ARTICLE 3. Legal Validation Proceedings [21180. - 21203.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 3.
in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21180. Section 21180.

The trustee or trustees of any trust or trusts created for the founding, endowment, and maintenance of a university, college, school, seminary of learning, mechanical institute, museum, gallery of art, library, or any other institution, or any or all thereof, pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 21100) and Article 2 (commencing with Section 21140) of this chapter, may commence a special proceeding to determine all questions of law and fact affecting the existence of, and the due and voluntary execution and delivery, and the terms, validity, and legal effect of the grant founding the institution, and of all amendments or attempted amendments to the grant, and of any supplemental grants or gifts, and of any confirmatory conveyances, of the founder or surviving founder, or spouse or surviving spouse of the founder.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21181. Section 21181.

The special proceeding may also be commenced to determine all questions of law and fact affecting the due and voluntary execution and delivery, and the validity and legal effect, of any gift or grant made in general terms for the benefit of the institution, or of any department of the institution, or of any gift or grant made in general terms for the benefit of the institution, or of any department of the institution, or of any gift or grant made in general terms for the benefit of the institution, or of any department of the institution, upon the trusts provided for in the grant founding the institution, and amendments thereof and grants, bequests, and devises supplementary thereto.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21182. Section 21182.

The special proceeding may also be commenced to determine all questions bearing upon the passing to the trustee or trustees of the legal title to the properties, real and personal, conveyed or attempted to be conveyed, so far as the property or the proceeds thereof, or any property acquired in exchange therefor or with proceeds thereof, is described in the petition provided for in this article, and the interest or title of the trustee or trustees in or to any property described in the petition.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21183. Section 21183.

The special proceeding may also be commenced to determine all questions of law and fact affecting the due and voluntary execution and delivery, and the validity and legal effect, of any grant or surrender by any founder, surviving founder, or spouse or surviving spouse of any founder, to, or in favor of, the trustee or trustees, of any rights, powers, privileges, or duties reserved to or vesting in any such person over or concerning any property described in the petition, or over or concerning the institution, which would otherwise vest in or devolve upon the trustee or trustees upon the death of the person granting or surrendering the right, powers, privileges, or duties, and of any relinquishment or release by the founder, surviving founder, or spouse or surviving spouse of any founder, of any other rights, powers, privileges, or duties reserved to or vesting in any such person.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21184. Section 21184.

The trustee or trustees of any trust created pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 21100) and Article 2 (commencing with Section 21140) of this chapter, in the name of the institution or institutions, or in the name of the trustee or trustees of the institution, or in the name of the board of trustees of the institution, may file, in the superior court of the county in which the lands described in the founding grant, or some portion thereof, are situated, or, if no real estate has been granted to the trustees, then in the county where the main part of the institution is situated, a petition in writing, signed by counsel for the trustee or trustees, or by counsel for a majority thereof.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21185. Section 21185.

The petition shall contain copies of all grants, amendments, attempted amendments, supplemental grants, instruments of gift, confirmatory conveyances, and grants and instruments of surrender, relinquishment or release, so far as known to the trustee or trustees.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21186. Section 21186.

The petition shall allege in general terms the due and voluntary execution and delivery, and the validity, of any and all instruments, copies of which are set out in the petition, and shall describe all property, real and personal, the legal title to which is held or claimed to be held by the trustee or trustees under or by virtue of any or all of the instruments, whether or not the property is the original property conveyed, the proceeds thereof, or reinvested proceeds.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21187. Section 21187.

The petition shall allege in general terms the estate or interest which the trustee or trustees have or claim in or to the property described.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21188. Section 21188.

The petition shall pray, in effect, that the court: (a) Examine and determine all questions of law and fact affecting the due and voluntary execution and delivery, and the terms, validity, and legal effect of all the instruments, copies of which are set out in the petition. (b) Examine and determine all questions bearing upon the passing to the trustee or trustees, of the legal title to all the properties, real and personal, conveyed or attempted to be conveyed, so far as the property or the proceeds thereof, or any property acquired in exchange therefor or with the proceeds thereof, is described in the petition. (c) Examine and determine the interest or title of the trustee or trustees in or to the property. (d) Establish and determine that the trustee or trustees are rightfully vested with the legal title thereto.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21189. Section 21189.

The court or judge shall fix the time for hearing the petition, and shall order the clerk of the court to post in at least three public places in the county a notice of the filing of the petition, attached to a copy of the petition, and order a copy of the notice together with a copy of the petition to be personally served upon the founder, if living, and upon the spouse or surviving spouse of any founder, and upon any living grantor or donor of any other grant or gift set out in the petition, and may order such other or further notice to be given as the judge or court may deem proper. The notice shall be posted and served at least 10 days before the hearing.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21190. Section 21190.

If the court or judge finds upon the hearing that due and proper notice has not been given as provided in Section 21189, it shall reset the hearing and cause due and proper notice to be given.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21191. Section 21191.

The notice and petition shall be entitled substantially in the following form: In the Superior Court of the ____ County of ____, State of California. In the matter of the petition of ____ (giving the name or names in which the petition is brought) for the ascertainment of the existence and terms of, and for the determination of the validity and legal effect of grants or other instruments creating, changing, or affecting trusts and estates for the founding, endowment, and maintenance of ____ (naming the institution or institutions founded).

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21192. Section 21192.

The notice shall state the time and place fixed for the hearing of the petition and shall be addressed to the founder or founders, if living, and to the spouse or surviving spouse of any deceased founder, and the living grantor or donor of any other grant or gift set out in the petition, and in general terms to all other persons having or claiming any interest in, or rights, powers, or duties over or concerning the property described in the petition; and shall direct that they and each of them appear and answer the petition on or before the time set for the hearing. The notice shall also state that unless they so appear and demur or answer, the petitioners will apply to the court to grant the prayer of the petition, and that each person failing to so appear and answer, shall be deemed to admit as true all the material allegations of the petition.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21193. Section 21193.

Any person required to be served, or any other person interested may waive notice by written waiver filed with the clerk of the court.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21194. Section 21194.

Any person interested in the determination of any of the questions presented by the petition may demur to or answer the petition and may set up any new matter affecting the determination of the questions.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21196. Section 21196.

The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure respecting the demurrer and the answer to a verified complaint, shall be applicable to a demurrer or answer to the petition.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21197. Section 21197.

The persons demurring to or answering the petition shall be the defendants to the special proceeding and the petitioners shall be the plaintiffs.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21198. Section 21198.

Every material statement of the petition not specifically controverted by the answer shall, for the purposes of the special proceeding, be taken as true, and each person failing to answer the petition shall be deemed to admit as true all the material allegations of the petition.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21199. Section 21199.

The rules of pleading and practice provided for by the Code of Civil Procedure, which are not inconsistent with this article, are applicable to the special proceeding provided for.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21200. Section 21200.

Upon the hearing of the special proceeding, the court shall examine into and determine all questions of law and fact within the scope of the proceeding herein provided for, whether presented by the petition or answer, or by the proofs upon the hearing. The court shall find and determine whether the notice of the filing of the petition has been duly given for the time and in the manner prescribed in this article.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21202. Section 21202.

A certified copy of the judgment of the court in the special proceeding shall be recorded in the office of the recorder of the county in which the action is brought and in the office of the recorder of every county in which any of the real property affected is situated.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 21203. Section 21203.

The judgment of the court in the special proceeding is determinative of the terms and trusts upon which any property thereafter given for the benefit of the institution, or any department thereof, is held by the trustee or trustees, unless otherwise provided by the grantor or donor.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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