H. B. 2569


(By Delegates Prezioso, Cann, Gallagher and Ashley)

[Introduced February 20, 1995; referred to the

Committee on the Judiciary.]





A BILL to amend and reenact section eight, article one, chapter
thirty-five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing the amount of acreage that a trustee can hold for a church, parish, congregation or branch of a religious sect from four to ten acres.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight, article one, chapter thirty-five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
§35-1-8. Quantity of real estate trustee may take and hold.
The trustee or trustees of any individual church, parish, congregation or branch of any religious sect, society or denomination within this state may take and hold at any one time for each church, parish or congregation not to exceed four ten acres of land in any incorporated city, town or village, and not to exceed sixty acres out of such city, town or village.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the number of acres a trustee for a church or other religious organization can hold from four to ten acres. The bill provides, however, that the additional six acres is not tax exempt.