CHAPTER 433

An Act to amend and reenact § 57-12 of the Code of Virginia, relating to
quantity of real and personal estate which may be held for religious
purposes.

(S 359]

Approved April 1, 1952

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

Ls That § 57-12 of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted as
ollows:

§ 57-12. Such trustees shall not take or hold at any one time more
than four acres of land in a city or town, nor more than seventy-five acres
outside of a city or town; provided that the city council of any city may by
ordinance authorize such trustees to take and hold in such city not exceed-
ing ten acres of land at any one time if such acreage is to be devoted ez-
clusively, and is subsequently so devoted, to a church building, chapel, of-
fices exclusively used for administrative purposes of the church, a Sunday
School building and playgrounds therefor, and parking lots for the con-
venience of those attending any of the foregoing; and they shall not take
or hold at any one time, money, securities or other personal estate exceed-
ing in the aggregate, exclusive of the books and furniture aforesaid, the
sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; provided, that where two or
more religious congregations, churches or religious societies shall merge or
consolidate, such religious congregation, church or religious society so
merged or consolidated, shall have three years’ time within which to dis-
pose of its land in excess of that which it is permitted to hold under this
section.

This section, as amended, shall not be construed as applying to any
property which is the subject of litigation at the time of or prior to the
effective date hereof; and shall not, in any such litigation, be construed as
evidencing any change in any legislative policy respecting any matter or
matters covered by Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 57 of the Code of

irginia.