Virginia Code 8.01-470: Writs on judgments for specific property.
On a judgment for the recovery of specific property, a writ of possession for personal property or a writ of eviction for real property may issue for the specific property pursuant to an order of possession entered by a court of competent jurisdiction, which shall conform to the judgment as to the description of the property and the estate, title, and interest recovered, and there may also be issued a writ of fieri facias for the damages or profits and costs. In cases of unlawful entry and detainer and of ejectment, the officer to whom a writ of eviction has been delivered to be executed shall, at least 72 hours before execution, serve notice of intent to execute, including the date and time of execution, as well as the rights afforded to tenants in §§ 55.1-1255 and 55.1-1416, together with a copy of the writ attached, on the defendant in person or, if the party to be served is not found at the specific property for which a writ of eviction has been issued, then service shall be effected by posting a copy of such process at the front door or at such other door as appears to be the main entrance of such property. The execution of the writ of eviction by the sheriff should occur within 15 calendar days from the date the writ of eviction is received by the sheriff, or as soon as practicable thereafter, but in no event later than 30 days from the date the writ of eviction is issued. An order of possession shall remain valid for 180 days from the date granted by the court. If a plaintiff cancels a writ of eviction, such plaintiff may request other writs of eviction during such 180-day period. In cases of unlawful entry and detainer and of ejectment, whenever the officer to whom a writ of eviction has been delivered to be executed finds the premises locked, he may, after declaring at the door the cause of his coming and demanding to have the door opened, employ reasonable and necessary force to break and enter the door and put the plaintiff in possession. The execution of the writ of eviction shall be effective against the tenants named in the writ of eviction and their authorized occupants, guests or invitees, and any trespassers in the premises. And an officer having a writ of possession for specific personal property, if he finds locked or fastened the building or place wherein he has reasonable cause to believe the property specified in the writ is located, may in the daytime, after notice to the defendant, his agent or bailee, break and enter such building or place for the purpose of executing such writ.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 8.01-470
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: shall include individuals, a trust, an estate, a partnership, an association, an order, a corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity;
6. See Virginia Code 8.01-2
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Sheriff: shall include deputy sheriffs and such other persons designated in § Virginia Code 8.01-2
- Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
Code 1950, § 8-402; 1977, c. 617; 1991, c. 503; 2000, c. 640; 2001, c. 222; 2003, c. 259; 2007, c. 128; 2019, cc. 180, 700.