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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76929</law_id><section_number>8.3A-407</section_number><catch_line>Alteration</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.3A-103</reference><reference>8.3A-412</reference><reference>8.3A-413</reference><reference>8.3A-414</reference><reference>8.3A-415</reference><reference>8.4-104</reference><reference>8.4-207.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.3A">Commercial Code &#x2014; Negotiable Instruments</unit><unit label="part" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4">Liability of Parties</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="a"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Alteration</span>&#x201D; means (i) an unauthorized change in an instrument that purports to modify in any respect the obligation of a <span class="dictionary">party</span>, or (ii) an unauthorized addition of words or numbers or other change to an incomplete instrument relating to the obligation of a <span class="dictionary">party</span>. <a id="paragraph-276094" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-407/#a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> Except as provided in subsection (c), an <span class="dictionary">alteration</span> fraudulently made discharges a <span class="dictionary">party</span> whose obligation is affected by the <span class="dictionary">alteration</span> unless that <span class="dictionary">party</span> assents or is precluded from asserting the <span class="dictionary">alteration</span>. No other <span class="dictionary">alteration</span> discharges a <span class="dictionary">party</span>, and the instrument may be enforced according to its original terms. <a id="paragraph-276095" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-407/#b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> A payor bank or drawee paying a fraudulently altered instrument or a person taking it for value, in good faith and without notice of the <span class="dictionary">alteration</span>, may enforce rights with respect to the instrument (i) according to its original terms, or (ii) in the case of an incomplete instrument altered by unauthorized completion, according to its terms as completed. <a id="paragraph-276096" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-407/#c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 6-366, 6-367, 6-477, 6-478; 1964, c. 219, &#xA7; 8.3-407; 1992, c. 693.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
