{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-7.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-7.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-7.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-7.1.html"}],"law_id":57368,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57368,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-7.1","catch_line":"What transfers for religious purposes valid","history":"1993, c. 370; 2005, c. 772.","full_text":"Every conveyance or transfer of real or personal property, whether inter vivos or by will, which is made to or for the benefit of any church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society, whether by purchase or gift, shall be valid.\n\t\tAny such conveyance or transfer that fails to state a specific purpose shall be used for the religious and benevolent purposes of the church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society as determined appropriate by the authorities which, under its rules or usages, have charge of the administration of the temporalities thereof.\n\t\tNo such conveyance or transfer shall fail or be declared void for insufficient designation of the beneficiaries in any case where the church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society has lawful trustees in existence, is capable of securing the appointment of lawful trustees upon application as prescribed in \u00a7 57-8, is incorporated, has created a corporation pursuant to \u00a7 57-16.1, or has ecclesiastical officers pursuant to the provisions of \u00a7 57-16.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":210263,"text":"Every conveyance or transfer of real or personal property, whether inter vivos or by will, which is made to or for the benefit of any church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society, whether by purchase or gift, shall be valid.\n\t\tAny such conveyance or transfer that fails to state a specific purpose shall be used for the religious and benevolent purposes of the church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society as determined appropriate by the authorities which, under its rules or usages, have charge of the administration of the temporalities thereof.\n\t\tNo such conveyance or transfer shall fail or be declared void for insufficient designation of the beneficiaries in any case where the church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society has lawful trustees in existence, is capable of securing the appointment of lawful trustees upon application as prescribed in \u00a7 57-8, is incorporated, has created a corporation pursuant to \u00a7 57-16.1, or has ecclesiastical officers pursuant to the provisions of \u00a7 57-16.","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":72855,"structure_id":13735,"section_number":"57-7","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-7\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-7","metadata":false},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-7.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1993. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 370 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1993 \u201cActs\u201d aren\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":78728,"section_number":"57-15","catch_line":"Proceedings by trustees or members for similar purposes, exception for certain transfers","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-15\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":81715,"section_number":"57-16","catch_line":"Property held, etc., by ecclesiastical officers","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-16\/"},{"id":72450,"section_number":"57-16.1","catch_line":"Property of unincorporated church held by corporation","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-16.1\/"},{"id":66631,"section_number":"57-8","catch_line":"Appointment of trustees to effect the purposes of conveyances, etc.; validation of certain appointments","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-8\/"}],"permalink":{"id":251595,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57368,"identifier":"57-7.1","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-7.1","url":"\/57-7.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-7.1\/","token":"57\/2\/2\/57-7.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"What transfers for religious purposes valid","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-7.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every conveyance or transfer of real or personal property, whether inter vivos or by will, which is made to or for the benefit of any church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society, whether by purchase or gift, shall be valid.\n\t\tAny such conveyance or transfer that fails to state a specific purpose shall be used for the religious and benevolent purposes of the church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society as determined appropriate by the authorities which, under its rules or usages, have charge of the administration of the temporalities thereof.\n\t\tNo such conveyance or transfer shall fail or be declared void for insufficient designation of the beneficiaries in any case where the church, church diocese, religious congregation or religious society has lawful trustees in existence, is capable of securing the appointment of lawful trustees upon application as prescribed in \u00a7 57-8<\/a>, is incorporated, has created a corporation pursuant to \u00a7 57-16.1<\/a>, or has ecclesiastical officers pursuant to the provisions of \u00a7 57-16<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHAT TRANSFERS FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES VALID (\u00a7 57-7.1)\n\nEvery conveyance or transfer of real or personal property, whether inter vivos\nor by will, which is made to or for the benefit of any church, church diocese,\nreligious congregation or religious society, whether by purchase or gift, shall\nbe valid.\n\t\tAny such conveyance or transfer that fails to state a specific purpose shall\nbe used for the religious and benevolent purposes of the church, church diocese,\nreligious congregation or religious society as determined appropriate by the\nauthorities which, under its rules or usages, have charge of the administration\nof the temporalities thereof.\n\t\tNo such conveyance or transfer shall fail or be declared void for insufficient\ndesignation of the beneficiaries in any case where the church, church diocese,\nreligious congregation or religious society has lawful trustees in existence, is\ncapable of securing the appointment of lawful trustees upon application as\nprescribed in \u00a7 57-8, is incorporated, has created a corporation pursuant to \u00a7\n57-16.1, or has ecclesiastical officers pursuant to the provisions of \u00a7 57-16.\n\nHISTORY: 1993, c. 370; 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}}