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Churches seeking clear title to property

For more information on property issues within the PCUSA, visit The Layman Online's Property Index.

For court documents related to property cases involving congregations, visit The Layman Online's Legal Resource Databank.

For churches that have voted to leave the PCUSA, visit The Layman Online's chart.

 

 

Date filed

Church

City, state

Presbytery

Decision
2/5/07 First Corinth, MS St. Andrew in court
3/2/07 First Vicksburg, MS Mississippi Final declaratory judgment on 3/2/07; church owns property
3/2/07 First Pascagoula, MS Mississippi Final declaratory judgment on 3/2/07; church owns property
2/26/07 J.J. White Memorial McComb, MS Mississippi Final declaratory judgment on 2/26/07; church owns property
9/6/06 First Baton Rouge, LA South Louisiana presbytery approved stipulated judgment on 11/4/05; church owns property; (see Churches that have voted to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) for further developments)
5/9/07 Peters Creek United Venetia, PA Washington Presbytery complaint seeking "quiet title" claim to its property was filed May 9; along with temporary injunction that prevents Washington Presbytery from installing an administrative commission against Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church in Venetia, Pa. The order also enjoins the presbytery from "occupying, seizing or exercising control" over the church's real and personal property and from interfering with the church's "operations and members in any way until otherwise ordered by this court." Court filings were made one day after presbytery commissioners approved the administrative commission with all powers granted to it in the PCUSA's Book of Order, except the power to dismiss a church to another denomination. (see Churches that have voted to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) for further developments)
5/21/07 Woodland New Orleans, LA South Louisiana The church sought a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction and declaratory judgment on May 21. It was granted a temporary restraining order May 22, followed by a stipulated preliminary injunction nine days later. No hearing dates have been set for the declaratory judgment petitions. Case filed in the 19th District Judicial Court in East Baton Rouge Parish.
7/2/07 First Marion, NC Western North Carolina temporary restraining order granted; administrative commission appointed by presbytery at 7/31/07; by unanimous voice vote presbytery commissioners on 10/26/07 approved the administrative commission's original-jurisdiction powers over the church. The church's session requested the resignation of the pastor, the Rev. Jim Wilken, who submitted his resignation 10/21/07, effective 11/4/07.
8/1/07 First Thibodaux , LA South Louisiana The church filed a declaratory judgment on Aug. 1. The lawsuit was filed in the 19th District Judicial Court in East Baton Rouge Parish.
3/28/08 Providence Hilton Head Island, SC Charleston Atlantic

The church filed a civil suit at the Beaufort County Courthouse against the presbytery to prove ownership of two island properties. The church has almost 26.5 acres of land, roughly 16 of it undeveloped. The presbytery gave Providence the properties for a total of $15, but the name on the land deed is Providence, not the presbytery.                    

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