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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74675</law_id><section_number>8.7-403</section_number><catch_line>Obligation of bailee to deliver; excuse</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.7-102</reference><reference>8.7-202</reference><reference>8.7-209</reference><reference>8.7-503</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.7">Commercial Code &#x2014; Warehouse Receipts, Bills of Lading and Other Documents of Title</unit><unit label="part" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4">Warehouse Receipts and Bills of Lading: General Obligations</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The bailee must deliver the goods to a <span class="dictionary">person entitled under the document</span> who complies with subsections (2) and (3), unless and to the extent that the bailee establishes any of the following: <a id="paragraph-268417" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1a" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> delivery of the goods to a person whose receipt was rightful as against the claimant; <a id="paragraph-268418" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1b" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> damage to or delay, loss or destruction of the goods for which the bailee is not liable; <a id="paragraph-268419" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1c" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> previous sale or other <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of the goods in lawful enforcement of a <span class="dictionary">lien</span> or on warehouseman&#x2019;s lawful termination of storage; <a id="paragraph-268420" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1d" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">d.</span> the exercise by a seller of his right to stop delivery pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Seller's stoppage of delivery in transit or otherwise" href="/8.2-705/">8.2-705</a> or by a lessor of his right to stop delivery pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Lessor's stoppage of delivery in transit or otherwise" href="/8.2A-526/">8.2A-526</a>; <a id="paragraph-268421" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1d"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1e" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">e.</span> a <span class="dictionary">diversion</span>, reconsignment or other <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Diversion; reconsignment; change of instructions" href="/8.7-303/">8.7-303</a>; <a id="paragraph-268422" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1e"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1f" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">f.</span> release, satisfaction or any other <span class="dictionary">fact</span> affording a personal defense against the claimant; or <a id="paragraph-268423" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1f"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1g" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">g.</span> any other lawful excuse. <a id="paragraph-268424" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#1g"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> A person claiming goods covered by a document must satisfy the bailee&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">lien</span> where the bailee so requests or where the bailee is prohibited by <span class="dictionary">law</span> from delivering the goods until the charges are paid. <a id="paragraph-268425" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Unless the person claiming the goods is one against whom the document confers no right under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Document to goods defeated in certain cases" href="/8.7-503/">8.7-503</a> (1), he must surrender <span class="dictionary">possession</span> or control, for cancellation or notation of partial deliveries, any outstanding negotiable document covering the goods, and the bailee must cancel the document or conspicuously note the partial delivery thereon or be liable to any person to whom the document is duly negotiated. <a id="paragraph-268426" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person entitled under the document</span>&#x201D; means holder, in the case of a negotiable document, or the person to whom delivery of the goods is to be made by the terms of, or pursuant to instructions in a record under, a nonnegotiable document. <a id="paragraph-268427" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-403/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 61-11 to 61-15, 61-19, 61-22; 1964, c. 219; 2004, c. 200.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
