<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>378201</law_id><section_number>8.4-503</section_number><catch_line>Responsibility of presenting bank for documents and goods; report of reasons for dishonor; referee in case of need</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="21" identifier="8.4">Commercial Code &#x2014; Bank Deposits and Collections</unit><unit label="part" level="2" order_by="5" identifier="5">Collection of Documentary Drafts</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Unless otherwise instructed and except as provided in Title 8.5A, a <span class="dictionary">bank</span> presenting a documentary draft:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> must deliver the documents to the drawee on acceptance of the draft if it is payable more than three days after <span class="dictionary">presentment</span>; otherwise, only on payment; and <a id="paragraph-1410903" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-503/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> upon dishonor, either in the case of <span class="dictionary">presentment</span> for acceptance or <span class="dictionary">presentment</span> for payment, may seek and follow instructions from any referee in case of need designated in the draft or if the <span class="dictionary">presenting bank</span> does not choose to utilize the referee&#x2019;s services, it must use diligence and good faith to ascertain the reason for dishonor, must notify its transferor of the dishonor and of the results of its effort to ascertain the reasons therefor and must request instructions.
			However, the <span class="dictionary">presenting bank</span> is under no obligation with respect to goods represented by the documents except to follow any reasonable instructions seasonably received; it has a right to reimbursement for any expense incurred in following instructions and to prepayment of or indemnity for those expenses. <a id="paragraph-1410904" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-503/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1964, c. 219; 1992, c. 693.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
