Virginia Code 58.1-812: Payment prerequisite to recordation; exceptions; assessment and collection of tax; penalty for misrepresentation
A. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no deed, deed of trust, contract or other instrument shall be admitted to record without the payment of the tax imposed thereon by law and the fee pursuant to § 58.1-817, as applicable. However, after payment of the tax imposed by this chapter, when an instrument is first offered for recordation, such instrument may thereafter be recorded in the office of any other clerk without the payment of any tax except any local recordation tax as provided in Article 1 (§ 58.1-3800 et seq.) of Chapter 38. Any instrument may also be recorded free of tax and fee in the office of the clerk where such instrument was originally recorded when the record containing such instrument has been destroyed.
Attorney's Note
Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 misdemeanor | up to 12 months | up to $2,500 |
Terms Used In Virginia Code 58.1-812
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
B. The tax on every deed, deed of trust, contract or other instrument shall be determined and collected by the clerk in whose office the instrument is first offered for recordation. The clerk may ascertain the consideration of the deed or of the instrument, the actual value of the property conveyed, and the qualification of the deed or instrument for any exemption claimed by inquiry, affidavit, declaration or other extrinsic evidence acceptable to the clerk. The fee shall be $3 on every recorded deed, deed of trust, contract, or other instrument pursuant to § 58.1-817 and shall be collected by the clerk in whose office the deed is offered for recordation.
C. Any person who knowingly misrepresents the consideration for the interest in property conveyed by a deed or other instrument or any of the other information requested by the clerk of court pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If an understatement of the consideration is false or fraudulent with intent to evade a tax, a penalty equal to 100 percent of the tax due on the understatement shall be added to the amount of the tax due, plus interest on the tax at a rate determined in accordance with § 58.1-15 from the time the tax was required by law to be filed until paid.
D. Except as otherwise specifically provided, nothing contained in this chapter shall limit the right of the parties to any deed, deed of trust, contract, lease, or other instrument to allocate responsibility for the payment of the recordation taxes and fees imposed under this chapter among themselves in any manner they determine. A clerk who in good faith collects such taxes and fees upon recordation of a deed, deed of trust, contract, lease, or other instrument in reliance upon information provided by the person submitting such deed, deed of trust, contract, lease, or other instrument for recordation shall have no personal liability for any deficiency in the amount of such taxes or fees collected that is later determined to be due and payable.
Code 1950, §§ 58-63, 58-65; 1978, c. 693; 1984, c. 675; 1988, cc. 421, 738; 2004, c. 990; 2009, cc. 95, 686; 2015, cc. 434, 488; 2020, c. 623.