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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>62451</law_id><section_number>8.01-435</section_number><catch_line>Who may confess judgment</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.01-436</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="2">Judgments by Confession</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p><span class="dictionary">Confession</span> of <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> under the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Confession of judgment irrespective of suit pending" href="/8.01-432/">8.01-432</a> may be made either by the debtor himself or by his duly constituted <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span>, acting under and by virtue of a <span class="dictionary">power of attorney</span> duly executed and acknowledged by him as deeds are required to be acknowledged, before any officer or <span class="dictionary">person</span> authorized to take acknowledgments of writings to be recorded in this Commonwealth, provided, however, that any <span class="dictionary">power of attorney</span> incorporated in, and made part of, any note or <span class="dictionary">bond</span> authorizing the <span class="dictionary">confession</span> of <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> thereon against the makers and endorsers in the event of <span class="dictionary">default</span> in the payment thereof at maturity need not be acknowledged, but shall specifically name therein the attorney or attorneys or other <span class="dictionary">person</span> or <span class="dictionary">persons</span> authorized to confess such <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> and the clerk&#x2019;s office in which the <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> is to be confessed.
		The payee, obligee, or <span class="dictionary">person</span> otherwise entitled to payment under any note or <span class="dictionary">bond</span> may appoint a substitute for any <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span> authorized to confess <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> that is specifically named in such note or <span class="dictionary">bond</span>, by specifically naming the substitute <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span> in an instrument appointing the substitute <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span>. Such instrument shall be recorded and indexed according to <span class="dictionary">law</span> in the clerk&#x2019;s office where <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> is to be confessed by the terms of such note or <span class="dictionary">bond</span>, and a clerk&#x2019;s fee for such recording shall be paid as set out in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Fees collected by clerks of circuit courts; generally" href="/17.1-275/">17.1-275</a>. If such note or <span class="dictionary">bond</span> does not contain a notice informing the debtor that a substitute <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span> may be appointed by the payee, obligee, or <span class="dictionary">person</span> otherwise entitled to payment under the note or <span class="dictionary">bond</span>, then within 10 days after the instrument appointing the substitute <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span> is recorded, the <span class="dictionary">person</span> appointing the substitute <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span> shall send notice of the appointment by certified mail to the debtor&#x2019;s last known address as it appears in the records of the <span class="dictionary">person</span> appointing the substitute <span class="dictionary">attorney-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span></span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 8-359; 1977, c. 617; 2012, cc. 31, 118.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
