[Adopted as Ch. 1 of the 1975 Code]
The ordinances embraced in this and the following chapters and sections shall constitute and be designated the "Code of the County of Warren, Virginia," and may be so cited. These ordinances may also be cited as the "Warren County Code."
In the Interpretation and construction of this Code and of all ordinances of the county, the following definitions and rules of construction shall be observed, unless they are inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Board of Supervisors or the context clearly requires otherwise.
A. 
Definitions.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
The Board of Supervisors of the County of Warren.
COMMONWEALTH; STATE
The Commonwealth of Virginia.
COUNTY
The County of Warren in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
HEALTH OFFICER; COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER
The public health officer of the county or representative of the State Board of Health serving this county.
MONTH
A calendar month.
OATH
Includes an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath.
OCCUPANT
Applied to a building or land, any person who holds a written or oral lease of or actually occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, either alone or with others.
OWNER
Applied to any property, shall include any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common, joint tenant or tenant by the entirety of the whole or a part of such property.
PERSON
Includes a firm, partnership, association of persons, corporation, body politic, organization or any other group acting as a unit, as well as an individual.
POLICE OFFICER
Includes the Sheriff and his deputies, state police officers, United States marshals and their deputies, and all other law enforcement officers having authority to make arrests, but shall not include private citizens who may make arrests under the common law for felonies and breaches of the peace committed in their presence.
PROPERTY
Real, personal or mixed property.
PUBLIC GROUND
The parks and all public lands owned by the county and those parts of public places which do not form traveled parts of streets as defined in this section.
ROAD; HIGHWAY
"Street," as such word is defined in this subsection.
SIDEWALK
Any portion of a street between the curbline, or the lateral lines of a roadway where there is no curb, and the adjacent property line intended for the use of pedestrians.
STATE
See "commonwealth; state."
STREET
Includes avenues, boulevards, highways, roads, alleys, lanes, viaducts, bridges and the approaches thereto and all other public thoroughfares in the county, and shall mean the entire width thereof between abutting property lines.
YEAR
A calendar year.
B. 
Rules of construction.
(1) 
Computation of time. The time within which an act is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first and including the last day; and if the last day is Sunday or legal holiday, that day shall be excluded.
(2) 
Following. The word "following," when used by way of reference to any section or sections in the Code, shall be construed to mean next following that in which such reference is made.
(3) 
Gender. A word importing the masculine gender only may extend and be applied to females and to corporations as well as to males.
(4) 
Number. A word importing the singular number only may extend and be applied to several persons or things, as well as to one person or thing; and a word importing the plural number only may extend and be applied to one person or thing, as well as to several persons or things.
(5) 
Or; and. "Or" may read as "and" and "and" may be read as "or" if the sense so requires.
(6) 
Preceding. The word "preceding," when used by way of reference to any section or sections in this Code, shall be construed to mean next preceding that in which such reference is made.
(7) 
Shall. The word "shall" shall be mandatory.
(8) 
Swear; sworn. The word "swear" or "sworn" shall be equivalent to the word "affirm" or "affirmed" in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath.
(9) 
Written; in writing. The words "written" and "in writing" shall include typewriting, printing on paper and any other mode of representing words, letters and figures.
The catchlines of the sections of this Code are intended as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the sections and shall not be deemed or taken to be titles of such sections nor as any part of any section nor, unless expressly so provided, shall they be so deemed when any section, including its catchline, is amended or reenacted.
The provisions appearing in this Code, so far as they are substantially the same in substance as those of the ordinances included herein, shall be considered as continuations thereof and not as new enactments.
When an ordinance which has repealed another shall itself be repealed, the previous ordinance shall not be revived without express words to that effect.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Sec. 1-6, Severability of parts of Code, was deleted 6-18-1990.
[Amended 6-18-1990; 12-15-1998]
Wherever in this Code or in any ordinance or resolution of the county or in any rule, regulation, notice or order promulgated by any officer or agency of the county under authority duly vested in him or it any act is prohibited or is declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor or the doing of any act is required or the failure, neglect or refusal to do any act is declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor and no specific penalty is provided for the violation thereof, the violation of any such provision of this Code or any such ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, notice or order shall be punished by a fine of not more than $2,500 or by imprisonment for a period of not more than 12 months in jail, or by either or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day any violation of this Code or any ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, notice or order shall continue shall constitute a separate offense except as otherwise provided.