Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title57/chapter2/
Timestamp: 2020-07-08 04:45:17
Document Index: 460187037

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 57', '§ 37', '§ 2', '§ 60', '§ 57', '§ 61', '§ 57', '§ 55', '§ 57', '§ 40', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 41', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 8', '§ 42', '§ 57', '§ 44', '§ 57', '§ 45', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 46', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 49', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 47']

Code of Virginia Code - Chapter 2. Church Property; Benevolent Associations and Objects
Table of Contents » Title 57. Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries » Chapter 2. Church Property; Benevolent Associations and Objects
Chapter 2. Church Property; Benevolent Associations and Objects.
§ 57-4. Donations to vestries for charitable purposes.
Where, previous to January 30, 1806, any donation was made of money or any other thing, for a charitable purpose, and the donation was to be controlled or managed by a vestry, the governing body of the county, city or town, in which the charity was intended by the donor to be exercised, shall exercise the same powers, and perform the same duties, respecting the donation, that could or ought to have been exercised and performed by the vestry, if it had continued to exist and been a corporate body, and shall apply such money or other thing in such manner as may have been directed by the donor.
Code 1919, § 37.
The Governor is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement to lease the Pelham Chapel to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Lee-Jackson Camp No. 1. The lease, or any renewal thereof, shall be in increments of five years and shall be under such terms and conditions, consistent with commemoration of a Confederate war memorial, as the Governor finds reasonably necessary and approved as to form by the Attorney General. Any such lease or renewal thereof shall only be revoked or terminated during such lease term increment if the lessee willfully fails to abide by the terms of the lease.
The provisions of § 2.2-1155 shall not apply to the Pelham Chapel, as configured as of July 1, 2002.
Code 1919, § 60; 1950, p. 632; 1972, c. 763; 1981, c. 1; 1990, c. 124; 1993, c. 737; 2002, c. 742.
§ 57-6. Lee Memorial Association.
The act entitled "An act to incorporate the Lee Memorial Association," approved January 14, 1871, as amended by an act approved December 29, 1877, as amended by an act approved March 3, 1879, as amended by an act approved March 13, 1884; the act entitled "An act to authorize the investment of moneys belonging to the Lee Memorial Association in State bonds," approved March 20, 1877; and the act entitled "An act to authorize the redemption of certain State securities held by the Lee Monument Association," approved March 19, 1884, shall severally continue in force.
Code 1919, § 61.
§ 57-6.1. Validity of literary, educational, and charitable gifts, grants, devises, or bequests.
Every gift, grant, devise, or bequest made on or after April 2, 1839, for literary or educational purposes, and every gift, grant, devise, or bequest made on or after April 6, 1976, for charitable purposes, whether made in any case to any type of entity or to a natural person, shall be as valid as if made to or for the benefit of a certain natural person, except such devises or bequests, if any, that have failed or become void by virtue of the seventh section of the Act of the General Assembly passed on April 2, 1839, entitled "an act concerning devises made to schools, academies, and colleges." Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to give validity to any devise or bequest to or for the use of any unincorporated theological seminary. Every gift, grant, devise, or bequest made for literary, educational, or charitable purposes before April 6, 1976, is hereby validated.
1976, c. 546, § 55-26.1; 2019, c. 712.
Article 2. Property Held for Religious Purposes.
§ 57-7. Repealed.
Repealed by Acts 1993, c. 370.
1993, c. 370; 2005, c. 772.
Code 1919, § 40; 1972, c. 825; 2005, cc. 681, 772.
§ 57-10. How trustees to hold personal property.
When personal property shall be given or acquired for the benefit of an unincorporated church or religious body, to be used for its religious purposes, the same shall stand vested in the trustees having the legal title to the land, to be held by them as the land is held, and upon the same trusts or, if the church has created a corporation pursuant to § 57-16.1, to be held by it as its land is held, and for the same purposes.
Code 1919, § 41; 1962, c. 516; 2005, c. 772.
§ 57-11. Suits by and against trustees.
Such trustees, and such as are mentioned in §§ 57-21, 57-22, and 57-23, may, in their own names, sue for and recover any real or personal estate held by them respectively in trust, or damages for injury thereto, and be sued in relation to the same. Such suit notwithstanding the death of any of the trustees, or the appointment of others, shall proceed in the names of the trustees by or against whom it was instituted.
In any case where such trustees shall have given any deed of trust, or encumbered such real or personal estate in any manner to secure any debt, and such trustees have since died, and such church diocese, religious congregation or organization has become extinct, or has ceased to occupy the property, so that it may be regarded as abandoned property, the beneficiary entitled to the debt secured by such deed of trust or encumbrance, may for the purpose of subjecting the estate to the payment of such lien, institute a suit in equity in the circuit court of the county or city in which the property or the greater part thereof is, against the members of such church diocese or religious congregation or organization as parties unknown, proceeding by order of publication as provided by Chapter 8 (§ 8.01-285 et seq.) of Title 8.01.
Code 1919, § 42; 1918, p. 409; 1920, p. 9; 1962, c. 516; 2005, c. 772.
§ 57-12. Repealed.
Any one or more members of any church diocese or religious congregation whose property is held by trustees may, in his or their names, on behalf of such church diocese or congregation, commence and prosecute a suit in equity against any such trustee to compel him to apply such real or personal estate for the use or benefit of the church diocese or congregation, as his duty shall require. No member of the church diocese or congregation need be made a defendant to such suit, but, in other respects, the same shall be proceeded in, heard, and determined as other suits in equity, except that it may be proceeded in, notwithstanding the death of the plaintiff, as if he were still living.
Code 1919, § 44; 1962, c. 516; 2005, c. 772.
§ 57-14. Suits by members to have land sold or mortgaged.
Whenever the governing body of any church diocese or any religious congregation whose property is held by trustees, for whose use a conveyance, devise, or dedication of land has been lawfully made, shall deem that their interest will be promoted by a sale of the whole or a part of such land, or by a mortgage thereof, or deed of trust thereon, it shall be lawful for any member of such church diocese or congregation, in his name and on behalf of the other members thereof, to prosecute a suit for either of such purposes in the circuit court of the county, or circuit court of the city, in which such land or the greater part thereof lies, against the trustees or the survivors of them in whom the legal title is; and it shall be lawful for such court, if a proper case be made, and it appears that the governing body of the church diocese or the congregation has given its assent thereto in the mode prescribed by its authorities, and the court be of opinion that the rights of others will not be violated thereby, to order the sale of such land or part thereof, or the execution of such mortgage or deed of trust, and make such disposition of the proceeds of such sale as the governing body of the church diocese or congregation may desire.
Code 1919, § 45; 1962, c. 516; 2005, c. 772.
§ 57-15.1. Order may provide that fiscal officer may sign instrument without personal liability.
Any order entered pursuant to §§ 57-14 and 57-15 may provide that any instrument evidencing a debt secured by a deed of trust or mortgage made in behalf of a church diocese, congregation, church or religious denomination or society or branch or division thereof, hereinafter referred to inclusively as "church," may be signed without personal liability by the treasurer or other fiscal officer of such church and thereupon become the obligation solely of the church named therein.
To carry out any order entered pursuant to §§ 57-14 and 57-15, the judge may appoint a special commissioner to convey or encumber any real estate held for the benefit of any church in connection with any transaction involving any conveyance or debt in the name of the church.
Any such instrument when recorded shall be indexed in the name of the church as grantor.
1966, c. 149.
A. How property acquired, held, transferred, etc. -- Whenever the laws, rules or ecclesiastic polity of any church or religious sect, society or denomination commits to its duly elected or appointed bishop, minister or other ecclesiastical officer, authority to administer its affairs, such duly elected or appointed bishop, minister or other ecclesiastical officer shall have power to acquire by deed, devise, gift, purchase or otherwise, any real or personal property, for any purpose authorized and permitted by its laws, rules or ecclesiastic polity, and not prohibited by the laws of Virginia, and the power to hold, improve, mortgage, sell and convey the same in accordance with such laws, rules and ecclesiastic polity, and in accordance with the laws of Virginia.
B. Transfer, removal, resignation or death of ecclesiastical officer. --
In the event of the transfer, removal, resignation or death of any such bishop, minister, or other ecclesiastical officer, the title and all rights with respect to any such property shall pass to and become vested in his duly elected or appointed successor immediately upon election or appointment, and pending election or appointment of such successor, such title and rights shall be vested in such person or persons as shall be designated by the laws, rules, or ecclesiastical polity of such church or religious sect, society or denomination.
C. Validation of deeds, etc. --
All deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, wills or other instruments made prior to March 18, 1942, to or by a duly elected or appointed bishop, minister or other ecclesiastical officer, who at the time of the making of any such deed, deed of trust, mortgage, will or other instrument, or thereafter, had authority to administer the affairs of any church or religious sect, society or denomination under its laws, rules or ecclesiastic polity, transferring property, real or personal, of any such church or religious sect, society or denomination, are hereby ratified and declared valid. All transfers of title and rights with respect to property, prior to such date from a predecessor bishop, minister or other ecclesiastical officer who has resigned or died, or has been transferred or removed, to his duly elected or appointed successor, by the laws, rules or ecclesiastic polity of any such church or religious sect, society or denomination, either by written instruments or solely by virtue of the election or appointment of such successor, are also hereby ratified and declared valid.
D. Insufficient designation of beneficiaries or objects of trust. --
No gift, grant, bequest or devise made on or after March 18, 1942, to any such church or religious sect, society or denomination or the duly elected or appointed bishop, minister or other ecclesiastical officer authorized to administer its affairs, shall fail or be declared void for insufficient designation of the beneficiaries in, or the objects of, any trust annexed to such gift, grant, bequest or devise; but such gift, grant, bequest or devise shall be valid; provided, that whenever the objects of any such trust shall be undefined, or so uncertain as not to admit of specific enforcement by the courts of the Commonwealth, such gift, grant, bequest or devise shall be held, managed, and the principal or income appropriated, for the religious and benevolent uses of such church or religious sect, society or denomination by its duly elected or appointed bishop, minister or other ecclesiastical officer authorized to administer its affairs.
E. Rights and remedies cumulative. --
The rights created and the remedies provided in this section shall be construed as cumulative and not exclusive.
F. No implied repeal of other provisions. --
This section shall not be so construed as to effect an implied repeal of any other provisions of this chapter.
2005, cc. 772, 928.
§ 57-17. Conveyance of church land held in adverse possession.
Whenever any church in the Commonwealth has been in the undisputed possession, for a period of 25 years or more, of any real estate, and for which there is no deed of record, the church, after giving notice once a week for four successive weeks in some newspaper published in, or having general circulation in, the county or city in which such real estate is, may file a petition in the circuit court of such county, or any court of record of such city, duly sworn to, which petition shall set forth the fact that the real estate mentioned therein has been in the undisputed possession of such church for a period of 25 years or more and shall give the true boundaries of such real estate. Upon the hearing of such petition, if the court shall be satisfied that the real estate mentioned has been in the undisputed possession of such church for a period of 25 years or more; that the boundaries mentioned in the petition are the true boundaries of such real estate; and that such petition has been filed by the proper party, it may appoint a special commissioner to make conveyance of such real estate to the church, with covenant of special warranty.
1918, p. 94; 1924, p. 498; Michie Code 1942, § 46a; 2005, c. 772.
Article 3. Benevolent Associations and Objects.
§ 57-18. Conveyance for charitable purpose to unincorporated bodies or societies.
In any case where, since June 18, 1914, there has been, or at any time hereafter there may be, any gift, grant or devise of real estate for charitable purposes to an unincorporated body or society whether such gift, grant or devise be directly to such body or society, or to it in trust for charitable uses, trustees to hold the same may, if such unincorporated body or society so elects, be appointed in accordance with the procedure prescribed by § 57-8, and such trustees shall hold the trust subject in accordance with the provisions of §§ 57-11, 57-13, 57-14 and 57-15, in like manner as if such sections had been made expressly applicable to such unincorporated body or society. For the purposes of this section the words church, society, denomination, congregation, religious congregation, religious body, religious denomination and religious congregation or organization, appearing in the aforesaid sections, shall be interpreted to refer to such unincorporated body or society.
1928, p. 25; Michie Code 1942, § 49a.
§ 57-19. Conveyances of land to benevolent and other associations to be subject to certain sections.
When any conveyance of land has been or shall be made to trustees for the use of any society of Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Sons of Temperance, posts of Veterans of Foreign Wars or of the American Legion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans and of other associations of veterans of the armed forces of the United States, or any other benevolent or literary associations, or school league, or other groups organized for rural community civic purposes or improvement of farm life or operations of like purposes and not for profit, or if without the intervention of trustees such conveyance has been made since March 31, 1848, or shall be hereafter made for such use, §§ 57-8, 57-11, 57-14 and 57-15 shall be construed as if they were expressly made applicable to such association, post or society. Whenever such association, post or society has been in undisputed possession, for a period of twenty-five years or more, of any real estate, and for which there is no deed of record, § 57-17 shall be construed as if it was expressly made applicable to such association, post or society.
Code 1919, § 47; 1946, p. 230; 1954, c. 129; 1956, c. 203.