{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-20.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-20.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-20.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-20.html"}],"law_id":68412,"edition_id":1,"section_id":68412,"structure_id":14265,"section_number":"57-20","catch_line":"Quantity of land benevolent and other associations may hold","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 48; 1948, p. 634; 1956, c. 454; 1964, c. 553; 1986, c. 63; 2002, c. 638; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 234.","full_text":"Except as otherwise provided in this section, the trustee for the use of any benevolent or other association referred to in \u00a7 57-19 shall not hereafter take or hold, at one time, any land exceeding five acres; and the trustees of two or more bodies or societies may hold jointly, land not exceeding five acres; provided that the local governing body of any county or city may by ordinance authorize such trustee or trustees to take and hold in such county or city not exceeding 10 acres of land at any one time. However, a school league may, in addition to the five acres held by such trustees, hold not exceeding 10 acres as a home for the principal of the school for which the league is named. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings that are in litigation prior to or on July 1, 1964.\n\t\tAny lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks or other groups organized for rural community civic purposes or improvement of farm life or operations of like purposes and not for profit may hold not exceeding 35 acres of land. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings that are in litigation on or before July 1, 2002.\n\t\tAny association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar association of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an act of Congress may hold not exceeding 200 acres of land. Notwithstanding any other provision of law conveyances of land made prior to June 29, 1948, to any such post or association of veterans is validated provided the same is not in excess of 75 acres. Notwithstanding the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3607, for real property owned by an association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar association of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an act of Congress, that portion of real property owned by such association or post in excess of 75 acres shall be subject to the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3651 and shall not be exempt from taxation unless an ordinance to that effect is adopted by the local governing body.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":247714,"text":"Except as otherwise provided in this section, the trustee for the use of any benevolent or other association referred to in \u00a7 57-19 shall not hereafter take or hold, at one time, any land exceeding five acres; and the trustees of two or more bodies or societies may hold jointly, land not exceeding five acres; provided that the local governing body of any county or city may by ordinance authorize such trustee or trustees to take and hold in such county or city not exceeding 10 acres of land at any one time. However, a school league may, in addition to the five acres held by such trustees, hold not exceeding 10 acres as a home for the principal of the school for which the league is named. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings that are in litigation prior to or on July 1, 1964.\n\t\tAny lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks or other groups organized for rural community civic purposes or improvement of farm life or operations of like purposes and not for profit may hold not exceeding 35 acres of land. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings that are in litigation on or before July 1, 2002.\n\t\tAny association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar association of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an act of Congress may hold not exceeding 200 acres of land. Notwithstanding any other provision of law conveyances of land made prior to June 29, 1948, to any such post or association of veterans is validated provided the same is not in excess of 75 acres. Notwithstanding the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3607, for real property owned by an association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar association of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an act of Congress, that portion of real property owned by such association or post in excess of 75 acres shall be subject to the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3651 and shall not be exempt from taxation unless an ordinance to that effect is adopted by the local governing body.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14265,"edition_id":1,"name":"Benevolent Associations and Objects","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13734,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:31","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:31","permalink":{"id":251607,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14265,"identifier":"3","token":"57\/2\/3","url":"\/57\/2\/3\/","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":80250,"structure_id":14265,"section_number":"57-18","catch_line":"Conveyance for charitable purpose to unincorporated bodies, societies, groups, associations, or posts","url":"\/57-18\/","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-18","metadata":false},{"id":58530,"structure_id":14265,"section_number":"57-19","catch_line":"Conveyances of land to benevolent and other associations to be subject to certain sections","url":"\/57-19\/","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-19","metadata":false},{"id":68412,"structure_id":14265,"section_number":"57-20","catch_line":"Quantity of land benevolent and other associations may hold","url":"\/57-20\/","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-20","metadata":false},{"id":55517,"structure_id":14265,"section_number":"57-21","catch_line":"May hold personal property through trustees","url":"\/57-21\/","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-21","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":58530,"structure_id":14265,"section_number":"57-19","catch_line":"Conveyances of land to benevolent and other associations to be subject to certain sections","url":"\/57-19\/","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-19","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":55517,"structure_id":14265,"section_number":"57-21","catch_line":"May hold personal property through trustees","url":"\/57-21\/","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-21","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-20\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 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 1956, chapter 454; in 1964, chapter 553; in 1986, chapter 63; in 2002, chapter 638<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"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\/"},{"id":75089,"section_number":"58.1-3607","catch_line":"Property exempt from taxation by designation","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3607\/"},{"id":56682,"section_number":"58.1-3651","catch_line":"Property exempt from taxation by classification or designation by ordinance adopted by local governing body on or after January 1, 2003","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3651\/"}],"permalink":{"id":251617,"object_type":"law","relational_id":68412,"identifier":"57-20","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-20","url":"\/57-20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-20\/","token":"57\/2\/3\/57-20","dublin_core":{"Title":"Quantity of land benevolent and other associations may hold","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-20","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Except as otherwise provided in this section, the trustee for the use of any benevolent or other association referred to in \u00a7 57-19<\/a> shall not hereafter take or hold, at one time, any land exceeding five acres; and the trustees of two or more bodies or societies may hold jointly, land not exceeding five acres; provided that the local governing body of any county or city may by ordinance<\/span> authorize such trustee or trustees to take and hold in such county or city not exceeding 10 acres of land at any one time. However, a school league may, in addition to the five acres held by such trustees, hold not exceeding 10 acres as a home for the principal of the school for which the league is named. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings that are in litigation<\/span> prior to or on July 1, 1964.\n\t\tAny lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order<\/span> of Elks or other groups organized for rural community civic purposes or improvement of farm life or operations of like purposes and not for profit may hold not exceeding 35 acres of land. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings that are in litigation<\/span> on or before July 1, 2002.\n\t\tAny association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar association of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an act of Congress may hold not exceeding 200 acres of land. Notwithstanding any other provision of law<\/span> conveyances of land made prior to June 29, 1948, to any such post or association of veterans is validated provided the same is not in excess of 75 acres. Notwithstanding the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3607<\/a>, for real property owned by an association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar association of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an act of Congress, that portion of real property owned by such association or post in excess of 75 acres shall be subject to the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3651<\/a> and shall not be exempt from taxation unless an ordinance<\/span> to that effect is adopted by the local governing body.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nQUANTITY OF LAND BENEVOLENT AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS MAY HOLD (\u00a7 57-20)\n\nExcept as otherwise provided in this section, the trustee for the use of any\nbenevolent or other association referred to in \u00a7 57-19 shall not hereafter take\nor hold, at one time, any land exceeding five acres; and the trustees of two or\nmore bodies or societies may hold jointly, land not exceeding five acres;\nprovided that the local governing body of any county or city may by ordinance\nauthorize such trustee or trustees to take and hold in such county or city not\nexceeding 10 acres of land at any one time. However, a school league may, in\naddition to the five acres held by such trustees, hold not exceeding 10 acres as\na home for the principal of the school for which the league is named. All such\nholdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings that are in\nlitigation prior to or on July 1, 1964.\n\t\tAny lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks or other groups\norganized for rural community civic purposes or improvement of farm life or\noperations of like purposes and not for profit may hold not exceeding 35 acres\nof land. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; except holdings\nthat are in litigation on or before July 1, 2002.\n\t\tAny association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion,\nSpanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar association of\nveterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an act of\nCongress may hold not exceeding 200 acres of land. Notwithstanding any other\nprovision of law conveyances of land made prior to June 29, 1948, to any such\npost or association of veterans is validated provided the same is not in excess\nof 75 acres. Notwithstanding the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3607, for real property\nowned by an association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American\nLegion, Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, or any similar\nassociation of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States chartered by an\nact of Congress, that portion of real property owned by such association or post\nin excess of 75 acres shall be subject to the provisions of \u00a7 58.1-3651 and\nshall not be exempt from taxation unless an ordinance to that effect is adopted\nby the local governing body.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 48; 1948, p. 634; 1956, c. 454; 1964, c. 553; 1986, c.\n63; 2002, c. 638; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 234.","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}}