Title 8.01. Civil Remedies and Procedure
Chapter 22. Receivers, General and Special
Article 1. General Receivers.
§ 8.01-582. Appointment of general receivers; their duties; audit of funds.Any circuit court may appoint a general receiver of the court, who may be the clerk of the court, and who shall hold his office at its pleasure. The general receiver's duty shall be, unless it is otherwise specially ordered, to receive, take charge of and hold all moneys paid under any judgment, order or decree of the court, and also to pay out or dispose of same as the court orders or decrees. Moneys held pursuant to this section shall be deemed public deposits as set forth in Chapter 44 (§ 2.2-4400 et seq.) of Title 2.2 and shall be invested in certificates of deposit or time deposits, and in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 45 (§ 2.2-4500 et seq.) of Title 2.2, as ordered by the court. Prior to or at the time of entry of any judgment, order or decree placing moneys under the control of the general receiver for the benefit of any specifically identified beneficiary, the general receiver shall file an affidavit with the court providing the beneficiary's name, date of birth, and social security number, as well as the proposed dates of final and periodic disbursements. Such affidavit shall be maintained under seal by the clerk unless otherwise ordered by the court, and the information therein shall be used solely for the purposes of financial management and reporting. Orders creating funds pursuant to this section shall include information necessary to make prudent investment and disbursement decisions but shall not include the personal identifying information set forth in the general receiver's affidavit.
Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the provisions of this section shall not apply to:
1. Cash or other money received in lieu of surety on any bond posted in any civil or criminal case, including but not limited to, bail bonds, appeal bonds in appeals from a district court or circuit court, bonds posted in connection with the filing of an attachment, detinue seizure or distress, suspending bonds, and performance bonds;
2. Cash or other money paid or deposited in the clerk's office prior to final disposition of the case, including but not limited to interpleaders or eminent domain; or
3. Cash or other money deposits in lieu of surety on any bond posted in the clerk's office which is not posted in connection with any civil or criminal case, including bonds posted by executors or administrators.
To this end, the general receiver is authorized to verify, receive, and give acquittances for all such moneys, as the court may direct. Any interest which accrues on the funds, minus allowable fees and bond costs, shall be credited and payable to the person or persons entitled to receive such funds.
All moneys received under this section are subject to audit by the Auditor of Public Accounts. The Auditor of Public Accounts shall prescribe mandatory record keeping and accounting standards for general receivers.
Code 1950, § 8-725; 1973, c. 354; 1977, c. 617; 1979, c. 498; 1988, c. 553; 1990, c. 414; 1991, c. 635; 1999, c. 198; 2003, c. 97.
§ 8.01-583. How securities taken and kept; power of receivers over same.The securities in which under the orders of the court such investments may be made shall be taken in the name of the general receiver and be kept by him, unless otherwise specially ordered. He shall have power to sell, transfer or collect the same, only upon order of the court; and in case of his death, resignation or removal his successor, or any person specially appointed by the court for that purpose, shall have like power.
Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, when a general receiver places funds in a security or investment which is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or other federal insurance agency, the general receiver shall to the extent practicable invest these funds so that insurance coverage is provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or other federal insurance agency.
Code 1950, § 8-726; 1977, c. 617; 1988, c. 553; 1990, c. 3.
§ 8.01-584. How dividends and interest collected and invested.The general receiver shall collect the dividends and interest on all the securities in which investments have been or may be made, under the orders or decrees of his court, or under the provisions of § 8.01-582, when and as often as the same may become due and payable thereon, and shall invest the same in like securities, unless the court has ordered or decreed some other investment or disposition to be made thereof; and in such case he shall invest or dispose of the same as the court shall have ordered or decreed.
Code 1950, § 8-727; 1977, c. 617.
§ 8.01-585. How accounts kept by receivers.Each such general receiver shall keep an accurate and particular account of all moneys received, invested and paid out by him, showing the respective amounts to the credit of each case in the court and designating in the items the judgments, orders or decrees of court under which the respective sums have been received, invested or paid out. No later than October 1 of each year, he shall make a report to his court showing the balance to the credit of each case in the court in which money has been received by him, the manner of each case in the court in which money has been received by him, the manner in which it is invested, the amounts received, invested or paid out during the year ending June 30 of the current year, the approximate date on which the moneys held for the beneficiaries will become payable, and the whole amount then invested and subject to the future order of the court. A copy of the annual report shall be recorded in the trust fund order book. He shall, at any time when required by the court or the Auditor of Public Accounts so to do, furnish a statement of the amount subject to the order of the court in any case pending therein and any other information required by the court or the Auditor of Public Accounts as to any money or other property under his control. He shall annually make formal settlement of his accounts before the court or before the commissioner mentioned in § 8.01-617 which settlement shall be recorded as provided in § 8.01-619.
Code 1950, § 8-728; 1977, c. 617; 1988, c. 553; 1989, c. 69.
§ 8.01-586. Inquiry as to unknown owners of funds.When funds are held because of inability to find the person to whom payable, such receiver may be ordered by the court to make inquiry and due diligence to ascertain such person in order that payment may be made; and for this purpose, and to secure any other relevant information, he shall have power to summon witnesses and take evidence; and he shall report specifically to the court in each annual report, and at any other time when so ordered by the court, the details and results of his efforts.
Code 1950, § 8-729; 1977, c. 617; 1988, c. 553.
§ 8.01-587. Liability of general receivers.Except as otherwise ordered by the court, for good cause shown, a general receiver shall be liable for any loss of income which results from his (i) failure to invest any money held by him pursuant to §§ 8.01-582 through 8.01-586 within sixty days of his receipt of the funds or (ii) failure to pay out any money so ordered by the court within sixty days of the court order. He shall be charged with interest from the date of the court order until such investment or payment is made.
Code 1950, § 8-730; 1977, c. 617; 1988, c. 841.
§ 8.01-588. Bonds generally.A general receiver shall annually give before the court a bond with surety to be approved by it, in such penalty as the court directs, sufficient at least to cover the probable amount under his control in any one year.
This section shall apply to the clerk if the clerk is appointed such receiver, and his official bond as clerk shall not cover money or property under his control as general receiver.
Code 1950, § 8-731; 1977, c. 617; 1988, c. 841.
§ 8.01-588.1. Bonds apportioned to funds under control; annual reports.The general receiver shall obtain bond through the Department of the Treasury's Division of Risk Management. No later than October 1 of each year, he shall report to the Division the amount of moneys under his control pursuant to § 8.01-582 as of June 30 of the current year and shall report the amount he expects to come under his control for the year ending on June 30 of the following year. He shall also report any other information reasonably required by the Division concerning bond coverage of moneys under his control. The cost of the bond shall be apportioned among the funds under his control as of the billing date based on the amount of each owner's or beneficiary's moneys. This section shall not apply to any financial institution fulfilling the requirements set out in § 6.2-1003 or § 6.2-1085.
1988, c. 841; 2000, cc. 618, 632.
§ 8.01-589. Compensation and fees; when none allowed.A. A general receiver may retain from moneys received and held pursuant to § 8.01-582, compensation for his services in such amount as the court deems reasonable, but not exceeding:
1. Ten dollars at receipt of the originating court order to receive funds, deposit funds, and establish files and accounting records with respect to those funds;
2. Ten dollars when all funds held for a beneficiary or beneficiaries are disbursed;
3. Ten dollars per draft or check for periodic and final disbursements;
4. Five percent of the interest income earned;
5. Ten dollars for remitting funds to the State Treasurer and up to ten dollars per draft for remitting those funds; and
6. Fifty dollars for conducting a hearing to ascertain the identity or location of trust fund beneficiaries pursuant to § 8.01-586 as the court directs and $50 per hour for an appearance in court.
B. When direct out-of-pocket expenses are necessary to carry out an order of the court, a general receiver may receive reimbursement for such expenses as the court deems reasonable.
C. Notwithstanding the foregoing subsections, general receivers shall not deduct fees or otherwise be compensated for services with respect to those funds which should have been reported and then remitted to the State Treasurer in accordance with § 8.01-602 or 55.1-2518.
A general receiver shall promptly report to the court the execution of the bond or bonds required in § 8.01-588 and make the reports and perform the duties required of him. No compensation shall be allowed him until he has performed the duties aforesaid.
If such receiver is the clerk of court and if compensation is allowed, it shall be fee and commission income to the office of such clerk in accordance with § 17.1-287.
Code 1950, § 8-732; 1977, c. 617; 1979, c. 498; 1988, c. 841; 2014, c. 65.
§ 8.01-590. Penalty for failure of duty.If a general receiver fail to keep the account, or to make out and return the statements required by § 8.01-585, he shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 to be imposed by the court at its discretion; and the condition of his official bond shall be taken to embrace the liability of himself and his sureties for any such fine.
Code 1950, § 8-733; 1977, c. 617.