Chap. 260.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 5562 of the Code of Virginia,
as amended, relating to seals and sealed instruments and other writings pur-
porting to convey real estate. [H B 304}

Approved March 25, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section fifty-five hundred sixty-two of the Code of Vir-
ginia, as amended, be amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 5562. When scroll good by way of seal; impression on
paper as valid as on wax; writings not purporting to be sealed—Any
writing to which a natural person or partnership, whether general or
limited, making it affixes a scroll by way of a seal, shall be of the same
force as if it were actually sealed. The impression or stamping of a cor-
porate or an official seal on paper or parchment alone shall be as valid
as if made on wax or other adhesive substance. And any writing to which
a natural person or partnership, whether general or limited, making it
affixes his signature, or their signatures, and which writing in its body
says ‘‘this deed”, or “this indenture’, or other words importing a sealed
instrument, or recognizes a seal, shall be of the same force as if it were
actually sealed by such person although no seal nor scroll be attached ;
and any writing signed by a natural person or partnership, whether
general or limited, and regularly acknowledged before an officer auth-
orized to take acknowledgments of deeds to be recorded in this State,
in the body of which writing it clearly appears that the person so signing
and acknowledging same intends to and does grant or convey unto the
grantee named therein certain real estate as therein described, and in
which the writing is not said to be a deed or an indenture, and does not
purport to be sealed, and to which no seal or scroll is attached, such
writing shall pass the title to such real estate as effectually as if it were
written and executed in strict accordance with the provisions of section
fifty-one hundred sixty-two; and any such writing admitted to record
prior to the effective date of this section, as amended, shall be of the
effect as if made and recorded thereafter, except as to vested rights
already attached contrary to such writing.