Any person who owns or has any interest in real estate or personal property on which such lien exists may, after twenty days’ notice thereof to the person entitled to such lien, apply to the circuit or corporation court of the county or corporation in whose clerk’s office such encumbrance is recorded, or to the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond, if it be in the clerk’s office of such court, to have the same released or discharged; and upon proof that it has been paid or discharged, or upon its appearing to the court that more than twenty years have elapsed since the maturity of the lien, raising a presumption of payment, and which is not rebutted at the hearing, or upon proof that no suit, as defined by § 43-17, has been brought to enforce the same within the time prescribed by such section; such court shall order the same to be recorded by the clerk. Such release shall reference the book and page where the original lien securing such interest in real estate or personal property is recorded.

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Terms Used In Virginia Code 43-68

  • City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219

All releases made prior to June 24, 1944, by any court under this section upon such presumption of payment so arising and not rebutted, shall be validated.

Code 1919, § 6456; 1926, p. 81; 1930, p. 70; 1932, p. 121; 1944, p. 199; 2014, c. 330.