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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>80738</law_id><section_number>15.2-3109</section_number><catch_line>Court-ordered adjustment of boundary lines</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="III">Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="31">Settling Boundaries Between Localities</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Relocation or Change, by Agreement, of Boundary Line Between Localities; Adjustment by Court</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Whenever any two localities have agreed that a change should be made to their common boundary line so that public services in an area may be provided more effectively and more efficiently, but are unable to agree as to the proper location for the new boundary line, their governing bodies may <span class="dictionary">petition</span> jointly either of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">courts</span> for their respective localities for an <span class="dictionary">order</span> establishing the new boundary line within the terms of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall refer the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> to the Commission on <span class="dictionary">Local Government</span>, and shall also certify the filing of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> to the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> with a request that a three-<span class="dictionary">judge</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> be convened pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Special court to hear certain cases" href="/15.2-3000/">15.2-3000</a> to decide the matter. The Commission shall conduct a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> to receive <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> concerning the location of the new boundary line. Any interested persons may present <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>. The Commission shall publish notice of its <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> at least once a week for two successive weeks in newspapers of general circulation in each <span class="dictionary">locality</span>. Based upon the <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> and the report of its staff, the Commission shall determine a new boundary line that best promotes the more effective and efficient provision of public services. The Commission shall transmit its <span class="dictionary">findings</span> to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> in writing, where they shall be received in <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall hear <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> with respect to relocating the boundary line and shall enter an <span class="dictionary">order</span> establishing the new boundary line so as to promote, to the extent possible, the more effective and more efficient provision of public services. Such <span class="dictionary">order</span> shall set forth the terms for the transfer of territory and shall be recorded in the common-<span class="dictionary">law</span> <span class="dictionary">order</span> book and in the current deed book for both localities&#x2019; <span class="dictionary">courts</span> and indexed in the name of the localities as the case may be. A certified copy of the <span class="dictionary">order</span> shall be sent to the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the clerk of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-289420" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-3109/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Notice of any application as provided in subsection A hereof shall be served upon the property owners, if any, of the area affected by the agreement, and if such property owners <span class="dictionary">object</span> to the change, they shall be permitted to intervene in the proceedings and show cause why the boundary line should not be changed. <a id="paragraph-289421" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-3109/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 85, &#xA7; 15.1-1031.4; 1997, c. 587.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
