guarantees" href="/15.2-2245/">15.2-2245</a> have been constructed on the property and no facilities have been constructed on any related section of the property located in the subdivision within five years of the date on which the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> was first recorded.
			The <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> shall not be adopted until after notice has been given as required by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Advertisement of plans, ordinances, etc.; joint public hearings; written notice of certain amendments" href="/15.2-2204/">15.2-2204</a>. Any person may appear at the meeting for the purpose of objecting to the adoption of the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>. An <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> from the adoption of the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> may be filed within thirty days of the adoption of the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> with the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the land shown on the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> or part thereof to be vacated. Upon <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may nullify the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> if it finds that the owner of the property shown on the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> will be irreparably damaged. If no <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> from the adoption of the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> is filed within the time above provided or if the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> is upheld on <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, a certified copy of the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> of vacation may be recorded in the clerk&#x2019;s office of any <span class="dictionary">court</span> in which the <span class="dictionary">plat</span> is recorded.
			The execution and recordation of the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> of vacation shall operate to destroy the force and effect of the recording of the <span class="dictionary">plat</span>, or any portion thereof, so vacated, and to divest all public rights in and to the property and reinvest the owners, proprietors and trustees, if any, with the title to the <span class="dictionary">streets</span>, alleys, and easements for public passage and other public areas laid out or described in the <span class="dictionary">plat</span>. <a id="paragraph-221420" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2271/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 15-793, 15-967.16; 1950, p. 722; 1962, c. 407, &#xA7; 15.1-481; 1964, c. 564; 1987, c. 404; 1997, c.; 2024, cc. 225, 242; 2025, c. 594.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
