Virginia § 15.2-985 Disposition of abandoned shopping carts; unauthorized possession; penalties

Virginia Statutes

§ 15.2-985 — Disposition of abandoned shopping carts; unauthorized possession; penalties

Virginia § 15.2-985

JurisdictionVirginia

Title 15.2Counties, Cities and Towns

Subtitle IIPowers of Local Government

Ch. 9General Powers of Local Governments

Art. 5Additional Powers

This text of Virginia § 15.2-985 (Disposition of abandoned shopping carts; unauthorized possession; penalties) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Va. Code Ann. § 15.2-985 (2026).

Text

A.The governing body of any locality with a County Manager Plan or Urban County Executive Form may, by ordinance, provide that it shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave, or abandon on any real property in the locality, or within specified districts within the locality, any shopping cart as defined in § 18.2-102.1. The ordinance shall provide that any such shopping cart that remains on real property outside of the premises defined in § 18.2-102.1 at least 15 days after a notice of violation is given to the owner of such shopping cart shall be presumed to be abandoned and subject to removal from the real property by the locality or its agents without further notice.

B.A notice of violation sent by registered or certified mail to the last known address of the shopping cart's owne

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A. The governing body of any locality with a County Manager Plan or Urban County Executive Form may, by ordinance, provide that it shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave, or abandon on any real property in the locality, or within specified districts within the locality, any shopping cart as defined in § 18.2-102.1. The ordinance shall provide that any such shopping cart that remains on real property outside of the premises defined in § 18.2-102.1 at least 15 days after a notice of violation is given to the owner of such shopping cart shall be presumed to be abandoned and subject to removal from the real property by the locality or its agents without further notice.

B. A notice of violation sent by registered or certified mail to the last known address of the shopping cart's owner or its registered agent reflected in state or locality public records shall satisfy the notice requirement of this section. In the event that any such shopping cart is so removed, the cost of removal, including the cost of disposal, but not to exceed $300 per cart, shall be charged to the owner of the shopping cart. Any such charge that is not paid within 30 days of the date on which it is billed to the owner shall constitute a lien upon the shopping cart and may be collected in any manner provided by law for the collection of taxes.

C. In addition to any other remedy provided herein, the locality or its designee may institute legal action to enjoin the continuing violating of this section.

D. An ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection A may provide that it shall be unlawful for any person, except the owner or his agent, to possess outside of the premises any shopping cart, when the owner has posted notice on the property that removal is unlawful. The locality may provide that a person who violates the ordinance is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $500. However, such penalty shall not apply when such person has been found guilty of a violation of § 18.2-102.1 for the removal of such shopping cart from a store premises.