{"data":{"id":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-55-17-4","jurisdiction":"us-wv","citation":"W. Va. Code § 55-17-4","heading":"Procedures pending action.","body":"Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary:\n(1) A government agency shall be allowed sixty days to serve an answer to a complaint or petition for which a summons has been issued and served upon a government agency;\n(2) Judgment by default may not be entered against a government agency in an action as defined in section two of this article unless the court, after a hearing on a motion for default judgment, finds that the government agency clearly intends to fail to appear, plead or otherwise defend in the action; and\n(3) No government agency may be ordered to pay punitive damages in any action.","path":["CHAPTER 55. ACTIONS, SUITS AND ARBITRATION; JUDICIAL SALE.","ARTICLE 17. PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN ACTIONS AGAINST THE STATE."],"source_url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/55-17-4/","current_through":"as of 2026-08-03; contains at least the enactments of the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:31:01Z","sha256":"11c2d77dc7f1af054f561119daa7d7eae274ae219b631e214f4c8062996fd86e","source_id":"us-wv","stale":true,"prev":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-55-17-3a","next":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-55-17-5"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}