Coptic Orthodox Church (NSW) Property Trust Act 1990 No 67

This Act may be cited as the Coptic Orthodox Church (NSW) Property Trust Act 1990.

This Act commences on a day or days to be appointed by proclamation.

(1)  In this Act:

appointed day means the day on which section 4 commences.

Bishop means the Bishop of the Church.

Church means the Coptic Orthodox Churches, Diocese of Sydney and Affiliated Regions, a part of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, a hierarchical Christian body whose leader, overseer and shepherd is the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and includes any Church entity.

Church entity means a body, corporate or unincorporate, established by the Church after the appointed day which:

(a)  has objectives not inconsistent with those of the Church as set out in the constitution, and

(b)  is certified in writing by the Bishop to be a Church entity for the purposes of this Act.

Company means the company limited by guarantee, incorporated in New South Wales under the name Coptic Orthodox Church, Diocese of Australia, Parish of New South Wales (Holdings) Limited.

constitution means the constitution of the Church approved on 8 October 2002 by His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, as amended from time to time, or any document for the time being approved by the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark to replace that constitution.

conveyance includes transfer, assignment and assurance.

Trust means the Coptic Orthodox Church (NSW) Property Trust constituted by this Act.

trust property means property vested in or acquired by the Trust.

(2)  In this Act:

(a)  a reference to a function includes a reference to a power, authority and duty, and

(b)  a reference to the exercise of a function includes, where the function is a duty, a reference to the performance of the duty.

s 3: Am 1993 No 108, Sch 1; 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [1]–[5].

(1)  There is constituted by this Act a corporation under the corporate name of the Coptic Orthodox Church (NSW) Property Trust.

(2)  The Bishop is the sole trustee of the Trust.

(3)    (Repealed)

s 4: Am 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [6] [7].

(1)  The functions of the Trust are:

(a)  to purchase, exchange, take on lease, hold, dispose of and otherwise deal with property as trustee for, or for the purposes of, the Church, and

(b)  to acquire property by gift or by devise or bequest and to agree to and carry out the conditions of the gift, devise or bequest, and

(c)  to borrow money for the purposes of the Church, and

(d)  to mortgage, charge or otherwise encumber trust property, and

(e)  to do and suffer all other things that bodies corporate may, by law, do and suffer and that are necessary for or incidental to the exercise of its functions under this Act.

(2)  This section does not limit section 50 of the Interpretation Act 1987.

The Bishop may delegate, in writing, any or all of the Bishop’s functions under this Act (other than this power of delegation) to any 3 members of the General Board of the Church, one of whom is a clerical member and the other two of whom are lay members.

s 5A: Ins 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [8].

(1)  Any property that, immediately before the appointed day:

(a)  was vested in the Company, or

(b)  was vested in any other person in trust for the Church,

is, on that day, divested from the Company or that other person and is, to the extent that it was so vested, vested (without conveyance) in the Trust.

(2)  The vesting of the property in the Trust does not affect:

(a)  any reservation, mortgage, charge, encumbrance, lien or lease that affected the property, or

(b)  any trust on which the property was held,

immediately before the vesting of the property.

(3)  No attornment to the Trust by any lessee of land vested in it by this section is necessary.

(4)  An instrument executed only for:

(a)  the purpose of giving effect to this section, or

(b)  a purpose ancillary to, or consequential on, the operation of this section,

is exempt from stamp duty.

To the extent to which, by an instrument (including a will) that takes effect on or after the appointed day, any property:

(a)  is given to the Church or to a person (other than the Trust) for the benefit of the Church, or

(b)  is payable to, or receivable by, the Church or any person (other than the Trust) on behalf of the Church, or

(c)  is recoverable by the Church or by any person (other than the Trust) for the Church,

a reference in the instrument to the Church, or to that person, is to be taken to be a reference to the Trust.

The Trust may hold or acquire property either alone or jointly as a joint tenant or tenant-in-common.

(1)  The Trust may invest or lend any funds held by it in accordance with the terms of any trust to which the funds are subject.

(2)  The Trust may also invest or lend any such funds in accordance with the Trustee Act 1925 unless the investment or loan is expressly forbidden by the instrument (if any) creating the trust to which the funds are subject.

(1)  The Trust may invest trust funds held by it for different purposes or activities, or any part of those funds, as one fund (the fund).

(2)  Any income arising from the investment of the fund may be distributed rateably for the benefit of carrying out the several purposes or activities for which the money invested is held on trust.

(3)  Any loss arising from the investment of the fund is to be distributed rateably to the detriment of carrying out the several purposes or activities for which the money invested is held on trust.

(4)  The Trust may make advances out of funds referred to in this section for any purpose of or relating to the Church.

(5)  Any sum so advanced is to be taken to be an investment of the money and bears interest at a rate fixed by the Trust.

(6)  The sum advanced, and any interest on that sum, is to be taken to be a charge on the assets held by the Trust for the purpose for which the advance is made.

(1)  In this section, scheme of co-operation means a scheme entered into by the Trust:

(a)  with or involving a church of another denomination or any congregation or activity of such a church, and

(b)  concerning the use of trust property.

(2)  The Trust may permit trust property to be used, managed and administered for the purposes of a scheme of co-operation on such terms and conditions as the Trust determines.

(3)  Any proceeds obtained by the Trust from a scheme of co-operation are to be applied in the manner determined by the Trust.

(4)  Conditions that the Trust may determine under this section include:

(a)  conditions with respect to the making of monetary contributions for the acquisition, construction, alteration, maintenance or repair of property vested in or held on behalf of a co-operating church or congregation, and

(b)  the giving or taking of a security or charge over any property.

(5)  Trust property may be used pursuant to a scheme of co-operation except to the extent that the property is subject to an express trust expressly forbidding its use in that manner.

(6)  Trust property merely directed to be held on trust for the worship or purposes of the Church is not to be taken to be property that is subject to an express trust expressly forbidding its use pursuant to a scheme of co-operation.

(1)  The Trust may declare that, in its opinion, it has become impossible or inexpedient to carry out or observe the terms of a trust of property vested in it, whether as to its purpose or any other of its terms.

(2)  The Trust may by the same or a later declaration declare that the property is subject to another trust and if so:

(a)  the replaced trust ceases and determines, and

(b)  the property is to be held subject to the other trust.

(3)  In making such a declaration the Trust must ensure that the property is to be dealt with as nearly as may be possible for the purposes for which the property was held immediately before the declaration.

(4)  The Trust may declare that, in its opinion, it is impossible or inexpedient to deal with the property in accordance with subsection (3) because of circumstances arising after the creation of the replaced trust.

(5)  On making a declaration under subsection (4), the Trust may hold, dispose of or otherwise deal with and apply the property for such purposes for the use and benefit of the Church as the Trust declares.

s 12: Am 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [9]–[11].

(1)  The Trust may:

(a)  apply for and obtain, or join in applying for and obtaining, probate of the will, or letters of administration of the estate, of a deceased person if the Church has a beneficial interest, vested or contingent, in the estate of that person, or

(b)  accept appointment, and act, as trustee or co-trustee under and in pursuance of any trust if the trust property is not vested in the Trust by, or pursuant to, this Act, and the trust was created wholly or partly for the benefit of the Church,

and may do all things necessary for the exercise of its functions as executor, administrator or trustee, as the case may be.

(2)  On behalf of the Trust, a person employed by the Trust may, if authorised in writing by the Trust for the purpose, swear an affidavit, make a declaration or statement, give security and do any other act or thing that is, by any charter, Act or rule of court, required to be done by a person applying for or granted probate or letters of administration, or administering a trust, as the case may be.

(3)  The Trust may:

(a)  renounce executorship, or

(b)  decline to act as administrator of an estate, or

(c)  retire, or decline to act, as trustee of property (not being property vested in it by or pursuant to Part 3).

(4)  Any commission or other remuneration earned by the Trust as an executor, administrator or trustee appointed under the authority of this section belongs to the Trust and is to be used and applied by it for or towards any object or purpose specified or approved by the Trust.

s 13: Am 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [12].

In relation to the exchange, dedication or compulsory acquisition of any trust property, the Trust may, subject to the constitution:

(a)  act on behalf of the Church and make claims for compensation, and

(b)  agree to and settle any such claims for such amount, and on such terms and conditions, as it thinks fit.

(1)  The seal of the Trust is to be kept by the Bishop and is to be affixed to a document only:

(a)  with the authority of the Trust, and

(b)  in the presence of the Bishop, and

(c)  with an attestation by the signature of the Bishop of the fact of the affixing of the seal.

(2)  An instrument purporting to have been sealed with the seal of the Trust and purporting to have been signed by the Bishop is to be taken to have been executed in accordance with this section.

s 15: Am 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [13]–[17].

(1)  Any instrument relating to any property or matter which, if made or executed by an individual, would be by law required to be in writing under seal may be made on behalf of the Trust in writing under the seal of the Trust.

(2)  Any instrument relating to any property or matter which, if made by or between individuals, would be by law required to be in writing signed by the parties to be bound by it may be made on behalf of the Trust in writing by any person acting under its authority, express or implied.

(3)  Any contract relating to any property or matter which, if made between individuals, would be by law valid although made orally only (and not reduced to writing) may be made on behalf of the Trust by any person acting under its authority, express or implied.

(1)  The Trust may, by writing under its seal, expressly empower any person, in respect of any specific matter, to execute any deed, instrument, contract or agreement on its behalf as its agent or attorney.

(2)  Any deed signed by such an agent or attorney under his or her seal on behalf of the Trust binds the Trust and has the same effect as if it were under the seal of the Trust.

(1)  A certificate under the seal of the Trust to the effect that property specified in the certificate is held by it on trust for the Church is, in any legal proceedings, prima facie evidence that the property is so held.

(2)  A certificate under the seal of the Trust to the effect that the estate or interest of a person specified in the certificate in land so specified is an estate or interest vested in the Trust by this Act is, for the purposes of any application by the Trust to be registered under the Real Property Act 1900 as the proprietor of that estate or interest pursuant to the vesting, conclusive evidence of the matters so certified.

If a receipt for money paid to the Trust:

(a)  is executed under the seal of the Trust, or

(b)    (Repealed)

(c)  is in writing signed by a person or persons purporting to be duly authorised for the purpose by the Trust,

the receipt exonerates the person by whom or on whose behalf the money is paid from any liability for the loss, misapplication or non-application of the money.

s 19: Am 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [18] [19].

If the Trust purchases, sells, exchanges, mortgages, leases or otherwise deals with property:

(a)  a vendor, purchaser, mortgagee, lessee or other person who is a party to any such dealing, and

(b)  the Registrar-General, the Crown Solicitor or any other person registering or certifying title to the property,

do not have to inquire whether the Trust has power to so deal with the property and are not affected by notice that the Trust has no such power.

The Bishop and any other person, exercising in good faith a function in relation to trust property pursuant to this Act or any by-law, and their executors and administrators, are entitled to be indemnified out of trust property against all expenses and liabilities incurred by them in connection with the exercise of the function.

s 21: Am 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [20].

The service of any document on the Trust may be effected by serving it on the Bishop, or on any person appearing to be authorised by the Trust to accept service.

s 22: Am 2003 No 67, Sch 1 [21].

(1)  The Trust may make by-laws, not inconsistent with this Act or with the provisions of the constitution, for the control, management and administration of, and dealings with, trust property.

(2)  A certificate under the seal of the Trust to the effect that a by-law specified in the certificate, or in an annexure to the certificate, was in force on a day specified in the certificate is conclusive evidence that the by-law was in force on that day.

(3)  A by-law may be amended or repealed by a subsequent by-law made under this section.

Schedule 1 has effect.