If the special court is satisfied that: (i) such contraction of the corporate limits will not leave the bonded debt of the city or town in excess of ten percent of the assessed valuation of the real estate that will be left in the city or town after the proposed contraction, which debt shall be determined as is provided in Article VII, Section 10 of the Constitution of Virginia; (ii) less than three fourths of the landowners in that territory oppose the contraction; (iii) no substantial damage to persons owning real estate in the territory proposed to be abandoned, or to the county of which it will become a part, will be caused by the contraction; and (iv) the abandonment of such territory will be in the best interest of the city or town, the court shall render an order confirming the ordinance contracting the limits of the city or town and declaring the territory abandoned to be a part of the contiguous county designated in the order. Such contraction shall thereupon become final and be taken cognizance of by all public officers, and the territory abandoned shall become a part of the county so designated. Whenever such an order is rendered, a copy of the order shall be certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

History

Code 1950, § 15-155; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-1061; 1970, c. 751; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 1; 1978, c. 642; 1997, c. 587.