Relates to the court approval process for the sale, mortgage and lease of real property of a religious corporation

New rules for church property deals

The law changes how certain churches sell, mortgage, or lease real estate. Those churches no longer must notify the Attorney General before filing required court petitions. This notice change applies only to churches named in section 12, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5, 5‑a, 5‑b, 5‑c, 5‑d, and 6 of the Religious Corporations Law. Trustees of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America must get the archbishop’s consent before asking a court to approve a sale, mortgage, or lease. Petitions by trustees of the incorporated Protestant Episcopal, Roman Catholic, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Presbyterian (PCUSA), United Methodist, and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese churches must also state they followed section 12, in addition to Not‑for‑Profit Law requirements. The law takes effect immediately.