H. B. 2541
(By Delegates Hamilton, Argento, Ireland,
Evans, Eldridge, Guthrie, Webster and Schadler)
[Introduced February 17, 2009; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §19-18-1 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to including poultry among those
domesticated farm animals or stock for which the owner shall
be liable for damages caused by those animals when they enter
on the property of another.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §19-18-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 18. GENERAL STOCK LAW.
§19-18-1. Stock trespassing on grounds of another; damages.
If any horse, mule, ass, jennet, cattle, sheep, swine,
poultry
or goat shall enter into any grounds, the owner or manager of any
such stock shall be liable to the owner or tenant of such grounds
for any damage he
or she may sustain thereby, and the party so
injured may, if he
or she find such stock on his
or her premises, impound them, or a sufficient number thereof, subject to the
provisions of sections eight, nine and ten of this article, until
such damages and costs of keeping have been paid.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to include poultry among
those domesticated farm animals or stock for which the owner shall
be liable for damages caused by those animals when they enter on
the property of another.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.