{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/57-39.2.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/57-39.2.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/57-39.2.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/57-39.2.html"}],"law_id":370807,"edition_id":2,"section_id":370807,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.2","catch_line":"Reversion of unoccupied cemetery lots in cities and certain towns; rebuttable presumption","history":"1962, c. 264; \u00a7\u00a7 57-39.2 through 57-39.7; 1964, c. 111; 1985, c. 414; 1986, c. 118; 2020, c. 669.","full_text":"The ownership of or right or interest in any unoccupied cemetery lot in any cemetery located in any city or in any town in the Counties of Scott and Wythe, or in any town in any county having the urban county executive form of government, which cemetery is under the ownership and charge of such city or town, or any corporation, association, or trustees, shall, upon abandonment, revert to such city, town, corporation, association, or trustees having ownership and charge of the cemetery containing any such lot. The continued failure to maintain or care for an unoccupied cemetery lot for a period of at least 30 years shall establish a rebuttable presumption that such lot has been abandoned.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1383290,"text":"The ownership of or right or interest in any unoccupied cemetery lot in any cemetery located in any city or in any town in the Counties of Scott and Wythe, or in any town in any county having the urban county executive form of government, which cemetery is under the ownership and charge of such city or town, or any corporation, association, or trustees, shall, upon abandonment, revert to such city, town, corporation, association, or trustees having ownership and charge of the cemetery containing any such lot. The continued failure to maintain or care for an unoccupied cemetery lot for a period of at least 30 years shall establish a rebuttable presumption that such lot has been abandoned.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52810,"edition_id":2,"name":"Acquisition of Abandoned Lots in Cities and Certain Towns","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":3,"parent_id":52801,"metadata":{"child_laws":6,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:06:11","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:48","permalink":{"id":1478769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52810,"identifier":"5","token":"57\/3\/5","url":"\/57\/3\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52801,"edition_id":2,"name":"Cemeteries","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":52796,"metadata":{"child_laws":46,"child_structures":10},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:06:03","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:47","permalink":{"id":1478627,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52801,"identifier":"3","token":"57\/3","url":"\/57\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52796,"edition_id":2,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":123,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":105,"child_structures":18},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:05:57","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:46","permalink":{"id":1478503,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52796,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":370807,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.2","catch_line":"Reversion of unoccupied cemetery lots in cities and certain towns; rebuttable presumption","url":"\/57-39.2\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.2","metadata":false},{"id":370814,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.3","catch_line":"Proceedings; determination of abandonment","url":"\/57-39.3\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.3","metadata":false},{"id":370815,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.4","catch_line":"Notice to owner of record; publication","url":"\/57-39.4\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.4","metadata":false},{"id":370816,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.5","catch_line":"Judicial determination; conveyance of title","url":"\/57-39.5\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.5","metadata":false},{"id":370817,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.6","catch_line":"Sale of abandoned cemetery lot","url":"\/57-39.6\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.6","metadata":false},{"id":370818,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.7","catch_line":"Applicability; abandonment determination limited in certain circumstances","url":"\/57-39.7\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.7","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":370814,"structure_id":52810,"section_number":"57-39.3","catch_line":"Proceedings; determination of abandonment","url":"\/57-39.3\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.3","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-39.2\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1962. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 264 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 1962 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1964, chapter 111; in 1985, chapter 414; in 1986, chapter 118; in 2020, chapter 669<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":370814,"section_number":"57-39.3","catch_line":"Proceedings; determination of abandonment","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-39.3\/"},{"id":370818,"section_number":"57-39.7","catch_line":"Applicability; abandonment determination limited in certain circumstances","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-39.7\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1478771,"object_type":"law","relational_id":370807,"identifier":"57-39.2","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.2","url":"\/57-39.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-39.2\/","token":"57\/3\/5\/57-39.2","dublin_core":{"Title":"Reversion of unoccupied cemetery lots in cities and certain towns; rebuttable presumption","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-39.2","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The ownership of or right or interest in any unoccupied cemetery lot in any cemetery located in any city or in any town in the Counties of Scott and Wythe, or in any town in any county having the urban county executive form of government, which cemetery is under the ownership and charge of such city or town, or any corporation, association, or trustees, shall, upon abandonment, revert to such city, town, corporation, association, or trustees having ownership and charge of the cemetery containing any such lot. The continued failure to maintain or care for an unoccupied cemetery lot for a period of at least 30 years shall establish a rebuttable presumption<\/span> that such lot has been abandoned.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nREVERSION OF UNOCCUPIED CEMETERY LOTS IN CITIES AND CERTAIN TOWNS; REBUTTABLE\nPRESUMPTION (\u00a7 57-39.2)\n\nThe ownership of or right or interest in any unoccupied cemetery lot in any\ncemetery located in any city or in any town in the Counties of Scott and Wythe,\nor in any town in any county having the urban county executive form of\ngovernment, which cemetery is under the ownership and charge of such city or\ntown, or any corporation, association, or trustees, shall, upon abandonment,\nrevert to such city, town, corporation, association, or trustees having\nownership and charge of the cemetery containing any such lot. The continued\nfailure to maintain or care for an unoccupied cemetery lot for a period of at\nleast 30 years shall establish a rebuttable presumption that such lot has been\nabandoned.\n\nHISTORY: 1962, c. 264; \u00a7\u00a7 57-39.2 through 57-39.7; 1964, c. 111; 1985, c. 414;\n1986, c. 118; 2020, c. 669.","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"}}