HB 803: Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property, petition for entry. - Virginia

Civil Subcommittee Substitute → Chaptered · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill transitioned from a proposed House substitute to an enacted chapter, meaning the new law regarding property repairs and entry rights is now officially active. The substantive legal text remains identical, establishing a process for property owners to petition courts for access to neighboring land when repairs are impossible without it. This change formalizes the law, making it enforceable and requiring the Supreme Court to create the necessary legal forms for filing petitions.

Scope change

The scope of applicability is unchanged; the law applies to any real property owner in Virginia seeking to repair a structure where access to adjoining property is denied or unreasonably restricted.

TIMELINE

The bill is now officially enacted and approved for April 8, 2026, moving it from a proposed status to active law.

TECHNICAL

A new requirement was added for the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to create a standardized form for filing petitions under this new section.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the section header and internal legal citations to match the official chaptered format.

Courts of Justice Substitute → Civil Subcommittee Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The document has been reformatted from a standard legislative layout to a 'House Substitute' version, which includes new page headers, footers, and line numbers. The actual text of the bill, including the new law regarding property repairs and entry petitions, remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was updated to reflect a House Substitute amendment, adding page numbers, bill identifiers, and session headers while removing the original 'OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION' date.

Enrolled → Courts of Justice Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text remains substantively identical, but its status changed from an approved 'Enrolled' version to a 'Courts of Justice Substitute' amendment. This indicates the bill is being re-introduced or modified by the House Committee for Courts of Justice, likely to address specific procedural or policy concerns before final passage.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's policy (allowing property owners to petition for entry to repair their property) has not changed; only the legislative document status and formatting have changed.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Enrolled' status and official chapter header, indicating the bill is no longer in its final approved form.

Added headers identifying the document as a 'Substitute' proposed by the House Committee for Courts of Justice, suggesting a revision or re-submission process.

Changed the document title from 'VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY' to 'HOUSE BILL NO. 803', reflecting its current stage in the legislative process.

Introduced → Enrolled · 4 edits · Feb 25, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was advanced from introduction to final enrollment, meaning it is now law. The text of the new section was significantly expanded to provide clearer instructions for property owners seeking court permission to enter neighboring land for repairs. The changes add specific requirements for detailing the type of repairs, documenting efforts to get permission, and listing reasons why entry is impossible without crossing the property line. It also mandates that the court review the petition after a formal hearing and requires the owner to serve a copy of the petition on the neighbor before entry is granted.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's applicability remains the same (repairing one's own property by entering a neighbor's), but the procedural requirements for accessing the court system have been broadened and made more detailed.

REQUIREMENT

The petition requirements were expanded to include specific details about the exact repairs needed, a list of efforts made to obtain permission, and the specific reasons why the work cannot be done without entering the adjoining property.

A new requirement was added that the court must conduct a hearing before granting the right of entry, rather than deciding based solely on the petition documents.

The bill now explicitly requires the petitioning owner to serve a copy of the petition on the adjoining property owner in accordance with specific state rules before the court can grant entry.

DEFINITION

The text was clarified to specify that the owner must repair or maintain the exterior of a structure they own, rather than just the general exterior of their property.

Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property, petition for entry.

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