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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>73510</law_id><section_number>8.01-421</section_number><catch_line>Payment may be pleaded; payment into court of part of claim; procedure upon such payment</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="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="15">Payment and Setoff</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In any <span class="dictionary">action</span> for recovery of a debt the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> may plead payment of the debt or any part thereof prior to the commencement of the <span class="dictionary">action</span>. <a id="paragraph-264495" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-421/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> In any personal <span class="dictionary">action</span>, the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> may pay into <span class="dictionary">court</span> a sum of money on account of what is claimed, or by way of compensation or <span class="dictionary">amends</span>, and plead that he is not indebted to the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span>, or that the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> has not sustained <span class="dictionary">damages</span>, to a greater amount than such sum. The <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> may accept such sum either in full satisfaction, and then have <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> for his costs, or in part satisfaction, and reply to the <span class="dictionary">allegations</span> of the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">pleadings</span>, and, if <span class="dictionary">issue</span> thereon be found for the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>, <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> shall be given for the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>, and he shall recover his costs. The payment of such sum into <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall not be <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> in <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>. <a id="paragraph-264496" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-421/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 8-236, 8-237, 8-238; 1954, c. 333; 1977, c. 617; 1978, c. 416.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
