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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>59330</law_id><section_number>8.01-428</section_number><catch_line>Setting aside default judgments; clerical mistakes; independent actions to relieve party from judgment or proceedings; grounds and time limitations</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-97.1</reference><reference>17.1-406</reference><reference>64.2-448</reference><reference>8.01-15.2</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="17">Judgments and Decrees Generally</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">In General</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> <span class="dictionary">Default judgments</span> and <span class="dictionary">decrees</span> pro confesso; summary procedure. Upon <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> or <span class="dictionary">judgment debtor</span> and after reasonable notice to the opposite <span class="dictionary">party</span>, his attorney of record or other agent, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may set aside a <span class="dictionary">judgment by default</span> or a <span class="dictionary">decree</span> pro confesso upon the following grounds: (i) <span class="dictionary">fraud</span> on the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, (ii) a void judgment, (iii) on proof of an accord and satisfaction, or (iv) on proof that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> was, at the time of <span class="dictionary">service of process</span> or entry of judgment, a servicemember as defined in 50 U.S.C. &#xA7; 3911. Such <span class="dictionary">motion</span> on the ground of <span class="dictionary">fraud</span> on the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall be made within two years from the date of the judgment or <span class="dictionary">decree</span>. <a id="paragraph-217487" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-428/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Clerical mistakes. Clerical mistakes in all judgments or other parts of the record and errors therein arising from oversight or from an inadvertent omission may be corrected by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> at any time on its own initiative or upon the <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of any <span class="dictionary">party</span> and after such notice, as the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may <span class="dictionary">order</span>. During the pendency of an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, such mistakes may be corrected before the <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> is docketed in the <span class="dictionary">appellate</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>, and thereafter while the <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> is pending such mistakes may be corrected with leave of the <span class="dictionary">appellate</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-217488" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-428/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Failure to notify <span class="dictionary">party</span> or <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> of <span class="dictionary">final order</span>. If <span class="dictionary">counsel</span>, or a <span class="dictionary">party</span> not represented by <span class="dictionary">counsel</span>, who is not in default in a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> is not notified by any means of the entry of a <span class="dictionary">final order</span> and the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> is satisfied that such lack of notice (i) did not result from a failure to exercise due diligence on the part of that <span class="dictionary">party</span> and (ii) denied that <span class="dictionary">party</span> an opportunity to pursue post-<span class="dictionary">trial</span> relief in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> or to file an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> therefrom, the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> may, within 60 days of the entry of such order, modify, vacate, or suspend the order or grant the <span class="dictionary">party</span> leave to <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>. Where the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> grants the <span class="dictionary">party</span> leave to <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, the computation of time for noting and perfecting an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> shall run from the entry of such order, and such order shall have no other effect. <a id="paragraph-217489" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-428/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Other judgments or proceedings. This section does not limit the power of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to entertain at any time an independent <span class="dictionary">action</span> to relieve a <span class="dictionary">party</span> from any judgment or proceeding, or to grant relief to a <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> not served with process as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Within what time case reheard on petition of party served by publication, and any injustice corrected" href="/8.01-322/">8.01-322</a>, or to set aside a judgment or <span class="dictionary">decree</span> for <span class="dictionary">fraud</span> upon the <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-217490" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-428/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Nothing in this section shall constitute grounds to set aside an otherwise valid <span class="dictionary">default judgment</span> against a <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> who was not, at the time of <span class="dictionary">service of process</span> or entry of judgment, a servicemember as defined in 50 U.S.C. &#xA7; 3911. <a id="paragraph-217491" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-428/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1977, c. 617; 1991, c. 39; 1993, c. 951; 2005, cc. 333, 909.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
