Real Property

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the changes will affect existing property owned by Masonic lodges or what terms and conditions can be set for leasing or renting out property.

Amending Tennessee Law for Masonic Lodge Property Rights

This bill amends Tennessee laws to allow officers and members of a Masonic lodge or their sponsored corporations/LLCs to purchase, receive as gifts, or lease property for building, maintaining, or acquiring a Masonic hall, temple, or burial place.

What This Bill Does

• Allows officers and members of a Masonic lodge, along with any corporation or LLC they sponsor, to purchase or accept real estate by gift for the purpose of building, maintaining, or acquiring a Masonic hall, temple, or burial place.
• Requires that the legal title of purchased or gifted property must be given to the Masonic lodge's officers and members or their sponsored corporation/LLC.
• Permits Masonic lodge-sponsored corporations or LLCs to rent out property they own to other Masonic lodges or entities on terms they decide.

Who It Names or Affects

• Masonic lodges and their sponsored corporations or limited liability companies (LLCs).

Terms To Know

Masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or LLC

A business entity created by Masonic lodge members for the purpose of managing property related to the lodge.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how this change will affect existing property owned by Masonic lodges.
• It is unclear what specific terms and conditions can be set when leasing or renting out property.

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes t
he officers and members of a masonic lodge
to
purchase or take by deed such quantity of ground for the purpose of building a hall or temple, or for a burial place, as may be necessary. The deed
must
vest the legal title to the same in such officers and members and their successors.

This bill rewrites the present law to, instead, authorize t
he officers and members of a masonic lodge, or a masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or limited liability company,
to
take by deed through a purchase or by gift real property, including any structure located upon the real property, and personal property for the purposes of, but not limited to, building, maintaining, or acquiring a masonic lodge, hall, or temple, or for a
burial place.
Such a
deed for real or personal property, whether such deed ef
fectuates a purchase or gift, must
still
vest the legal title to such real or personal property in the officers or members of the acquiring masonic lodge or in a masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or limited liability company formed and organized for such purpose.

This bill further authorizes a
masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or limited liability company
to
rent or lease real or personal property to a masonic lodge or another entity on such terms and conditions as such masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or limited liability company may designate.

This bill clarifies that its provisions do not
affect a conveyance of real property or personal property to a corporation or limited liability company
that
occurred prior to the effective date of this
bill
.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1650
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 1795
By Crawford
HB1795
009424
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AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 48,
Chapter 102, relative to fraternal organizations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 48-102-202, is amended by deleting
the section and substituting:
(a) The officers and members of a masonic lodge, or a masonic lodge-
sponsored corporation or limited liability company, may take by deed through a purchase
or by gift real property, including any structure located upon the real property, and
personal property for the purposes of, but not limited to, building, maintaining, or
acquiring a masonic lodge, hall, or temple, or for a burial place.
(b) A deed for real or personal property described in subsection (a), whether
such deed effectuates a purchase or gift, must vest the legal title to such real or personal
property in the officers or members of the acquiring masonic lodge or in a masonic
lodge-sponsored corporation or limited liability company formed and organized for such
purpose.
(c) A masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or limited liability company may rent
or lease real or personal property to a masonic lodge or another entity on such terms
and conditions as such masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or limited liability company
may designate.
(d) This section does not affect a conveyance of real property or personal
property to a corporation or limited liability company which occurred prior to the effective
date of this act.

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(e) As used in this section, "masonic lodge-sponsored corporation or limited
liability company" means a corporation or limited liability company that is incorporated or
organized under this title by the officers or members of a masonic lodge, and which acts
through officers or members authorized by such masonic lodge.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.