Virginia HB 1401: Landlord and tenant; remedy for unlawful ouster, ex parte issuance of order to recover possession.

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2020 SESSION

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CHAPTER 30 

An Act to amend and reenact � 55.1-1243 of the Code of 
Virginia, relating to landlord and tenant; remedy for unlawful ouster; ex parte 
issuance of order to recover possession. 

[H 1401] 

Approved March 2, 2020 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That � 55.1-1243 of the Code of Virginia is amended and 
reenacted as follows:

� 55.1-1243. Tenant's remedies for landlord's unlawful ouster, 
exclusion, or diminution of service.

A. If a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes a 
tenant from the premises or willfully diminishes services to the tenant by 
interrupting or causing the interruption of an essential service to the tenant, 
the tenant may obtain an order from a general district court to recover possession, 
require the landlord to resume any such interrupted essential service, or 
terminate the rental agreement and, in any case, recover the actual damages 
sustained by him and reasonable attorney fees. If the rental agreement is 
terminated, the landlord shall return all of the security deposit in accordance 
with � 55.1-1226.

B. Upon receipt of a petition under this section for an 
order to recover possession or restore essential services and a finding that 
the petitioner has attempted to provide the landlord with actual notice of the 
hearing on the petition, the judge of the general district court may issue such 
order ex parte upon a finding of good cause to do so. Such ex parte order shall 
be a preliminary order that specifies a date for a full hearing on the merits 
of the petition. The full hearing shall be held within five days of the 
issuance of the ex parte order.