CHAPTER 309

An Act to amend and reenact § 57-12, as amended, of the Code of Vir-
ginia, relating to the quantity of real and personal property which
may be held by certain trustees for religious purposes so as to increase
the limitation as to personal property.

[H 370]

Approved March 17, 1954
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 57-12, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and
reenacted, as follows:

§ 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
exceeding ten acres of land at any one time if such acreage is to be devoted
exclusively, and is subsequently so devoted, to a church building, chapel,
offices exclusively used for administrative purposes of the church, a
Sunday-school building and playgrounds therefor, and parking lots for the
convenience of those attending any of the foregoing; and they shall not
take or hold at any one time, money, securities or other personal estate
exceeding in the aggregate, exclusive of the books and furniture afore-
said, the sum of two * million 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
dispose 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 this article.