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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70153</law_id><section_number>15.2-819</section_number><catch_line>Demolition of historic structures; civil penalty</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="I">General Provisions; Charters; Other Forms and Organization of Counties</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Urban County Executive Form of Government</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>A <span class="dictionary">county</span> may adopt an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> which establishes a civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> for the demolition, razing or moving of a building or structure which is located in an historic district or which has been designated by the <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> as an historic structure or landmark without the prior approval from either the architectural review board or the <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> as provided by subdivision A 2 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Preservation of historical sites and architectural areas; civil penalty" href="/15.2-2306/">15.2-2306</a>.
		The civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> imposed for a violation of such an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> shall not exceed the market value of the property as determined by the assessed value of the property at the time of the destruction or removal of the building or structure. Such value shall include the value of any structures and the value of the real property upon which any such structure or structures were located. Such <span class="dictionary">ordinances</span> may be enforced by the <span class="dictionary">county</span> attorney by bringing an action in the name of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. Such actions shall be brought against the <span class="dictionary">party</span> or parties deemed responsible for the violation. It shall be the burden of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> to show the liability of the violator by a <span class="dictionary">preponderance of the evidence</span>.
		Nothing in this section shall preclude action by the zoning administrator under subdivision A 4 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Permitted provisions in zoning ordinances; amendments; applicant to pay delinquent taxes; penalties" href="/15.2-2286/">15.2-2286</a> or action by the board under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Restraining violations of chapter" href="/15.2-2208/">15.2-2208</a>.</p></section></text><history>1991, c. 201, &#xA7; 15.1-499.2; 1997, c. 587.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
