The court of common pleas, operating through its appropriate division, may authorize the sale, mortgage, lease or exchange of real property or grant declaratory relief with respect to real property:

(1) Where the legal title is held:

(i) by a person whose spouse is an incapacitated person, or has abandoned him or her for one year, or has been absent in circumstances from which the law would presume his or her decease;

(ii) by a tenant of an estate by entireties, when the other tenant of such estate has been absent in circumstances from which the law would presume his or her decease;

(iii) by corporations of any kind having no capacity to convey, or by any unincorporated association;

(iv) by any religious, beneficial, or charitable society or association, incorporated or unincorporated, whose title is subject to forfeiture if real property is held in excess of the amount authorized by law; or

(v) by any religious, beneficial or charitable society or association, incorporated or unincorporated, whose title is subject to reversion, possibility of reverter or right of reentry for condition broken if the real property ceases to be used for a purpose specified in a deed, subject to the following:

(A) A petition to declare the real property free from reversion, possibility of reverter or right of reentry shall contain an affidavit of an officer of the religious, beneficial or charitable society or association, stating in detail what reasonable efforts have been made to locate or contact the grantor or the grantor's heirs, successors or assigns to obtain a conveyance of the reversion, possibility of reverter or right of reentry, why the real property should be declared free of the reversion, possibility of reverter or right of reentry, and the use of the funds, if any, to be derived from sale of the real property.

(B) The court shall have the power to consider all of the circumstances and to grant such equitable relief as shall be just and proper and impose such restrictions upon the use of the funds to be derived from the sale of real property as the court shall deem to be appropriate to further the religious, beneficial or charitable purpose reflected in the deed containing the reversion, possibility of reverter or right of reentry for condition broken.

(2) Where the legal title is an estate tail, or is subject to contingent remainders, executory interests, or remainders to a class some or all of whom may not be in being or ascertained at the time of the entry of the decree.

(3) Where the legal title is otherwise inalienable.

(Apr. 16, 1992, P.L.108, No.24, eff. 60 days; Dec. 16, 1992, P.L.1163, No.152, eff. imd.)

1992 Amendments. See section 21 of Act 24 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability. See section 27(b) of Act 152 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability.