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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>64852</law_id><section_number>33.2-717</section_number><catch_line>Who shall pay costs, compensation, and damages</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>33.2-722</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="33.2">Highways and Other Surface Transportation Systems</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Modes of Transportation: Highways, Bridges, Ferries, Rail, and Public Transportation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="7">Local Authority Over Highways</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Establishment, Alteration, and Discontinuance of Highways</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>When the <span class="dictionary">highway</span> or bridge is established or altered, the county shall be chargeable with the compensation and <span class="dictionary">damages</span> to the proprietor or tenant and all costs incurred in the proceedings, provided that when the record shows that the sum allowed by the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> on <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, as compensation and <span class="dictionary">damages</span> to any proprietor or tenant is not more than the amount allowed by the local governing body from whose decision the <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> was taken, such proprietor or tenant shall be adjudged to pay the costs occasioned by such <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>. When the local governing body decides against the application to establish or alter a <span class="dictionary">highway</span> or bridge, the applicant shall pay the costs incurred in the case, except the compensation of the viewers.
		But when it shall appear to the local governing body that the opening and establishing or altering of such <span class="dictionary">highway</span> will be for mere private convenience, then the local governing body may <span class="dictionary">order</span> the same upon condition that such applicant pay, in whole or in part, the compensation and <span class="dictionary">damages</span> to the proprietor or tenant and the costs of the proceedings and keep the <span class="dictionary">highway</span> in <span class="dictionary">order</span>. In any such case the <span class="dictionary">highway</span> shall not be opened and established or altered until such compensation and <span class="dictionary">damages</span> and costs has been first paid or the written consent of the proprietor or tenant has been given.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 33-153; 1964, c. 565; 1970, c. 322, &#xA7; 33.1-240; 2014, c. 805.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
