Stamie E. Lyttle Co., Inc. v. Hanover County

The Code of Virginia provides a statutory procedure which must be followed before a claimant may sue a county in contract. In the appeal of this contract action, the question is whether, as the trial court ruled, the claimant is barred for failure to comply with the applicable statutory provisions.

A “claim or demand” must first be presented to the board of supervisors for allowance before the claimant may bring an action against the county. Code § 15.1-554. When a claim is disallowed by the board of supervisors, the claimant may appeal the decision to the circuit court within 30 days of the…