{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/36-96.11.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/36-96.11.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/36-96.11.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/36-96.11.html"}],"law_id":360842,"edition_id":2,"section_id":360842,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.11","catch_line":"Reasonable cause determination and effect","history":"1991, c. 557; 1998, c. 634.","full_text":"The Board shall, within 100 days after the filing of a complaint, determine, based on the facts and after consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, unless it is impracticable to do so or unless the Board has approved a conciliation agreement with respect to the complaint. If the Board is unable to determine whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur within 100 days after receipt of the complaint, the aggrieved person and the respondent shall be notified in writing of the reasons therefor.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1342733,"text":"The Board shall, within 100 days after the filing of a complaint, determine, based on the facts and after consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, unless it is impracticable to do so or unless the Board has approved a conciliation agreement with respect to the complaint. If the Board is unable to determine whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur within 100 days after receipt of the complaint, the aggrieved person and the respondent shall be notified in writing of the reasons therefor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":51607,"edition_id":2,"name":"Virginia Fair Housing Law","identifier":"5.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":5,"parent_id":51572,"metadata":{"child_laws":26,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:44:51","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:32:43","permalink":{"id":1436183,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51607,"identifier":"5.1","token":"36\/5.1","url":"\/36\/5.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51572,"edition_id":2,"name":"Housing","identifier":"36","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":83,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":336,"child_structures":35},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:44:20","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:32:40","permalink":{"id":1435259,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51572,"identifier":"36","token":"36","url":"\/36\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":360840,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.1","catch_line":"Declaration of policy","url":"\/36-96.1\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.1","metadata":false},{"id":360841,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.10","catch_line":"Procedures for investigation","url":"\/36-96.10\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.10","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":360842,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.11","catch_line":"Reasonable cause determination and effect","url":"\/36-96.11\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.11","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":360843,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.12","catch_line":"No reasonable cause determination and effect","url":"\/36-96.12\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.12","metadata":false},{"id":360844,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.13","catch_line":"Conciliation","url":"\/36-96.13\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.13","metadata":false},{"id":360845,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.14","catch_line":"Issuance of a charge","url":"\/36-96.14\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.14","metadata":false},{"id":360846,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.15","catch_line":"Prompt judicial action","url":"\/36-96.15\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.15","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":360847,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.16","catch_line":"Civil action by Attorney General upon referral of charge by the Real Estate Board","url":"\/36-96.16\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.16","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Fishel v. Windsor Plaza Condo. Ass'n","case_number":"131817","citation":null,"date":"2014-12-31","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2765875\/fishel-v-windsor-plaza-condo-assn\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: All the Justices .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"REVI, LLC v. Chicago Title Insurance Co.","case_number":"Record 141562.","citation":"776 S.E.2d 808","date":"2015-09-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2959680\/revi-llc-v-chicago-title-insurance-co\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Justice KELSEY, dissenting. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":360848,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.17","catch_line":"Civil action by Attorney General; matters involving the legality of any local zoning or other land use ordinance; pattern or practice cases; or referral of conciliation agreement for enforcement","url":"\/36-96.17\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.17","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Fishel v. Windsor Plaza Condo. Ass'n","case_number":"131817","citation":null,"date":"2014-12-31","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2765875\/fishel-v-windsor-plaza-condo-assn\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: All the Justices .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Michael W. Martin v. The City of Waynesboro, Virginia","case_number":"1310253","citation":null,"date":"2026-03-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/10809718\/michael-w-martin-v-the-city-of-waynesboro-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"REVI, LLC v. Chicago Title Insurance Co.","case_number":"Record 141562.","citation":"776 S.E.2d 808","date":"2015-09-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2959680\/revi-llc-v-chicago-title-insurance-co\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Justice KELSEY, dissenting. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Matarese v. 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Virginia"}}}},{"id":360849,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.18","catch_line":"Civil action; enforcement by private parties","url":"\/36-96.18\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.18","metadata":false},{"id":360850,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.19","catch_line":"Witness fees","url":"\/36-96.19\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.19","metadata":false},{"id":360851,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.1:1","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/36-96.1_1\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.1_1","metadata":false},{"id":360852,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.2","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/36-96.2\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.2","metadata":false},{"id":360853,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.20","catch_line":"Additional powers of the Real Estate Board; action on real estate licenses","url":"\/36-96.20\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.20","metadata":false},{"id":360854,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.21","catch_line":"Powers of counties, cities and towns","url":"\/36-96.21\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.21","metadata":false},{"id":360855,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.22","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/36-96.22\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.22","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":360856,"structure_id":51607,"section_number":"36-96.23","catch_line":"Construction of law","url":"\/36-96.23\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.23","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. Nationwide Mutual Insurance v. Housing Opportunities Made .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"Record No. 990733","citation":"259 Va. 8","date":"2000-01-14","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/6931119\/nationwide-mutual-insurance-v-housing-opportunities-made-equal-inc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. CHIEF JUSTICE CARRICO .\u202f.\u202f. 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Archstone Pentagon City","case_number":"1:09-mj-00857","citation":"761 F. Supp. 2d 346","date":"2011-01-05","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2472222\/matarese-v-archstone-pentagon-city\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 761 F.Supp.2d 346 (2011) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"1":{"name":"Matarese v. ARCHSTONE PENTAGON CITY","case_number":"1:09-mj-00857","citation":"795 F. Supp. 2d 402","date":"2011-05-31","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2116742\/matarese-v-archstone-pentagon-city\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 795 F.Supp.2d 402 (2011) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"2":{"name":"People Helpers Foundation, Inc. v. City of Richmond","case_number":"91-682","citation":"781 F. Supp. 1132","date":"1992-01-16","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1411390\/people-helpers-foundation-inc-v-city-of-richmond\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 781 F.Supp. 1132 (1992) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"3":{"name":"People Helpers, Inc. v. City of Richmond","case_number":"91-682","citation":"789 F. Supp. 725","date":"1992-04-13","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1641327\/people-helpers-inc-v-city-of-richmond\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 789 F.Supp. 725 (1992) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"4":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. Nationwide Mutual Insurance v. Housing Opportunities Made .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"Record No. 990733","citation":"259 Va. 8","date":"2000-01-14","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/6931119\/nationwide-mutual-insurance-v-housing-opportunities-made-equal-inc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. JUSTICE HASSELL, .\u202f.\u202f. 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This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 557 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 1991 \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 1998, chapter 634<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1436193,"object_type":"law","relational_id":360842,"identifier":"36-96.11","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.11","url":"\/36-96.11\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/36-96.11\/","token":"36\/5.1\/36-96.11","dublin_core":{"Title":"Reasonable cause determination and effect","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 36-96.11","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Board shall, within 100 days after the filing of a complaint, determine, based on the facts<\/span> and after consultation with the Office of the Attorney General<\/span>, whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, unless it is impracticable to do so or unless the Board has approved a conciliation agreement<\/span> with respect to the complaint. If the Board is unable to determine whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur within 100 days after receipt of the complaint, the aggrieved person<\/span> and the respondent<\/span> shall be notified in writing of the reasons therefor.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nREASONABLE CAUSE DETERMINATION AND EFFECT (\u00a7 36-96.11)\n\nThe Board shall, within 100 days after the filing of a complaint, determine,\nbased on the facts and after consultation with the Office of the Attorney\nGeneral, whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory\nhousing practice has occurred or is about to occur, unless it is impracticable\nto do so or unless the Board has approved a conciliation agreement with respect\nto the complaint. If the Board is unable to determine whether reasonable cause\nexists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is\nabout to occur within 100 days after receipt of the complaint, the aggrieved\nperson and the respondent shall be notified in writing of the reasons therefor.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 557; 1998, c. 634.","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"}}