CHAPTER 5

An Act to amend and reenact § 16.1-77 of the Code of Virginia, relating
to civil jurisdiction of courts not of record.

[H 29]
Approved February 1, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 16.1-77 of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted
as follows:

§ 16.1-77. Civil jurisdiction of courts not of record.—Each court
not of record which prior to July 1, 1956, had jurisdiction of civil matters,
and each such court hereafter created upon which is conferred civil juris-
diction, shall have, within the limits of the territory it serves, civil juris-
diction as follows:

(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction of any claim to specific personal
property or to any debt, fine or other money, or to damages for breach
of contract or for injury done to property, real or personal, or for any
injury to the person, which would be recoverable by action at law or suit
in equity, when the amount of such claim does not exceed three hundred
dollars exclusive of interest and any attorney’s fees contracted for in the
instrument, and concurrent jurisdiction with the courts of record having
jurisdiction in such territory of any such claim when the amount thereof
exceeds three hundred dollars but does not exceed * three thousand dollars,
exclusive of interest and any attorney’s fees contracted for in the
instrument.

(2) Jurisdiction to try and decide attachment cases when the amount
of the plaintiff’s claim does not exceed * three thousand dollars exclusive
of interest and any attorney’s fees contracted for in the instrument.

(3) Jurisdiction of actions of unlawful entry or detainer as provided
in Article 1 (§ 8-789 et seq.) of Chapter 36 of Title 8, and in Chap. 13
(§ 55-217 et seq.) of Title 55.

(4) Except where otherwise specifically provided, all jurisdiction,
power and authority over any civil action or proceeding conferred upon
any trial justice, civil justice, civil and police justice, or police justice
under or by virtue of any provisions of the Code of Virginia.