{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-17.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-17.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-17.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-17.html"}],"law_id":59134,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59134,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-17","catch_line":"Conveyance of church land held in adverse possession","history":"1918, p. 94; 1924, p. 498; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 46a; 2005, c. 772.","full_text":"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.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":216827,"text":"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.","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":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},"next_section":{"id":72855,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-7","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-7\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-7","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-17\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: 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":false,"permalink":{"id":251587,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59134,"identifier":"57-17","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-17","url":"\/57-17\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-17\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-17","dublin_core":{"Title":"Conveyance of church land held in adverse possession","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-17","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Whenever any church in the Commonwealth has been in the undisputed possession<\/span>, 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<\/span> in the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of such county, or any court<\/span> of record of such city, duly sworn to, which petition<\/span> shall set forth the fact<\/span> that the real estate mentioned therein has been in the undisputed possession<\/span> of such church for a period of 25 years or more and shall give the true boundaries of such real estate. Upon the hearing<\/span> of such petition<\/span>, if the court<\/span> shall be satisfied that the real estate mentioned has been in the undisputed possession<\/span> of such church for a period of 25 years or more; that the boundaries mentioned in the petition<\/span> are the true boundaries of such real estate; and that such petition<\/span> has been filed by the proper party<\/span>, it may appoint a special commissioner to make conveyance of such real estate to the church, with covenant of special warranty.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCONVEYANCE OF CHURCH LAND HELD IN ADVERSE POSSESSION (\u00a7 57-17)\n\nWhenever any church in the Commonwealth has been in the undisputed possession,\nfor a period of 25 years or more, of any real estate, and for which there is no\ndeed of record, the church, after giving notice once a week for four successive\nweeks in some newspaper published in, or having general circulation in, the\ncounty or city in which such real estate is, may file a petition in the circuit\ncourt of such county, or any court of record of such city, duly sworn to, which\npetition shall set forth the fact that the real estate mentioned therein has\nbeen in the undisputed possession of such church for a period of 25 years or\nmore and shall give the true boundaries of such real estate. Upon the hearing of\nsuch petition, if the court shall be satisfied that the real estate mentioned\nhas been in the undisputed possession of such church for a period of 25 years or\nmore; that the boundaries mentioned in the petition are the true boundaries of\nsuch real estate; and that such petition has been filed by the proper party, it\nmay appoint a special commissioner to make conveyance of such real estate to the\nchurch, with covenant of special warranty.\n\nHISTORY: 1918, p. 94; 1924, p. 498; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 46a; 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}}