Chap. 29.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to permit the
filing and trials of certain cross-claims in certain cases for torts, approved
March 24, 1926, as amended by an act approved March 17, 1928. [H B 31]

Approved February 20, 1932

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That an act
entitled an act to permit the filing and trials of certain cross-claims in
certain cases for torts, approved March twenty-fourth, nineteen hun-
dred and twenty-six, as amended by an act approved March seven-
teenth, nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, be amended and re-enacted
so as to read as follows:

In any action at law or warrant for a_smal l a de-
fendant may file in writing a cross-claim avering that the olaintiit % 1S
liable for a tort to the defendant tor damages arising out of the same
transaction. Such cross-claim shall be tried at the same time and as
a part of the original case, and the court, jury, or justice trying the
case may allow the defendant to recover damages against the plain-
tiff on such cross-claim where the law and the evidence make it pro-
per. Such cross-claim shall@gver defendant’s claim with similar clear-
ness as 1S required in a declaration or notice of motion for tort. No
such cross-claim shall be filed before a justice where the amount
claimed in the cross-claim exceeds the amount within the jurisdiction
of such justice. =—

Jurisdiction is hereby expressly conferred upon justices of the
peace in all cases coming within the purview of this act, where the
amount claimed in the cross-claim does not exceed the general juris-
diction amount of a justice of the peace.

The pleadings to such cross-claim shall be substantially as in cases
brought by notice of motion except that no statement of contributory
negligence shall be necessary unless expressly demanded, and a bill of
particulars and grounds of defense may be demanded.