LOS ANGELES: Judge says breakaway congregations can keep property; diocese is confident that the rulings will be overturned on appeal

LOS ANGELES: Judge says breakaway congregations can keep property

[SOURCE: North County Times] An Orange County, California, judge on January 12 dismiss the last of the lawsuits seeking the return of property from three churches that split from the Episcopal Church to place themselves under a conservative Ugandan bishop. Superior Court Judge David Velasquez dismissed suits by the Episcopal Church against St. James Church in Newport Beach, All Saints in Long Beach and St. David's in North Hollywood. He had dismissed those claims in October, but allowed lawyers to amend the complaints.

 

However, Velasquez ruled that the amendments had "not added anything legally material" to the original complaints. Velasquez dismissed suits by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles against the churches last year. In his rulings, Velasquez said that neither the diocese nor the Episcopal Church has a rightful claim on land, buildings or items such as hymnals and prayer books used in worship by the congregations of the three churches. John Shiner, who represents the diocese, has said in the past that the diocese is confident that the rulings will be overturned on appeal.