CHAPTER 620

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 58-766, as amended, and 58-766.1 of
the Code of Virginia, relating to certain permits for repair, improve-
ments or construction of certain buildings or structures in certain
counties and penalties for violations. rH 798]

Approved March 31, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: _

1. That §§ 58-766, as amended, and 58-766.1 of the Code of Virginia be
amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 58-766. In any county in the State not included within the opera-
tion of §§ 58-765 and 58-766.1, no person, firm or corporation shall com-
mence the construction, repair or improvement of any building or struc-
ture located within such county and permanently annexed to the freehold,
if the cost of such construction, repair or improvement shall exceed the
sum of five hundred dollars, until there shall have been first obtained
from the commissioner of the revenue of the county a permit in writing,
signed by the commissioner of the revenue. The commissioner of the
revenue shall issue such permits, when the same are required, to every
person who shall apply therefor and describe, with reasonable certainty,
the kind and character of the work to be done and the estimated cost
thereof; and each such permit shall state the matter so described. This
section shall not apply to any county which requires a building permit
under the provisions of articles 2, 8 and 4 (§ 15-844 et seq.), chapter 24,
Title 15, or to chapter 11 of Title 15.1 of the Code of Virginia. This
section shall not apply to any person, firm or corporation constructing,
repairing or improving any property located within the corporate limits
of any town which issues its own building permits. Any such town shall
furnish to the commissioner of the revenue of the county in which such
town is located, not later than the first day of March of each year, a list
of all such permits issued by such town during the preceding calendar
year, which list shall show the location of the property, the kind and char-
acter of the work done and the estimated cost thereof.

No fee shall be charged by any county to which this section applies
for any permit; provided, that, in any county adjoining any other county
in this State having a density of population in excess of one thousand per
square mile, there shall be charged for each such permit a fee of not less
than fifty cents nor more than five dollars, in accordance with a schedule
of fees to be prescribed by resolution of the board of supervisors or other
governing body of such county, and all such fees shall be paid into the
county treasury. |

Any person, firm or corporation violating this section shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine
not exceeding twenty-five dollars.

§ 58-766.1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, any
county having a population of not less than seventeen thousand nor more
than seventeen thousand two hundred inhabitants, any county having a
population of not less than twenty-seven thousand nor more than twenty-
seven thousand two hundred inhabitants, * any county having a popula-
tion of not less than thirty-one thousand two hundred nor more than
thirty-one thousand four hundred inhabitants, and any county having a
population of not less than nine thousand two hundred nor more than nine
thousand five hundred, may provide by ordinance that no person, firm or
corporation shall commence the construction, repair or improvement of
any building or structure permanently annexed to the freehold and to cost
two hundred and fifty dollars or more, until there shall have been first
obtained from the commissioner of the revenue of such county a permit
in writing signed by the commissioner of the revenue, in which permit
the kind and character of the work thereby authorized, and the estimated
cost thereof, shall be described with reasonable certainty.

Such ordinance shall require that any permit issued thereunder shall
be posted at any place covered by such permit and may further provide
that a fee be charged of not less than fifty cents nor more than five dollars
for the issuance of such permit.

Any person, firm or corporation violating the provisions of this sec-
tion shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall
be punished by a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars.