{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/15.2-3902.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/15.2-3902.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/15.2-3902.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/15.2-3902.html"}],"law_id":348347,"edition_id":2,"section_id":348347,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3902","catch_line":"Moratorium on annexation suits pending transition to city","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.2:1; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"Any annexation suit filed against a county on or after the day the county’s petition for city status is filed in the circuit court shall be stayed pending the special court’s order denying eligibility for city status or the election ordered on the proposed city charter, whichever occurs. If the voters approve the city charter, all annexation suits stayed pending the outcome of the election shall be dismissed. If the voters disapprove the city charter, all pending stays shall be dissolved.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1298909,"text":"Any annexation suit filed against a county on or after the day the county’s petition for city status is filed in the circuit court shall be stayed pending the special court’s order denying eligibility for city status or the election ordered on the proposed city charter, whichever occurs. If the voters approve the city charter, all annexation suits stayed pending the outcome of the election shall be dismissed. If the voters disapprove the city charter, all pending stays shall be dissolved.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":49960,"edition_id":2,"name":"Transition of Counties to Cities","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":10,"parent_id":49941,"metadata":{"child_laws":20,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:19:03","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:48","permalink":{"id":1384701,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49960,"identifier":"39","token":"15.2\/III\/39","url":"\/15.2\/III\/39\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49941,"edition_id":2,"name":"Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":49831,"metadata":{"child_laws":234,"child_structures":20},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:18:37","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:43","permalink":{"id":1383921,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49941,"identifier":"III","token":"15.2\/III","url":"\/15.2\/III\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49831,"edition_id":2,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":46,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":2297,"child_structures":225},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:22","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:22","permalink":{"id":1378281,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49831,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":348345,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3900","catch_line":"Transition authorized","url":"\/15.2-3900\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3900","metadata":false},{"id":348346,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","metadata":false},{"id":348347,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3902","catch_line":"Moratorium on annexation suits pending transition to city","url":"\/15.2-3902\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3902","metadata":false},{"id":348348,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3903","catch_line":"Notice of motion; service and publication; answer","url":"\/15.2-3903\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3903","metadata":false},{"id":348349,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3904","catch_line":"Parties","url":"\/15.2-3904\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3904","metadata":false},{"id":348350,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3905","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","url":"\/15.2-3905\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3905","metadata":false},{"id":348351,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3906","catch_line":"Pretrial conference; matters considered","url":"\/15.2-3906\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3906","metadata":false},{"id":348352,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3907","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","url":"\/15.2-3907\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3907","metadata":false},{"id":348353,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3908","catch_line":"Assistance of state agencies","url":"\/15.2-3908\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3908","metadata":false},{"id":348354,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3909","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/15.2-3909\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3909","metadata":false},{"id":348355,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3910","catch_line":"Charter commission; appointment; compensation","url":"\/15.2-3910\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3910","metadata":false},{"id":348356,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3911","catch_line":"Charter provisions generally","url":"\/15.2-3911\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3911","metadata":false},{"id":348357,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3912","catch_line":"Optional charter provisions","url":"\/15.2-3912\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3912","metadata":false},{"id":348358,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3913","catch_line":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","url":"\/15.2-3913\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","metadata":false},{"id":348359,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","metadata":false},{"id":348360,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3915","catch_line":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","url":"\/15.2-3915\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","metadata":false},{"id":348361,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3916","catch_line":"Creation of townships; effect on town charters; right of certain townships to obtain city status","url":"\/15.2-3916\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3916","metadata":false},{"id":348362,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3917","catch_line":"Certain cities not affected by chapter","url":"\/15.2-3917\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3917","metadata":false},{"id":348363,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3918","catch_line":"Optional status of streets","url":"\/15.2-3918\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3918","metadata":false},{"id":348364,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3919","catch_line":"Legislative, etc., district and judicial circuit not affected","url":"\/15.2-3919\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3919","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":348346,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":348348,"structure_id":49960,"section_number":"15.2-3903","catch_line":"Notice of motion; service and publication; answer","url":"\/15.2-3903\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3903","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3902\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 85 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1384711,"object_type":"law","relational_id":348347,"identifier":"15.2-3902","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3902","url":"\/15.2-3902\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3902\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3902","dublin_core":{"Title":"Moratorium on annexation suits pending transition to city","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3902","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any annexation suit filed against a county<\/span> on or after the day the county<\/span>’s petition<\/span> for city<\/span> status is filed in the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall be stayed pending the special court<\/span>’s order<\/span> denying eligibility for city<\/span> status or the election ordered on the proposed city<\/span> charter, whichever occurs. If the voters<\/span> approve the city<\/span> charter, all annexation suits stayed pending the outcome of the election shall be dismissed. If the voters<\/span> disapprove the city<\/span> charter, all pending stays<\/span> shall be dissolved.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nMORATORIUM ON ANNEXATION SUITS PENDING TRANSITION TO CITY (\u00a7 15.2-3902)\n\nAny annexation suit filed against a county on or after the day the\ncounty’s petition for city status is filed in the circuit court shall be\nstayed pending the special court’s order denying eligibility for city\nstatus or the election ordered on the proposed city charter, whichever occurs.\nIf the voters approve the city charter, all annexation suits stayed pending the\noutcome of the election shall be dismissed. If the voters disapprove the city\ncharter, all pending stays shall be dissolved.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.2:1; 1997, c. 587.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}