                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

CONTENT OF CERTIFICATES; RECORDATION OF CERTIFICATES (§ 25.1-307)

A. A certificate shall set forth the description of the property and rights
being taken or damaged, and the owner or owners, if known, of such property. A
certificate through which easement rights are acquired shall describe the rights
and purposes for which the easement is being acquired.

B. The certificate shall include a plat, drawing, or plan, in sufficient detail
to disclose fairly the nature of such work or improvements, including
specifications, elevations, and grade changes, if any, so as to enable the owner
of such property to be reasonably informed of the nature, extent, and effect of
such taking. The certificate shall specify the size of the fee or easement area
being taken and, if multiple overlapping easements are taken, the sizes of the
overlapping and non-overlapping areas. The certificate shall also state the
public use project for which the property is being taken.

C. If a temporary construction easement is being acquired, the certificate shall
set forth the calendar date on which it shall expire if that date is known to
the condemnor. If the condemnor certifies that such date is not known, at such
time the condemnor ascertains the date, the condemnor shall file certification
of the information as provided by subsection D and shall simultaneously provide
the landowner or the landowner&#8217;s counsel, if any, a copy of such
certification.

D. The authorized condemnor shall record a certificate of take or a certificate
of deposit in the clerk&#8217;s office of the court where deeds are recorded.
The clerk shall record the certificate in the deed book and index it in the
names of both (i) the person or persons who owned the land before the
recordation of the certificate and (ii) the authorized condemnor.

HISTORY: 2003, c. 940; 2022, c. 735; 2025, c. 617.