Skip to Content

We are a Veteran Owned Business, providing 20% discounts for Veterans, First Responders, Elementary and High School teachers. Please contact us to set up a phone or Zoom meeting. Taking care of you and your family, It's What We Do!

Philadelphia Orphans’ Court Decision on Archdiocese of Philadelphia Cemeteries

Posted on Wed Apr 16, 2014, on Estate Litigation

The Philadelphia Archdiocese found itself with serious financial problems. An outside, third-party company offered them a large sum of money to lease out thirteen cemeteries, some of which had unused space. Some of these cemeteries had been under the trust and care of the Archdiocese for over 100 years, and all had previously been exclusively Catholic.

Would entering lucrative maintenance, management and operating agreements with a non-Catholic, third party organization constitute a diversion of property from the purposes, uses and trusts to which these cemeteries had been lawfully dedicated? How do you notify the interested parties in this case? Is the Philadelphia Orphans’ Court even the correct venue for this matter?

Judge J. Herron wrote an interesting decision on these potentially thorny questions, which can be read in whole here. He found that the Archdiocese had satisfied him that the agreements did not constitute a diversion of property from the purposes, uses and trusts to which the cemeteries had been lawfully dedicate.

Tags:

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Peter KlenkPeter Klenk

What Our clients are saying

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Peter J. Gutekunst, CFP®

I've worked with and known Peter Klenk and his associates for years. They are highly professional, diligent and truly experts in their field. By focusing on just wills, trusts, and estates, Klenk law has experienced every angle of estate planning and applied that knowledge to help prepare our clients with thorough and comprehensive documents.

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Elizabeth Ray

Peter and his associates were a pleasure to work with. He explained the process clearly and provided assistance nearly instantaneously. Highly recommended for trusts-and-estates-related needs!

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Tom Mettinger Sr.

Integrity, exceeding the client's expectations. In-depth knowledge of the law

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Linda F.

I'm totally satisfied with Klenk Law. Peter has a great legal mind with the personality of the guy next door.

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Bill

I met Peter soon after he started his practice in Philadelphia, PA. He and his team have always been there for me and my various inquiries throughout my life-changing events, corporate relocations. I have lived in various cities throughout the nation, I have never had a problem in contacting Peter or a member of his team. He and his office responds quickly and returns calls to me to fulfill my requests for information or to revise my estate needs while posing relevant thought-provoking questions that I need to consider to secure my future. One of Peter's best qualities is his ability to answer clients complicated questions in a simple way to ensure comprehension.

Let us put our expertise to work for you.

Free consultation within 24 hours.