The Commonwealth shall have a lien, if perfected as hereinafter provided, on land reclaimed by the Director pursuant to this article for the amount of the increase in the appraised market value of the land resulting from the reclamation, except that no lien shall attach to or be filed against the property of any person who owned the surface of the land prior to May 2, 1977, and who neither consented to, nor participated in, nor exercised control over the mining operation which necessitated the reclamation performed under this article, nor shall any lien attach to or be filed against any property if the Director waives the lien as hereinafter provided.
1984, c. 590, § 45.1-1.2; 1994, c. 28.