§ 36-96.1 Declaration of policy
§ 36-96.1:1 Definitions
§ 36-96.2 Exemptions
§ 36-96.3 Unlawful discriminatory housing practices
§ 36-96.3:1 Rights and responsibilities with respect to the use of an assistance animal in a dwelling
§ 36-96.3:2 Reasonable accommodations; interactive process
§ 36-96.4 Discrimination in residential real estate-related transactions; unlawful practices by lenders, insurers, appraisers, etc.; deposit of state funds in such institutions
§ 36-96.5 Interference with enjoyment of rights of others under this chapter
§ 36-96.6 Certain restrictive covenants void; instruments containing such covenants
§ 36-96.7 Familial status protection not applicable to housing for older persons
§ 36-96.8 Powers of Real Estate Board and Fair Housing Board
§ 36-96.9 Procedures for receipt or initiation of complaint; notice to parties; filing of answer
§ 36-96.10 Procedures for investigation
§ 36-96.11 Reasonable cause determination and effect
§ 36-96.12 No reasonable cause determination and effect
§ 36-96.13 Conciliation
§ 36-96.14 Issuance of a charge
§ 36-96.15 Prompt judicial action
§ 36-96.16 Civil action by Attorney General upon referral of charge by the Real Estate Board
§ 36-96.17 Civil action by Attorney General; matters involving the legality of any local zoning or other land use ordinance; pattern or practice cases; or referral of conciliation agreement for enforcement
§ 36-96.18 Civil action; enforcement by private parties
§ 36-96.19 Witness fees
§ 36-96.20 Additional powers of the Real Estate Board; action on real estate licenses
§ 36-96.21 Powers of counties, cities and towns
§ 36-96.23 Construction of law

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Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 36 > Chapter 5.1 - Virginia Fair Housing Law

  • Adult: means a person 18 years of age or more. See Virginia Code 1-203
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Applicant: means any and all persons seeking or holding a permit required under this chapter. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Applicant: means the person applying for a certification of site suitability or submitting a notice of intent to apply therefor. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Application: means an application to the Board for a certification of site suitability. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Board: means the Virginia Waste Management Board. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • certification: means the certification issued by the Board pursuant to this chapter. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Computer equipment: means a desktop or notebook computer and may include a computer monitor or other display device. See Virginia Code 10.1-1425.27
  • Conference committee: A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of conferees from both chamber of a legislature which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.
  • Consumer: means an individual who uses computer equipment that is purchased primarily for personal or home business use. See Virginia Code 10.1-1425.27
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Criteria: means the criteria adopted by the Board, pursuant to § Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • 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.
  • Department: means the Department of Environmental Quality. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Director: means the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Disposal: means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste into or on any land or water so that such solid waste or any constituent thereof may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters, including ground waters. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • 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.
  • facility: means any facility, including land and structures, appurtenances, improvements and equipment for the treatment, storage or disposal of hazardous wastes, which accepts hazardous waste for storage, treatment or disposal. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Federal acts: means any act of Congress providing for waste management and regulations promulgated thereunder. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Fund: means the Technical Assistance Fund created pursuant to § Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Hazardous substance: means a substance listed under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, P. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Hazardous waste: means a solid waste or combination of solid waste that because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may:

    1. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400

  • Host community: means any county, city or town within whose jurisdictional boundaries construction of a hazardous waste facility is proposed. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Household hazardous waste: means any waste material derived from households (including single and multiple residences, hotels, motels, bunkhouses, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas) which, except for the fact that it is derived from a household, would be classified as a hazardous waste, including nickel, cadmium, mercuric oxide, manganese, zinc-carbon or lead batteries; solvent-based paint, paint thinner, paint strippers, or other paint solvents; any product containing trichloroethylene, toxic art supplies, used motor oil and unusable gasoline or kerosene, fluorescent or high intensity light bulbs, ammunition, fireworks, banned pesticides, or restricted-use pesticides as defined in § Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Virginia Code 1-257
  • Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
  • inhabitants: means with reference to any county, city, town, political subdivision of the Commonwealth or any combination thereof, the natural persons in such county, city, town, political subdivision or combination as shown by the unadjusted United States decennial census last preceding the time at which any provision dependent upon population is being applied or the time as of which it is being construed. See Virginia Code 1-235
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
  • key personnel: includes all key personnel of that entity, provided that where such entity is a chartered lending institution or a reporting company under the Federal Securities Exchange Act of 1934, "key personnel" does not include key personnel of such entity. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • 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
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • On-site: means facilities that are located on the same or geographically contiguous property which may be divided by public or private right-of-way, and the entrance and exit between the contiguous properties is at a cross-roads intersection so that the access is by crossing, as opposed to going along, the right-of-way. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Operator: means a person who is responsible for the overall operation of a facility. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Owner: means a person who owns a facility or a part of a facility. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, partnership, association, governmental body, municipal corporation, or any other legal entity. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • 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 estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Solid waste: means any garbage, refuse, sludge, and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, or community activities, but does not include (i) solid or dissolved material in domestic sewage; (ii) solid or dissolved material in irrigation return flows or in industrial discharges that are sources subject to a permit from the State Water Control Board; (iii) source, special nuclear, or by-product material as defined by the Federal Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; or (iv) post-use polymers or recovered feedstocks that are (a) processed at an advanced recycling facility or (b) held at or held for the purpose of conversion at such advanced recycling facility prior to conversion. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Storage: means the containment or holding of hazardous wastes pending treatment, recycling, reuse, recovery or disposal. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • transportation: means any movement of property and any packing, loading, or unloading or storage incidental thereto. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Treatment: means any method, technique, or process, including incineration or neutralization, designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of any waste to neutralize it or to render it less hazardous or nonhazardous, safer for transport, amenable to recovery or storage, or reduced in volume. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Treatment: means any method, technique or process, including incineration or neutralization, designed to change the physical, chemical or biological character or composition of any hazardous waste to neutralize it or to render it less hazardous or nonhazardous, safer for transport, amenable to recovery or storage or reduced in volume. See Virginia Code 10.1-1433
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Usury: Charging an illegally high interest rate on a loan. Source: OCC
  • Waste: means any solid, hazardous, or radioactive waste as defined in this section. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Waste management: means the collection, source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of waste or resource recovery. See Virginia Code 10.1-1400
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.