City of Richmond v. Hayes

Invoking the original jurisdiction of this Court (Va. Const. Art. VI, § 1, Code § 17-96), the City of Richmond filed a petition for a peremptory writ of mandamus against its Director of the Department of Public Health, Freeman C. Hayes. The petition prays that we compel the Director to perform the ministerial duties imposed upon him by an Ordinance of the city (No. 68-223-187) that implemented Chapter 799 of the 1968 Acts of Assembly.

Chapter 799 of the Acts of Assembly provides for the abatement of nuisances in leased multiple dwellings. A multiple dwelling is defined in the Act as “[a]…