National Hierarchical Denomination wins ownership of property of local church which had disaffiliated with the denomination for theological reasons, but...

Nonprofit and Church Legal Trends - Free Edition - March April 2008 (free edition)

California state appeals court ruled that the general Episcopal church by 1979 canon impressed a trust on the property of the local church that was a member of the national denomination since the governing documents of that body clearly provided that all real and personal property of the local parish is held in trust for the national church. Moreover, civil courts must follow the ruling of the highest church tribunal under the US Supreme Court case Watson v. Jones, 80 US 679 (1871) and six ruling by the California Supreme Court from 1889-1953. But see the Virginia Episcopal case which reached an initial different result.