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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68293</law_id><section_number>8.01-27.1</section_number><catch_line>Additional recovery in certain civil actions concerning checks or rejected electronic funds transfers</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>55.1-1245</reference><reference>8.01-27.2</reference><reference>8.01-27.4</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Actions</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Actions on Contracts Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Except as otherwise provided in Chapter 12 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-1200/">55.1-1200</a> et seq.) or Chapter 14 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Applicability; right to terminate tenant" href="/55.1-1400/">55.1-1400</a> et seq.) of Title 55.1, in any civil claim or <span class="dictionary">action</span> made or brought against the drawer of a check, draft or <span class="dictionary">order</span>, payment of which has been refused by the drawee depository because of lack of funds in or credit with such drawee depository, or because such check, draft or <span class="dictionary">order</span> was returned because of a stop-payment <span class="dictionary">order</span> placed in bad faith on the check, draft or <span class="dictionary">order</span> by the drawer, the holder or his agent shall be entitled to claim, in addition to the face amount of the check (i) legal interest from the date of the check, (ii) the protest or bad check return fee, if any, charged to the holder by his bank or other depository, (iii) a processing charge of $50, and (iv) reasonable attorney&#x2019;s fees if awarded by the <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-247064" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-27.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Except as otherwise provided in Chapter 12 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-1200/">55.1-1200</a> et seq.) or Chapter 14 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Applicability; right to terminate tenant" href="/55.1-1400/">55.1-1400</a> et seq.) of Title 55.1, any holder of a check, draft or <span class="dictionary">order</span>, payment of which has been refused by the drawee for insufficient funds or credit or because of a stop-payment <span class="dictionary">order</span> placed in bad faith, who charges the drawer amounts in excess of those authorized in subsection A on account of payment being so refused shall, upon demand, be liable to the drawer for the lesser of (i) $50 plus the excess of the authorized amount or (ii) twice the amount charged in excess of the authorized amount. <a id="paragraph-247065" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-27.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If an <span class="dictionary">electronic funds transfer</span> has been rejected because of insufficient funds or a stop-payment <span class="dictionary">order</span> has been placed in bad faith by the authorizing <span class="dictionary">party</span>, the authorizing <span class="dictionary">party</span> and the payee shall have the same rights and remedies as if the drawer had issued a bad check under subsection B. For purposes of this subsection, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">electronic funds transfer</span>&#x201D; has the same meaning as provided in 15 U.S.C. &#xA7; 1693(a). <a id="paragraph-247066" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-27.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1981, c. 230; 1992, c. 238; 1996, c. 334; 2003, c. 233; 2008, c. 489; 2009, c. 182; 2013, c. 63.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
