{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-11.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-11.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-11.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-11.html"}],"law_id":85753,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85753,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-11","catch_line":"Suits by and against trustees","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 42; 1918, p. 409; 1920, p. 9; 1962, c. 516; 2005, c. 772.","full_text":"Such trustees, and such as are mentioned in \u00a7\u00a7 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.\n\t\tIn 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 (\u00a7 8.01-285 et seq.) of Title 8.01.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":307109,"text":"Such trustees, and such as are mentioned in \u00a7\u00a7 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.\n\t\tIn 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 (\u00a7 8.01-285 et seq.) of Title 8.01.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13735,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property Held for Religious Purposes","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13734,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:44","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:44","permalink":{"id":251549,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13735,"identifier":"2","token":"57\/2\/2","url":"\/57\/2\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13734,"edition_id":1,"name":"Church Property; Benevolent Associations and Objects","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13324,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:44","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:44","permalink":{"id":251525,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13734,"identifier":"2","token":"57\/2","url":"\/57\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13324,"edition_id":1,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251501,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13324,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":56375,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-10","catch_line":"How trustees to hold personal property","url":"\/57-10\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-10","metadata":false},{"id":85753,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-11","catch_line":"Suits by and against trustees","url":"\/57-11\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-11","metadata":false},{"id":71213,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-12","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-12\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-12","metadata":false},{"id":54734,"structure_id":13735,"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":67767,"structure_id":13735,"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":78728,"structure_id":13735,"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":85195,"structure_id":13735,"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":81715,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-16","catch_line":"Property held, etc., by ecclesiastical officers","url":"\/57-16\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-16","metadata":false},{"id":72450,"structure_id":13735,"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":59134,"structure_id":13735,"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":72855,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-7","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-7\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-7","metadata":false},{"id":57368,"structure_id":13735,"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":66631,"structure_id":13735,"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":81504,"structure_id":13735,"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":56375,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-10","catch_line":"How trustees to hold personal property","url":"\/57-10\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-10","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":71213,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-12","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-12\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-12","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-11\/","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 1962, chapter 516; in 2005, chapter 772<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":80250,"section_number":"57-18","catch_line":"Conveyance for charitable purpose to unincorporated bodies, societies, groups, associations, or posts","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-18\/"},{"id":58530,"section_number":"57-19","catch_line":"Conveyances of land to benevolent and other associations to be subject to certain sections","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-19\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":55517,"section_number":"57-21","catch_line":"May hold personal property through trustees","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-21\/"},{"id":57062,"section_number":"57-22","catch_line":"Conveyance of land to trustees or local governing body for cemetery use","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-22\/"},{"id":75845,"section_number":"57-23","catch_line":"Appointment, change or removal of trustees","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-23\/"},{"id":65534,"section_number":"8.01-285","catch_line":"Definition of certain terms used in this chapter; process, return, statutory agent","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-285\/"}],"permalink":{"id":251555,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85753,"identifier":"57-11","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-11","url":"\/57-11\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-11\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-11","dublin_core":{"Title":"Suits by and against trustees","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-11","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Such trustees, and such as are mentioned in \u00a7\u00a7 57-21<\/a>, 57-22<\/a>, and 57-23<\/a>, may, in their own names, sue for and recover any real or personal estate held by them respectively in trust, or damages<\/span> 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.\n\t\tIn 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<\/span>, institute a suit in equity<\/span> in the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> 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<\/span> of publication as provided by Chapter 8 (\u00a7 8.01-285<\/a> et seq.) of Title 8.01.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSUITS BY AND AGAINST TRUSTEES (\u00a7 57-11)\n\nSuch trustees, and such as are mentioned in \u00a7\u00a7 57-21, 57-22, and 57-23, may,\nin their own names, sue for and recover any real or personal estate held by them\nrespectively in trust, or damages for injury thereto, and be sued in relation to\nthe same. Such suit notwithstanding the death of any of the trustees, or the\nappointment of others, shall proceed in the names of the trustees by or against\nwhom it was instituted.\n\t\tIn any case where such trustees shall have given any deed of trust, or\nencumbered such real or personal estate in any manner to secure any debt, and\nsuch trustees have since died, and such church diocese, religious congregation\nor organization has become extinct, or has ceased to occupy the property, so\nthat it may be regarded as abandoned property, the beneficiary entitled to the\ndebt secured by such deed of trust or encumbrance, may for the purpose of\nsubjecting the estate to the payment of such lien, institute a suit in equity in\nthe circuit court of the county or city in which the property or the greater\npart thereof is, against the members of such church diocese or religious\ncongregation or organization as parties unknown, proceeding by order of\npublication as provided by Chapter 8 (\u00a7 8.01-285 et seq.) of Title 8.01.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 42; 1918, p. 409; 1920, p. 9; 1962, c. 516; 2005, c. 772.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}