The Protestant Episcopal Church v. The Episcopal Church

Citation:

Court: South Carolina Supreme Court · Filed: 2022-04-20 · Docket: 2020-000986
Published
Impact Score: 0/100 — Low impact: This case is narrowly focused with minimal precedential value.

Case Overview

The Protestant Episcopal Church v. The Episcopal Church is a court opinion from the South Carolina Supreme Court, filed on 2022-04-20 (Docket No. 2020-000986).

Precedential Status: Published. This opinion may be cited as authority in future cases.

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Court Syllabus

The dispute before the Court in this case is which church entity became the legal or beneficial owner of certain real and personal property after The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina (Disassociated Diocese) and thirty-six individual Episcopal Parishes (Parishes) disassociated from The Episcopal Church in the United States of America (National Church). The dispute requires us to address two broad questions. First, who now owns the real estate long-owned and occupied by the individual Parishes. Second, who is now the beneficiary of a statutorily-created trust controlled by the Trustees of The Protestant Episcopal Church in South Carolina (Trustees). As to the first question, we hold the 2017 Court did not make a final decision as to the real property owned by twenty-nine Parishes, and thus, we review the circuit court's 2020 Parish by Parish determination. As to the second question, we hold the 2017 Court decided the real and personal property held in trust by the Trustees is now held for the benefit of the Associated Diocese.

Case Details

Case NameThe Protestant Episcopal Church v. The Episcopal Church
Citation
CourtSouth Carolina Supreme Court
Date Filed2022-04-20
Docket Number2020-000986
Precedential StatusPublished
Impact Score0 / 100
Jurisdictionsc

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