An injunction may be awarded to protect any plaintiff in a suit for specific property, pending either at law or in equity, against injury from the sale, removal, or concealment of such property.
§ 8.01-622.Injunction to protect plaintiff in suit for specific property.
Chapter 24. Injunctions · Last amended 1977 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceSection 8.01-622 lets a plaintiff already suing for specific property, whether at law or in equity, obtain an injunction that protects that property from being sold, moved, or hidden while the underlying suit is pending.
Full Text of § 8.01-622
Plain-English Summary
A suit for specific property asks a court to decide who owns or is entitled to a particular thing. This section gives the plaintiff in that kind of suit a way to preserve the status quo — an injunction blocking the other side from selling, moving, or concealing the property before the court can rule.
The three threats it names — sale, removal, or concealment — each share the same danger: if the property disappears before judgment, winning the underlying suit becomes an empty victory. Stopping any of the three keeps the eventual judgment meaningful.
The section applies regardless of whether the underlying suit for the property is pending at law or in equity, so a plaintiff is not locked out of injunctive protection just because the main claim proceeds as a legal action rather than an equitable one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of lawsuit qualifies a plaintiff for this injunction?
A suit for specific property, pending either at law or in equity.
What harms can this injunction guard against?
Injury from the sale, removal, or concealment of the specific property at issue in the suit.
Who can ask for this injunction?
The plaintiff in the pending suit for the specific property.
Does the underlying suit have to be an equity case?
No. The section covers suits pending at law as well as suits pending in equity.
What happens if the property is about to leave Virginia entirely?
This section does not address that scenario directly, but § 8.01-630 supplies a forthcoming-bond mechanism for injunctions restraining removal of property out of the Commonwealth.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-612; 1977, c. 617.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
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