Wills and Estates

• Key point 6-07.05. Church board members may be personally liable for diverting designated funds or trust funds to some other purpose.
Church Officers,Directors, and Trustees

* An Indiana court addressed the important question of whether a designated gift to charity is legally enforceable, and under the facts presented, concluded that a designated gift was not enforceable by an heir of the original donor. In 1950, a woman executed a last will and testament that bequeathed $250,000 to a hospital for the construction of a chapel. Following the donor's death, a chapel was constructed. It contained a plaque noting it was a memorial to the donor. In 2003, the hospital decided that it would be necessary to expand its facilities, and that such expansion would require demolition of the chapel. In 2004, the hospital took steps to dismantle the chapel, including removing the stained glass ...