Real Property

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Amending Tennessee Law for Masonic Lodge Property Rights

This bill amends Tennessee's laws to allow Masonic lodges and their sponsored corporations or LLCs to purchase, receive as gifts, and lease real property for lodge-related purposes.

What This Bill Does

• Allows officers and members of a Masonic lodge, along with any corporation or LLC they sponsor, to purchase or accept as gifts real property (land) and personal property (like buildings) for building or maintaining Masonic lodges, halls, temples, or burial places.
• Requires that when such property is transferred through a deed, the title must go directly to the officers or members of the lodge or their sponsored corporation/LLC.
• Permits these corporations or LLCs to rent out real and personal property they own to Masonic lodges or other entities on terms they set.

Who It Names or Affects

• Masonic lodges in Tennessee
• Corporations or LLCs sponsored by Masonic lodges

Terms To Know

deed

A legal document that transfers ownership of property from one person to another.

LLC

Limited Liability Company, a type of business structure that provides limited personal liability protection for its owners and is flexible in how it operates.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens to property transfers made before the law takes effect.
• It only applies to Masonic lodges and their sponsored entities, not other types of organizations or individuals.

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

HOUSE BILL 1795
By Crawford

SENATE BILL 1650
By Gardenhire
SB1650
009424
- 1 -

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.

- 2 - 009424

(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.