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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85424</law_id><section_number>15.2-3238</section_number><catch_line>What court may do</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-3239</reference><reference>15.2-3240</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="III">Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="32">Boundary Changes of Towns and Cities</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Contraction of Corporate Limits</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If the special <span class="dictionary">court</span> is satisfied that: (i) such contraction of the corporate limits will not leave the bonded debt of the <span class="dictionary">city</span> or <span class="dictionary">town</span> in excess of ten percent of the assessed valuation of the real estate that will be left in the <span class="dictionary">city</span> or <span class="dictionary">town</span> after the proposed contraction, which debt shall be determined as is provided in Article VII, Section 10 of the Constitution of Virginia; (ii) less than three fourths of the landowners in that territory oppose the contraction; (iii) no substantial damage to persons owning real estate in the territory proposed to be abandoned, or to the <span class="dictionary">county</span> of which it will become a part, will be caused by the contraction; and (iv) the abandonment of such territory will be in the best interest of the <span class="dictionary">city</span> or <span class="dictionary">town</span>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall render an <span class="dictionary">order</span> confirming the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> contracting the limits of the <span class="dictionary">city</span> or <span class="dictionary">town</span> and declaring the territory abandoned to be a part of the contiguous <span class="dictionary">county</span> designated in the <span class="dictionary">order</span>. Such contraction shall thereupon become final and be taken cognizance of by all public officers, and the territory abandoned shall become a part of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> so designated. Whenever such an <span class="dictionary">order</span> is rendered, a copy of the <span class="dictionary">order</span> shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 15-155; 1962, c. 623, &#xA7; 15.1-1061; 1970, c. 751; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 1; 1978, c. 642; 1997, c. 587.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
