An Act to amend and reenact § 46.1-299, as amended, of the Code of Virginia, relating to devices signalling intention to turn or stop and rules therefor.
Volume 1968 Law 99
Law Body
CHAPTER 531
AN ACT to amend and reenact § 58-371.2, as amended, of the Code of Vir-
ginia, relating to professional bondsmen so as to provide for certain
cash deposits to be placed with the court in which such bondsman is
acting and to provide for suspension to act as bondsman in certain
cases.
{H 710]
Approved March 29, 1958
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 58-371.2, as amended, of the Code of Virginia, be amended and
reenacted as follows:
§ 58-371.2. The governing body of any county or city may by ordi-
nance require that every person who shall, for compensation enter into
any bond or bonds for others, whether as a principal or surety, shall ob-
tain a revenue license the amount of which shall be prescribed in such
ordinance; and no such professional bondsman shall enter into any such
bond or bonds in any such county or city until he shall have obtained such
license. No such license shall be issued by the authorities of any such
county or city for any year unless and until the applicant shall have first
obtained a certificate from the judge of the circuit court of the county,
or the judge of the corporation, circuit or hustings court of the city, in
which he desires to carry on the business of professional bondsman, that
he is a person of good moral character and entitled to be so licensed. A
license granted to a professional bondsman in any such county or city
oo. authorize such person to enter into such bonds in such county or
city.
No professional bondsman shall enter into any such bond if the
aggregate of the penalty of such bond and all other bonds, on which he has
not been released from liability, is in excess of the true market value of
his real estate. Each professional bondsman licensed hereunder shall file
with the clerk of the circuit court of a county or the corporation, circuit
or hustings court of the city in which he is licensed not later than the fifth
day of each month a list of all outstanding bonds on which he was obligated
as of the last day of the preceding month, together with the amount of the
penalty of each such bond.
Any agent for any professional bondsman qualified under this section
shall not act as such agent until he shall have first obtained a certificate
from the judge of the circuit court of the county or the judge of the
corporation, circuit or hustings court of the city in which his professional
bondsman employer is licensed, that he, the agent, is a person of good
moral character and is entitled to act as agent for such bondsman.
Any professional bondsman or agent for any professional bondsman,
qualified under this section, shall be subject to and governed by any rea-
sonable rules of conduct or procedure set up by the judge or justice of the
court in which he is acting as a bondsman * which may include a require-
ment that such bondsman or agent place a reasonable amount of cash or
negotiable bonds in escrow with the clerk of said court to be held during
the time such bondsman or agent is acting as a bondsman in said court,
provided that said clerk is acting under a bond of sufficient amount and
coverage to insure protection against loss, theft, or misappropriation,
Upon his violation of such rules, he may, after hearing upon a charge of
such violation, be suspended from entering into further bonds in said court
by the judge or justice thereof. If such bondsman or agent fails to have
in escrow with the clerk of said court a sum sufficient to cover any for-
feiture of bond against him and fails or refuses to pay such forfeiture
after notice and demand by the judge or justice of the court he may be
suspended by such judge or justice from entering into further bonds in
said court until the forfeiture is paid or it is adjudicated that he is not
liable thereon.
Any ordinance enacted pursuant to the provisions of this section may
provide for revocation of licenses for failure to comply with the terms of
ae ordinance and may in addition prescribe penalties for violations there-
of.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to guaranty, in-
demnity, fidelity and security companies doing business in Virginia under
the provisions of * §§ 38.1-269 to 38.1-657.