Church’s and the Attorney General
California’s Attorney General has real oversight power over religious nonprofits. Learn when your church needs AG approval for a merger, sale, or major transfer of assets.
Tag Archives: Attorney General
How to Close a Church in California: Legal Steps for Dissolving a Religious Nonprofit
Closing a California church involves more than locking the doors — a formal vote, winding up affairs, distributing assets to another nonprofit, and filing with the state. Here’s what the process actually requires.
Church Bingo: A Guide to Regulations, Licensing, and Tax Exemptions
Church bingo is legal in California, but only under strict rules. Learn the licensing requirements under Penal Code §326.5 and how bingo activity can affect your church’s property tax exemption.
How to Sell Church Property
How to sell church property requires careful planning. Assuming your congregation is incorporated and has decided that it’s time to sell your property, several steps need to be taken to make sure that endeavor is handled responsibly. This involved acting in the best interest of the congregation/corporation, the governing documents, and the applicable state laws. Learn more about nonprofit incorporation requirements from the California Secretary of State. Ownership dictates how to sell Church Property:Not all churches own their property, which is an important factor when you sell church property. Your […]
Digital Signatures for Churches
Are digital signatures binding for your church? Under California’s UETA and the federal ESIGN Act they are, if four conditions are met. Here’s what church boards need to know before signing real estate contracts electronically.
Restricted Donations: Rules Every Church Should Know
Restricted donations bind a church to spend the gift exactly as the donor intended — spend it elsewhere and you risk a breach of fiduciary duty claim. Here’s how to tell a restricted gift from an unrestricted one, and the only lawful ways to change course.