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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>61107</law_id><section_number>8.7-503</section_number><catch_line>Document to goods defeated in certain cases</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.7-403</reference><reference>8.7-502</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="5">Warehouse Receipts and Bills of Lading: Negotiation and Transfer</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> A document confers no right in goods against a person who before issuance of the document had a legal interest or a perfected security interest in them and who neither: <a id="paragraph-223403" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-503/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1a" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> delivered or entrusted them or any document covering them to the bailor or his nominee with (i) actual or apparent authority to ship, store or sell, (ii) power to obtain delivery under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Obligation of bailee to deliver; excuse" href="/8.7-403/">8.7-403</a>, or (iii) power of <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Power to transfer; good faith purchase of goods; &quot;entrusting.&quot;" href="/8.2-403/">8.2-403</a>, <a class="law" title="Subsequent lease of goods by lessor" href="/8.2A-304/">8.2A-304</a>(2), <a class="law" title="Sale or sublease of goods by lessee" href="/8.2A-305/">8.2A-305</a>(2), <a class="law" title="Buyer of goods" href="/8.9A-320/">8.9A-320</a>, or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Licensee of general intangible and lessee of goods in ordinary course of business" href="/8.9A-321/">8.9A-321</a>(c) or other <span class="dictionary">statute</span> or rule of <span class="dictionary">law</span>; nor <a id="paragraph-223404" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-503/#1a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1b" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> acquiesced in the procurement by the bailor or his nominee of any document. <a id="paragraph-223405" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-503/#1b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Title to goods based upon an unaccepted delivery <span class="dictionary">order</span> is subject to the rights of anyone to whom a negotiable warehouse receipt or bill of lading covering the goods has been duly negotiated. Such a title may be defeated under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights acquired in the absence of due negotiation; effect of diversion; seller's stoppage of delivery" href="/8.7-504/">8.7-504</a> to the same extent as the rights of the issuer or a transferee from the issuer. <a id="paragraph-223406" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-503/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Title to goods based upon a bill of lading issued to a freight forwarder is subject to the rights of anyone to whom a bill issued by the freight forwarder is duly negotiated. However, delivery by the carrier in accordance with Part 4 of this title pursuant to its own bill of lading discharges the carrier&#x2019;s obligation to deliver. <a id="paragraph-223407" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.7-503/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 61-44; 1964, c. 219; 2000, c. 1007; 2004, c. 200.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
