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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>60732</law_id><section_number>8.01-568</section_number><catch_line>Quashing attachment or rendering judgment for defendant</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.01-546.2</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="20">Attachments and Bail in Civil Cases</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Subsequent Proceedings Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">court</span> in which an <span class="dictionary">attachment</span> is pending shall, on <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of the principal <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>, or any <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> claiming title to, an interest in, or a <span class="dictionary">lien</span> upon the property attached, or any part thereof, after reasonable notice to the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span>, hear <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> and <span class="dictionary">quash</span> the <span class="dictionary">attachment</span>, if of <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> that (i) the <span class="dictionary">attachment</span> is invalid on its face, (ii) none of the grounds for <span class="dictionary">attachment</span> in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Grounds of action for pretrial levy or seizure of attachment" href="/8.01-534/">8.01-534</a> exist, or (iii) the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> is not likely to succeed on the merits of his underlying claim. The <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> shall be held not later than ten business days following the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">motion</span>. When the <span class="dictionary">attachment</span> is properly sued out, and the case is heard upon its merits, if the <span class="dictionary">court</span> is of <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> that the claim of the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> is not established, final <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> shall be given for the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>. In either case, he shall recover his costs, and <span class="dictionary">damages</span> for loss of the use of his property, and there shall be an <span class="dictionary">order</span> for the restoration of the attached effects. The <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> shall have the <span class="dictionary">burden of proof</span> in proceedings pursuant to this section.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 8-556; 1977, c. 617; 1984, c. 646.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
