Title: African Meth. Epis. Ch. v. St. Paul Meth. Ch. of Selmont
Citation: 329 So. 2d 542
Docket Number: N/A
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: March 19, 1976

329 So. 2d 542 (1976)
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, a corp.
v.
ST. PAUL METHODIST CHURCH OF SELMONT, a corp.
SC 1376.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
March 19, 1976.
Chestnut, Sanders &amp; Sanders, Selma, for appellant.
Gamble &amp; Gamble, Selma, for appellee.
MADDOX, Justice.
The question presented is the propriety of the circuit judge's granting summary judgment in a contest between two religious groups over the ownership of church property.
African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America, a national religious organization, and St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Selma, Alabama, an unincorporated local congregation affiliated with the national organization, brought suit against St. Paul Methodist Church of Selmont, an incorporated local congregation which was organized on June 12, 1969, when a majority of the local congregation disaffiliated from the national organization. In the suit the national organization and the local affiliate sought to enjoin and restrain the newly formed church group from using the church facilities. They also sought an accounting.
The trial judge granted summary judgment in favor of the newly formed church. In granting summary judgment, the court stated:
The essential facts appearing in the record are as follows:
Before September 1, 1955, the lot upon which the church building stood for many years was contained in a larger tract of land known as the King estate, which had been devised by will equally to Frederic D. King and an alien German woman, Marie Smitter. The undivided one-half interest owned by Marie Smitter was seized by the alien property custodian of the United States government during the second World War. By similar deeds, dated September 1, 1955, and October 15, 1955, respectively, the Attorney General of the United States and Frederic D. King, conveyed their entire interest in the real estate involved to certain named individuals "as trustees of St. Paul African Methodist Church, Selma, Alabama." Pertinent portions of these deeds read as follows:
The habendum clauses contain this language:
It is apparent that the trial court, in resolving the question of whether the parties to the deeds intended for the national organization to have an interest in the property, relied upon Title 10, §§ 126(1) and 126(2), Code of Alabama 1940 (Recomp. 1958), which provides:
Although this statute may aid the fact finder in this case in determining the intent of the grantors, the trial judge inappropriately granted summary judgment. As a general proposition, summary judgment, when issues of motive, intent, and other subjective feelings and reactions are material, is likely to be inappropriate. Moore's Federal Practice § 56.17[41.-2].
The judgment of the trial court is REVERSED and REMANDED.
HEFLIN, C.J., and MERRILL, JONES and SHORES, JJ., concur.