Supreme Court Denies Review In Church Property Ownership Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court today denied certiorari in Presbytery of Ohio Valley, Inc. v. OPC, Inc., Docket No. 12-907, cert den. 4/29/2013). (Order List.)  In the case, the Indiana Supreme Court, in a 3-2 decision, held that the Presbyterian Church (USA) had failed to show that an express trust attached to property of a break-away congregation.  However, the court remanded the case for trial on  whether an implied resulting trust had been created by the congregation remaining a member of PC(USA). (See prior posting.) The petition for certiorari sought to have the Supreme Court resolve conflicting views of the Presbyterian Church's Property Trust Clause.