{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/57-9.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/57-9.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/57-9.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/57-9.html"}],"law_id":370859,"edition_id":2,"section_id":370859,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-9","catch_line":"How property rights determined on division of church or society","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 40; 1972, c. 825; 2005, cc. 681, 772.","full_text":"A\n\nIf a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a church or religious society, to which any such congregation whose property is held by trustees is attached, the members of such congregation over 18 years of age may, by a vote of a majority of the whole number, determine to which branch of the church or society such congregation shall thereafter belong. Such determination shall be reported to the circuit court of the county or city, wherein the property held in trust for such congregation or the greater part thereof is; and if the determination be approved by the court, it shall be so entered in the court’s civil order book, and shall be conclusive as to the title to and control of any property held in trust for such congregation, and be respected and enforced accordingly in all of the courts of the Commonwealth.\n\nB\n\nIf a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a congregation whose property is held by trustees which, in its organization and government, is a church or society entirely independent of any other church or general society, a majority of the members of such congregation, entitled to vote by its constitution as existing at the time of the division, or where it has no written constitution, entitled to vote by its ordinary practice or custom, may decide the right, title, and control of all property held in trust for such congregation. Their decision shall be reported to such court, and if approved by it, shall be so entered as aforesaid, and shall be final as to such right of property so held.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1383478,"text":"If a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a church or religious society, to which any such congregation whose property is held by trustees is attached, the members of such congregation over 18 years of age may, by a vote of a majority of the whole number, determine to which branch of the church or society such congregation shall thereafter belong. Such determination shall be reported to the circuit court of the county or city, wherein the property held in trust for such congregation or the greater part thereof is; and if the determination be approved by the court, it shall be so entered in the court’s civil order book, and shall be conclusive as to the title to and control of any property held in trust for such congregation, and be respected and enforced accordingly in all of the courts of the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1383479,"text":"If a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a congregation whose property is held by trustees which, in its organization and government, is a church or society entirely independent of any other church or general society, a majority of the members of such congregation, entitled to vote by its constitution as existing at the time of the division, or where it has no written constitution, entitled to vote by its ordinary practice or custom, may decide the right, title, and control of all property held in trust for such congregation. Their decision shall be reported to such court, and if approved by it, shall be so entered as aforesaid, and shall be final as to such right of property so held.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":52799,"edition_id":2,"name":"Property Held for Religious Purposes","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52798,"metadata":{"child_laws":14,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:05:58","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:47","permalink":{"id":1478551,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52799,"identifier":"2","token":"57\/2\/2","url":"\/57\/2\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52798,"edition_id":2,"name":"Church Property; Benevolent Associations and Objects","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52796,"metadata":{"child_laws":23,"child_structures":3},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:05:58","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:47","permalink":{"id":1478527,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52798,"identifier":"2","token":"57\/2","url":"\/57\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52796,"edition_id":2,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":123,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":105,"child_structures":18},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:05:57","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:46","permalink":{"id":1478503,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52796,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":370756,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-10","catch_line":"How trustees to hold personal property","url":"\/57-10\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-10","metadata":false},{"id":370757,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-11","catch_line":"Suits by and against trustees","url":"\/57-11\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-11","metadata":false},{"id":370758,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-12","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-12\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-12","metadata":false},{"id":370759,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-13","catch_line":"Suits by members against trustees to compel proper application of property","url":"\/57-13\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-13","metadata":false},{"id":370760,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-14","catch_line":"Suits by members to have land sold or mortgaged","url":"\/57-14\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-14","metadata":false},{"id":370762,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-15","catch_line":"Proceedings by trustees or members for similar purposes, exception for certain transfers","url":"\/57-15\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-15","metadata":false},{"id":370761,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-15.1","catch_line":"Order may provide that fiscal officer may sign instrument without personal liability","url":"\/57-15.1\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-15.1","metadata":false},{"id":370764,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-16","catch_line":"Property held, etc., by ecclesiastical officers","url":"\/57-16\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-16","metadata":false},{"id":370763,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-16.1","catch_line":"Property of unincorporated church held by corporation","url":"\/57-16.1\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-16.1","metadata":false},{"id":370765,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-17","catch_line":"Conveyance of church land held in adverse possession","url":"\/57-17\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-17","metadata":false},{"id":370857,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-7","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-7\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-7","metadata":false},{"id":370856,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-7.1","catch_line":"What transfers for religious purposes valid","url":"\/57-7.1\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-7.1","metadata":false},{"id":370858,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-8","catch_line":"Appointment of trustees to effect the purposes of conveyances, etc.; validation of certain appointments","url":"\/57-8\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-8","metadata":false},{"id":370859,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-9","catch_line":"How property rights determined on division of church or society","url":"\/57-9\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":370858,"structure_id":52799,"section_number":"57-8","catch_line":"Appointment of trustees to effect the purposes of conveyances, etc.; validation of certain appointments","url":"\/57-8\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-8","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-9\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1972, chapter 825; in 2005, chapters 681<\/a> and 772<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1478605,"object_type":"law","relational_id":370859,"identifier":"57-9","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-9","url":"\/57-9\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-9\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-9","dublin_core":{"Title":"How property rights determined on division of church or society","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-9","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> If a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a church or religious society, to which any such congregation whose property is held by trustees is attached, the members of such congregation over 18 years of age may, by a vote of a majority of the whole number, determine to which branch of the church or society such congregation shall thereafter belong. Such determination shall be reported to the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of the county or city, wherein the property held in trust for such congregation or the greater part thereof is; and if the determination be approved by the court<\/span>, it shall be so entered in the court<\/span>’s civil order book<\/span>, and shall be conclusive as to the title to and control of any property held in trust for such congregation, and be respected and enforced accordingly in all of the courts<\/span> of the Commonwealth. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> If a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a congregation whose property is held by trustees which, in its organization and government, is a church or society entirely independent of any other church or general society, a majority of the members of such congregation, entitled to vote by its constitution as existing at the time of the division, or where it has no written constitution, entitled to vote by its ordinary practice or custom, may decide the right, title, and control of all property held in trust for such congregation. Their decision shall be reported to such court<\/span>, and if approved by it, shall be so entered as aforesaid, and shall be final as to such right of property so held. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nHOW PROPERTY RIGHTS DETERMINED ON DIVISION OF CHURCH OR SOCIETY (\u00a7 57-9)\n\nA. If a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a church or\nreligious society, to which any such congregation whose property is held by\ntrustees is attached, the members of such congregation over 18 years of age may,\nby a vote of a majority of the whole number, determine to which branch of the\nchurch or society such congregation shall thereafter belong. Such determination\nshall be reported to the circuit court of the county or city, wherein the\nproperty held in trust for such congregation or the greater part thereof is; and\nif the determination be approved by the court, it shall be so entered in the\ncourt’s civil order book, and shall be conclusive as to the title to and\ncontrol of any property held in trust for such congregation, and be respected\nand enforced accordingly in all of the courts of the Commonwealth.\n\nB. If a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a\ncongregation whose property is held by trustees which, in its organization and\ngovernment, is a church or society entirely independent of any other church or\ngeneral society, a majority of the members of such congregation, entitled to\nvote by its constitution as existing at the time of the division, or where it\nhas no written constitution, entitled to vote by its ordinary practice or\ncustom, may decide the right, title, and control of all property held in trust\nfor such congregation. Their decision shall be reported to such court, and if\napproved by it, shall be so entered as aforesaid, and shall be final as to such\nright of property so held.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 40; 1972, c. 825; 2005, cc. 681, 772.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}