57-20 - Quantity of land benevolent and other associations may hold. - Virginia Statutes

§ 57-20. Quantity of land benevolent and other associations may hold.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, the trustee for the use of anybenevolent or other association referred to in § 57-19 shall not hereaftertake or hold, at one time, any land exceeding five acres; and the trustees oftwo or more bodies or societies may hold jointly, land not exceeding fiveacres; provided that the local governing body of any county or city may byordinance authorize such trustee or trustees to take and hold in such countyor city not exceeding ten acres of land at any one time. However, a schoolleague may, in addition to the five acres held by such trustees, hold notexceeding ten acres as a home for the principal of the school for which theleague is named. All such holdings heretofore acquired are validated; exceptholdings which are in litigation prior to or on July 1, 1964.

Any lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks or other groupsorganized for rural community civic purposes or improvement of farm life oroperations of like purposes and not for profit may hold not exceedingthirty-five acres of land. All such holdings heretofore acquired arevalidated; except holdings which are in litigation on or before July 1, 2002.

Any association or post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion,Spanish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans or any similar associationof veterans of the armed forces of the United States chartered by an act ofCongress may hold not exceeding seventy-five acres of land. Notwithstandingany other provision of law conveyances of land made prior to June 29, 1948,to any such post or association of veterans is validated provided the same isnot in excess of seventy-five acres.

(Code 1919, § 48; 1948, p. 634; 1956, c. 454; 1964, c. 553; 1986, c. 63;2002, c. 638.)