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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54192</law_id><section_number>16.1-117</section_number><catch_line>When papers in civil cases in certain municipal courts may be destroyed</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-69.58</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="6">Venue, Jurisdiction and Procedure in Civil Matters</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Procedure in Civil Cases</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The clerk of any municipal <span class="dictionary">court</span> in which papers are filed and preserved under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Retention of case records; limitations on enforcement of judgments; extensions" href="/16.1-69.55/">16.1-69.55</a> may destroy the files, papers and records connected with any civil case in such <span class="dictionary">court</span>, if:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Such case was dismissed without any adjudication of the merits of the controversy, and the <span class="dictionary">final order</span> entered was one of <span class="dictionary">dismissal</span> and six months have elapsed from the date of such <span class="dictionary">dismissal</span>; or <a id="paragraph-198934" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-117/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> <span class="dictionary">Judgment</span> was entered in such case but the right to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> an execution or bring a scire facias or an action on such <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> is barred by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Limitations on enforcement of judgments" href="/8.01-251/">8.01-251</a>; and <a id="paragraph-198935" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-117/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The destruction of such papers is authorized and directed by an order of the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> in which they are filed and preserved, which order may refer to such papers by any one or more of the above classifications, or to any group or kind of cases embraced therein, without express reference to any particular case. <a id="paragraph-198936" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-117/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1956, c. 555.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
