N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 18: Dissolution of religious corporations

§ 18. Dissolution of religious corporations. Whenever any religious

corporation shall cease to act in its corporate capacity and keep up the

religious services; it shall be lawful for the supreme court of this

state, upon the application of a majority of the trustees thereof, in

case said court shall deem it proper so to do, to order and decree a

dissolution of such religious corporation, and for that purpose to order

and direct a sale and conveyance of any and all property belonging to

such corporation, and after providing for the ascertaining and payment

of the debts of such corporation, and the necessary costs and expenses

of such sale and proceedings for dissolution, so far as the proceeds of

such sale shall be sufficient to pay the same; such court may order and

direct any surplus of such proceeds remaining after paying such debts,

costs and expenses, to be devoted and applied to any such religious,

benevolent, or charitable objects or purposes as the said trustees may

indicate by their petition and the said court may approve.

Such application to said court shall be made by petition, duly

verified by said trustees, which petition shall state the particular

reason or causes why such sale and dissolution are sought; the

situation, condition and estimated value of the property of said

corporation, and the particular object or purposes to which it is

proposed to devote any surplus of the proceeds of such property; and

such petition shall, in all cases, be accompanied with proof that notice

of the time and place of such intended application to said court, has

been duly published once in each week for at least four weeks

successively, next preceding such application, in a newspaper published

in the county where such corporation is located.

In case there shall be no trustees of such religious corporation

residing in the county in which such corporation is located, such

application may be made, and such proceedings taken, by a majority of

the members of such religious corporation residing in such county.

In case such corporation is under the jurisdiction of an incorporated

ecclesiastical governing body such application may be made and such

proceedings taken by such incorporated ecclesiastical governing body,

provided the trustees or other officers or surviving members of the

local church shall refuse to act after request has been duly made by the

governing body, and in such case the proceeds shall be turned over to

said governing body.