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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>354042</law_id><section_number>21-303</section_number><catch_line>Withdrawal of persons signing petition</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="58" identifier="21">Drainage, Soil Conservation, Sanitation and Public Facilities Districts</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="6" identifier="6">Drainage Projects</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If during the proceedings, before or after the filing of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, any of the petitioners withdraw from the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> so as to render the number of petitioners whose signatures remain upon the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> insufficient according to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Form of petition; bond; summons of landowners not on petition" href="/21-295/">21-295</a>, and sufficient additional signatures to the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> of the same or other landowners, whose lands will be affected, are not obtained before the next succeeding term, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall dismiss the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> at the cost and expense of those who withdraw from the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, including an engineer&#x2019;s and an attorney&#x2019;s fee for counseling the petitioners, and shall apportion all of the costs and expenses theretofore accrued among those who withdrew at a flat rate per acre, according to the acreage owned by each within the bounds of the proposed drainage district, as indicated in the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, or otherwise, and <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> shall be entered against those who withdrew and shall be docketed in the <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> <span class="dictionary">docket</span> of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the county in which the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> was filed by the clerk thereof if not paid within thirty days from the entry of the <span class="dictionary">order</span>. Ten days&#x2019; notice, however, shall be given by the clerk to each person affected thereby, of such <span class="dictionary">order</span> of the <span class="dictionary">court</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 1738; 1926, p. 607.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
